Arts & Crafts

DIY “Floating” Jellyfish Craft

By: Highlights Editorial
Vibrant jellyfish craft made from coffee filters and cupcake liners with tentacles made from ribbons and colorful fuzzy sticks
2
minute activity
Ages 3+
Creativity
Curiosity
Fine Motor Skills
Science

Cool off with craft time by creating your own interpretations of the most beautiful and mysterious creatures under the sea: jellyfish!

This easy jellyfish craft can be simplified or expanded to meet the skills and interests of kids of any age. No matter which version you try, your child will love using their imagination and creativity to make all kinds of sparkling, glowing, “floating” sea friends!

What You'll Need

What to Do

  1. For the head, turn a cupcake liner or a few nested coffee filters upside down. Use dot stickers or markers to add eyes and cheeks. Draw on a mouth or make one by cutting off part of a sticker.

    markers and cupcake liner for jellyfish craft step 1
  2. Cut 6-inch pieces of ribbon. Wrap fuzzy sticks around a pencil to make swirly shapes. 

    ribbons and fuzzy sticks jellyfish craft step 2
  3. Tape the ribbon and fuzzy sticks to the sides of the tea light. Turn it all upside down and tape a fuzzy-stick loop to the base of the light. 

    taping ribbons and fuzzy sticks for jellyfish craft step 3
  4. Poke a hole in the top of the cupcake liner. Thread the fuzzy-stick loop through. Hang your light!

    cutting hole in cupcake liner jellyfish step 4

Extend the Fun

For younger kids

Simplify this craft for younger children by using half a paper plate for the head, with the curved side as the top. Kids can use stickers or markers to decorate the face, then they can glue or tape the tentacles to the cut side of the plate. When they’re done creating, help your little one make up a story about their jellyfish’s adventures in the ocean!

For older kids

Older kids can embellish their jellyfish by adding glitter to the cupcake liner, threading beads onto fuzzy sticks, or attaching googly eyes. Once they’ve completed their creature, look up some fascinating facts about jellyfish. Did you know that, unlike this craft, real jellyfish have no brain, heart, bones or eyes? However, just like this craft, some jellyfish really do produce their own light!

Author Photo
By: Highlights Editorial