Jellyfish Paper Plate Craft

Our Paper Plate Jellyfish is the perfect activity for a science lesson, end-of-school-year project, or just a summer craft activity.

One of our family’s favorite things to do is go to an aquarium whenever we have an opportunity as we do not live relatively close to one.

It takes a little bit of effort for us to plan, make the trip and spend the day enjoying all of the underwater animals.

But afterward, the kids will talk about it for days, weeks, and months after we’ve been there.

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It gives me great joy to watch them learn and want to know more so I try very hard to keep those memories alive and keep them asking questions about their favorite marine animal.

So when it gets hot outside and you need to bring the kids inside or a shaded area and find something engaging for them to do, this Paper Plate Jellyfish is the ideal activity.

It’s easy enough for toddlers to help make and it’s definitely entertaining for kids of all ages to create!

Hopefully, it will remind them of the fun day at the aquarium and continue to foster their love of learning.

Be sure to serve up our Shark Charcuterie for an ocean-themed day of fun!

If you want more super fun craft ideas, try my:

• Paper Plate Garden Craft For Kids
• Lion Fork Painting Activity
• How To Make Outdoor DIY Puffy Paint
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Supplies Needed For Paper Plate Jellyfish Recipe

• Large Paper Plate – 9″ diameter or larger
• Craft Paint – blue or any color you choose
• Blue Yarn – a variety of colors will work too
• Paint Brush – regular or sponge brush
• Hole Punch – hand-held hole punch
• Self-Stick Googly Eyes – or use glue if not self-stick
• Black Permanent Marker
• Scissors

How To Make A Paper Plate Jellyfish

Step 1

Begin by cutting the paper plate(s) in half.

Step 2

Take one-half of the plate and paint it blue. If needed, let dry and paint with a second coat. Allow the plate to dry completely.

Step 3

Once the plate has dried completely, punch 8 holes in the bottom flat side of the paper plate with a hole punch. Be sure to space the holes out as evenly as you can.

Step 4

Cut 8 pieces of yarn into 12-inch long pieces.

Step 5

Thread a piece of yarn through each hole in the paper plate and tie a knot to hold it secure.

Tip: Thread the yarn through the painted side and tie the knot on the unpainted side.

Step 6

With the self-adhesive googly eyes or glue, place the eyes on the paper plates.

Step 7

Draw a mouth on the jellyfish with the permanent marker.

Step 8

Display the jellyfish or enjoy some playtime with your creation!

Paper Plate Jellyfish Recipe Notes And Tips

• Be sure to use paper plates that do not have a wax or slick finish. The uncoated paper plates will work the best.

• Painting sponge brushes will work great to paint your paper plate as it is larger than a paintbrush and cover a larger area more quickly but a smaller paintbrush will work just fine.

• If paint is not an option for any reason, crayons, markers or colored pencils will work just as well. It might take a little longer but the kids will still love working on their creations.

• Have several paintbrushes available so multiple colors can be painted on the jellyfish if desired.

Variations Of Paper Plate Jellyfish To Try

• Blue is the suggested color to paint your paper plate jellyfish but in reality, jellyfish can be pink, yellow, blue, purple, or even luminescent. So, provide the kids with a variety of colors or paint and yarn and let their imaginations go wild!

• Glitter!! I know…..kids love glitter more than adults do. 😂 But they will LOVE the sparkly look of the paper plate jellyfish.

• Glue strips of cut crepe paper instead of punching holes for the yarn.

• Ribbon is another great choice in place of yarn.

• If paint is not an option for whatever reason, crayons, markers, or colored pencils will work just as well! You could also glue small squares of tissue paper on the plate, too. It might take a little longer but the kids will still love working on their creations.

FAQs

If you have any questions, check below to see if they’ve already been answered. Don’t see your question? Leave it for me in the comments!

What kind of paint will work best on my paper plate jellyfish?

Acrylic paint will be the best kind of paint to use on paper plates.

If you think the paint is too thick, just add a tiny bit of water until you reach the desired consistency for your paint to glide on smoothly.

What kind of glue will work best if I don’t have self-adhesive googly eyes?

Good question! I would suggest using a glue gun. The hot glue will hold the eyes in place well and dry more quickly than liquid glue.

If you do use a glue gun, please be sure to have an adult available to assist the kids to avoid injury.

What is the best type of paper plate to use for the jellyfish activity?

That is a great question! You will find what works best for you after some trial and error. However, I would suggest the inexpensive, white, uncoated variety of plates.

You will not want a thick plate with a taller outside edge!

Love crafts and easy DIY projects? Grab this mini activity book for more by clicking the image below – free! 👇

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