Paper plates are one of the most versatile craft items. You can use them to make fruits, animals, string art, and various other items. Kids love paper crafts because they are easy to make and fun to work with. On the other hand, teachers and parents love them because they are inexpensive and mess-free craft items.
To extend our love for paper crafts like the DIY Paper Folding Rainbow Craft and the DIY Paper Tree Craft, we have come up with a classic yet cute paper plate aquarium craft, a project your kids will love working on. The project will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the age and skill set of the kids. So, ready to see how you can make a cute paper plate aquarium that will transport you to an underwater wonderland? Let’s begin!
Paper plate aquarium: Easy paper plate craft for kids
You’ll need:
- Paper plates – 2
- Light blue acrylic paint
- Soya chunks
- Colored paper
- Black marker
- Paintbrush
- Pencil
- Scissor
- Glue
- Hot glue gun
Instructions:
Begin your paper plate craft by taking one white paper plate and coloring it with blue acrylic paint with the help of a wide paintbrush. If one layer of paint does not suffice, apply another coat of paint after the first one dries up.
While your paper plate is left to dry, let’s work on making fish for the aquarium. Take three colored papers of your choice. We have used orange, pink, and yellow paper.
Draw outlines of fish on each piece of paper. Make sure the fish are of different sizes to add depth and variety to your paper plate craft.
Similarly, draw aquarium grass on green paper and keep it aside so you can use it later while assembling the craft.
Now, use a black marker to cover the outlines of the fish and cut them out using a pair of scissors.
Use the black marker to draw eyes for your paper fish on white paper. Cut them out too!
Be careful during this step, as it is easy to cut through the eyes if you are not very good at using scissors. Take the help of an adult if you find this step difficult.
Next, use regular glue to stick the eyes on your fish cutouts.
Check the above images to see where you need to position the eyes exactly.
Remember the green paper on which you had drawn aquarium grass and set it aside? Pick that paper and start cutting the grass outlines at this point.
Cut as many pieces as you would require to cover the paper plate. The number of grass cutouts would vary depending on the size of the plate you’re using.
Apply some glue to each piece of grass cut out and paste it somewhat closer to the bottom of the paper plate. Don’t forget to leave some space for rocks as well!
Now, glue the fish cutouts on the blue paper plate. Paste them at different heights and have them face different directions to give the aquarium a natural look.
After finishing the previous step, pick up the second white paper plate and make a hole in its center.
Use the scissors to cut out the central portion of the plate. First, insert the scissors in the hole and make a straight cut toward the rim. Then change the direction of your scissors and cut a full circle, separating the central portion of the paper plate from its rim.
Set it aside.
Take a bowl of soya chunks and glue them one by one on the blue paper plate, as shown in the above images.
Use a hot glue gun for this step so that the chunks strongly adhere to the plate and do not fall off.
Finally, apply hot glue to the white paper plate rim you prepared earlier and stick it over the rim of the blue paper plate.
And there you have it! Your paper plate aquarium is ready for display!
Extra tips for your paper plate project
Here are some quick tips to help you make your paper plate craft:
- Gather all supplies in one place to avoid interruptions when working on your craft.
- Use the layering effect to add depth to your paper aquarium.
- If you don’t have soya chunks, replace them with small pebbles, cereal, or sand.
- Use light and deep blue colors to paint the base plate if you prefer to add color variations.
- Be cautious when using scissors and the hot glue gun. Though these make great fine motor skills activities, parents and teachers must supervise the kids during this time.
- Have fun!
Wrapping up
Paper plate crafts make fun projects for kids 4 years and older. These crafts introduce kids to the world of creativity and nudge their minds to bring their imaginations to life. The paper plate craft we made today is a quick example of how kids can make an adorable aquarium using something as simple as a paper plate and a few other materials.
You can always encourage the kids to explore their own creativity and add interesting elements to their paper plate aquarium. When done, kids can use their crafts to decorate their room or classroom and proudly show their work to everyone. Happy crafting!
I am Priyanka Sonkushre, a writer and blogger. I am the person behind “One Loving Mama,” a mom blog. Equipped with a Bachelor’s degree along with an MBA, my healthcare background helps me deeply understand learning difficulties. I know how challenging it can be for parents to find the right resources to help their children excel in life. So, here I am to blend my healthcare expertise with my parenting experience to create valuable and helpful resources for parents and teachers supporting children with learning differences. If you wish, you can follow me on Facebook and LinkedIn.