Let’s create some wonderfully fishy friends! Ready for an underwater adventure? Why not make this charming Egg Carton Fish Craft? These little fish are entertaining to make and an excellent, bright last-minute summer project.
Summer is almost over here, though the weather outside is still scorching. Just one final burst of heat before the season comes to a close. That makes it an ideal time to enjoy a few more cheerful summer projects, and this fish craft is a wonderful activity to make as a group. It’s especially suitable for afternoons when the heat makes most other activities uncomfortable.
Colorful Egg Carton Fish Craft
For these cute, vibrant egg carton fish, gather paper egg cartons, acrylic paint in any shade you like, pipe cleaners to coordinate, along with a white paint pen, small googly eyes, a hole punch, and scissors.
Supplies for the Egg Carton Fish Craft
- Egg carton
- Acrylic paint – preferred colors
- Pipe cleaners – preferred colors
- White paint pen
- Small googly eyes
- Single-hole punch
- Scissors
Directions for Making the Summer Fish Craft
Start with a clean, empty paper egg carton.
Carefully separate the individual cups by cutting them out. An adult might need to help with this step.
Next, coat the cups with the acrylic shade you selected, then allow the paint to dry fully.
As the paint dries, choose a pipe cleaner in your preferred color. Coordinate it with the paint or combine unexpected shades—the choice is yours. Shape the pipe cleaner into an MM-like form, essentially joining two Ms, to create the tail fin.
Secure it by twisting the two ends of the pipe cleaner together.
Once the paint on the egg carton cup has dried, make a hole in the back of the cup.
Fold the twisted pipe cleaner ends over to make them thicker and help keep them from shifting inside the opening, then push the tail fin into the hole.
Place googly eyes on the front of the fish. Self-sticking googly eyes are especially handy for this project.
Then, draw a little circular mouth with the white paint pen.
To finish, add a few wavy lines representing scales along the fish’s sides.
Materials
- Egg carton
- Acrylic paint – preferred colors
- Pipe cleaners – preferred colors
- White paint pen
- Small googly eyes
- Single-hole punch
- Scissors
Instructions
- Start with a clean, empty paper egg carton. Carefully separate the individual cups by cutting them out. An adult might need to help with this step.
- Next, coat the cups with the acrylic shade you selected, then allow the paint to dry fully.
- As the paint dries, choose a pipe cleaner in your preferred color. Coordinate it with the paint or combine unexpected shades—the choice is yours. Shape the pipe cleaner into an MM-like form, essentially joining two Ms, to create the tail fin.
- Secure it by twisting the two ends of the pipe cleaner together.
- Once the paint on the egg carton cup has dried, make a hole in the back of the cup.
- Fold the twisted pipe cleaner ends over to make them thicker and help keep them from shifting inside the opening, then push the tail fin into the hole.
- Place googly eyes on the front of the fish. Self-sticking googly eyes are especially handy for this project.
- Then, draw a little circular mouth with the white paint pen.
- To finish, add a few wavy lines representing scales along the fish’s sides.