Looking for a craft for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Veteran’s Day? This bald eagle craft is the perfect project. It’s great for a wide range of ages, from preschoolers to tweens. Use our handy printable template to trace and cut out all the shapes, and then just glue the pieces together. How simple is that?
But all that scissor work is great fine motor practice for kids, especially for moving onto more than cutting just straight lines.
American Bald Eagle Craft
In addition to making it for patriotic holidays, this is a fabulous craft for a unit study on the USA or our national symbols. Grab the printable template below, and get started on your paper eagle craft today!
If you’re making this for the 4th of July, don’t miss our paper plate Uncle Sam craft!
Supplies
- colored cardstock or construction paper
- googly eyes
- scissors
- glue
- marker or pencil to trace the template
- bald eagle template
Directions
Step 1: Download the template at the bottom of this post.
Step 2: First, grab some yellow or orange paper for the beak and legs. You’ll also need at least 2 shades of brown craft paper for the wings and body, and some white paper for the eagle’s head. Trace the beak and leg patterns onto the yellow or orange papers, the head pattern onto the white paper, the body and larger wings on one shade of brown, and the smaller wings on another shade of brown. Then, cut out all the shapes!
Step 3: Now, let’s put those wings together! Just line up the smaller wings with the big wings along the curved edges and stick ’em together.
Step 4: Time to attach the wings to the body. Stick them on either side of the body, overlapping just about half a centimeter.
Step 5: Next, pop the head on top of the body. It’s starting to look like an eagle now!
Step 6: Let’s give our eagle some legs and a beak. Attach the legs to the bottom of the body and stick the beak onto the head.
Step 7: Finally, grab some googly eyes and stick them on the head. Add the tail feather to the body. Voilà! Your super cool eagle paper craft is complete!
More Bald Eagle Resources
Want to learn more about the national bird of the United States? Check out this printable eagle unit study featuring a unit study guide, life cycle posters, math manipulatives, art studies, and more. It’s a great way for kids to study bald eagles in a hands-on way.
You’ll also find the following books helpful:
- Bald Eagles: The Ultimate Raptors — Award-winning author, naturalist, and photographer Stan Tekiela spent years studying these incredible raptors, capturing their everyday activities and major events like migration and courtship. His coffee-table book, Bald Eagles, showcases his breathtaking photos and fascinating insights, presented in a reader-friendly format.
- Inside a Bald Eagle’s Nest — This book features 160 stunning images of eagles in their natural habitats, giving you a rare peek into the lives of these majestic creatures. Watch as they prepare nests, mate, lay eggs, and raise their young. You’ll even get a glimpse inside the nest, as eaglets grow and take their first flight!
- The Bald Eagle (Rookie Read About American Symbols) — Perfect for young readers aged 3-6, this Rookie Read-About: American Symbols book introduces the history and significance of the bald eagle as a symbol of the United States.
- Is a Bald Eagle Really Bald? — Follow Ms. Patel’s class as they uncover the significance of this magnificent bird as a national symbol, learn about the Great Seal of the United States, and discover the captivating lives of bald eagles in the wild.
Get the eagle template!
Paper Bald Eagle Craft
Celebrate patriotic holidays by making our nation's symbol — the majestic bald eagle. This eagle craft is perfect for the 4th of July, Memorial Day, or Veteran's Day.
Materials
- colored cardstock or construction paper
- googly eyes
- scissors
- glue
- marker or pencil to trace the template
- bald eagle template
Instructions
- Get some yellow or orange paper for the beak and legs, a couple of shades of brown craft paper for the wings and body, and white paper for the eagle's head. Trace the beak and leg patterns on the yellow or orange papers, the head on the white paper, the body and larger wings on one shade of brown, and the smaller wings on another shade of brown. After that, go ahead and cut out all of the eagle shapes.
- Assemble the wings. Match up the smaller wings with the big wings along the curved sides and stick them together.
- Next, attach the wings to the body. Stick them on both sides of the body, overlapping a teeny bit—about half a centimeter should do it.
- Attach the white head to the top of the body.
- Stick the legs onto the bottom of the body and attach the beak to the head.
- Add googly eyes to the head above the beak and attach the tail feather to the eagle's body close to the feet as pictured.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
