Adorable Doughnut Craft for Kids

Make a batch of puffy paint to frost and make a CUTE and EASY doughnut craft with your kids.

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We turned an old CD into an adorable doughnut craft with homemade puffy paint frosting. Check out the easy recipe that uses shaving cream and paint. Then get crafting with your kids to make doughnuts that look good enough to eat!

Since doughnuts come in sooo many yummy flavors with different colored frosting and sprinkles, your kiddos will have so much fun coming up with different flavor and color combos. You can make a dozen doughnuts in no time!

If you don’t have CD’s laying around you can also cut out paper, cardboard, or cereal boxes in the shape of a circle, then cut out a circle in the center…now you are ready to make a doughnut.

Looking for more sweet ideas? Try these Donut Playdough Cards, check out more Craft Ideas, or head to the kitchen to make a Dessert! Also at the bottom of this post are more CD crafts to try!

We love Recycled Crafts, so when the Kids Craft Stars challenge this month was to craft with CD’s I was thrilled. Having never crafted with a CD before, we found painting on on them to be a new family favorite.

Supplies:

• CD
• Acrylic paint (Brown, and other colors)
• Paintbrush
• Glitter
• White glue
• Shaving cream

If you wanted, you could skip the puffy paint and just use acrylic paint.

Directions:

1.  Paint the CD brown and set it aside to dry. We didn’t have brown paint so I used red, green, and yellow to make a doughnut color. Our CD’s had designs on the front of them so we painted the shiny side.

2. When ready to paint the doughnut, mix 1 part glue to 1 part shaving cream to make the puffy paint. Divide the puffy paint and mix in acrylic paint to add color for the frosting. Paint it onto the doughnut, making sure to leave some of the edge brown (so you can tell it is a doughnut), and try to really glop it on if you want it to dry puffy. My daughter spread the puffy paint around like regular paint so it didn’t dry puffy…(still turned out super cute though :).

3.  Sprinkle glitter on top and use the paintbrush to paint sprinkles on.

The kids love feeding their doughnuts to all their toys or pretending to take a bite for themselves 🙂

More CD Crafts by the Kids Crafts Stars

🍩 A Bite-Sized FAQ

Q: What’s the best age range for the doughnut craft for kids?
A: This doughnut craft is ideal for children aged 4–10. Younger kids (4–6) will enjoy the simple shapes and decorating, while older kids (7–10) can experiment with more details — like sprinkles or patterns. You can simplify or extend the project depending on their skill level.

Q: How can I safely upcycle old CDs with my kids during the craft?
A: Using old CDs is a fun way to up‑cycle and reduce waste. Make sure you remove any stickers or labels, wipe the surface clean, and supervise scissors or glue. Using non‑toxic glue and rounded‑edge scissors keeps things safe for kids. Plus, the reflective surface of the CD adds a fun shimmer to your doughnut craft or related projects.

Q: What are CDs made of, and why are they fun to upcycle for crafts?
A: CDs are made primarily of polycarbonate plastic with a thin layer of aluminum that gives them a reflective surface. This combination makes them lightweight, durable, and shiny — perfect for up-cycling in kids’ crafts! You can use the whole CD as a colorful base, a shimmer effect, or a fun element in your projects without altering its structure.

(Originally Posted 6/2015, updated 10/2025)