Easy, Fun, and Cute Jellyfish Craft For Ocean Units, Ocean Parties, and Rainy Days! (FREE PRINTABLE)

The boys made these super cute jellyfish crafts! I just LOVE how they turned out, and they were pretty easy to make, too. They'd be awesome for classrooms, ocean units, parties, etc. I'll probably even do them for my preschool church group. 

Materials: 

• Card Stock
• Google Eyes
• Blue Dessert-Sized Plates
• Jumbo Popsicle Sticks
• Yarn (I prefer bright colors) 
• Markers, Crayons, something to color with 
• Tape, Glue, or Hot Glue
• (optional) Small Hole Punch
• Scissors
• Printable Jellyfish Pattern (available below, too)
• (optional) Ocean Stickers
• (optional) Craft Sand
• (optional) olive leaf ribbon to make seaweed
• (optional) mini sea shells

Directions: 

1. Print the Jellyfish Pattern onto cardstock. (it's also below if you click on the preview pic)

2. Color and cut out the Jellyfish.

3. Attach Google Eyes over eyes.

4. Attach Yarn to the jellyfish. There's two ways to attach the string: 

Either weave it up and down and tape/glue the top string "loops" to the back of the jellyfish, then cut the bottom "loops" to make the tentacles. (like what's shown in the photos)

OR, 

use a mini hole punch to punch holes, cut yarn to the desired length (times two so you can tie it) and tie the yarn to the holes from the middle of the yarn. 

I don't think either way is any faster or easier... just depends on your preference and materials on hand. Let dry if you used glue.

5. Glue or Tape the Popsicle Stick to the back of the jellyfish. Let dry if you used glue. 

6. Cut a large slit in the plate) about 2/3 of the way up and about 3/4 of the way across the plate. DO NOT CUT all the way across. (see the photo for an example)

7. If desired, decorate the rest of the plate to look like an ocean. Use fish stickers and/or craft sand to create an ocean floor. 

8. If desired, cut small lengths of the olive-colored leaf ribbon to simulate seaweed and hot glue mini shells to the bottom of the plate. 

8.Starting at the top of the plate, Stick the popsicle stick in the slit of the plate so that the stick is on the back of the plate and the jellyfish is still on the front. This will make the jellyfish a puppet of sorts! 

Isn't it cute!? My kids named theirs James and Hairy (not HARRY, but Hairy... oooookay) and they've been playing with theirs nonstop.  

And now here's your PRINTABLE!

(Yes, I know they look a little like Pac Man ghosts!)

Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish? My husband was brushed in the arm by one that was dying once, and he said it was like fire! Fortunately, we were able to treat it right away, but it was still a nasty injury for him.