Colorful Jellyfish

This colorful jellyfish is a great activity for preschool and school-age children. They can add it to their rooms or put it somewhere else for others to enjoy by bringing fun colors to any place in your home. It allows them to practice some fine motor skills by cutting with scissors. It could even open the opportunity to learn about jellyfish or other sea creatures. This craft can also be changed to fit different interests and choices can be made.

So, if a heart, star, cloud, or other simple shape is desired, it can easily become a unique addition to any space! Are you ready to see what this colorful jellyfish will do?

Supplies:

tissue paper

construction paper

scissors

contact paper

ribbon

tape

a pencil.

Activity Steps:

Note: before you begin, make sure that you have a clear craft space

Step 1 - First, cut tissue paper into squares. Start by cutting about 15 pieces. Each piece will be about the size of a cheez-it. At the end, your jellyfish will be about the size of your hand, so if you need more tissue paper to fill your jellyfish, you can always cut more later on.

Tip: This activity requires using scissors, so use them with caution, get parent’s help or approval.

Step 2 - Next, draw the shape of jellyfish with your pencil onto construction paper. Make the shape as big or as small as you would like. It will look like a half circle or oval with a squiggle line at the bottom. The squiggle line is a part of the body. This jellyfish is going to be yours, so you get to choose how to design it!

Step 3 – Then, cut out the shape of the jellyfish and the middle part so you are left with an outline. Again, mine might look different than yours, but that’s okay.

Step 4 – Next, cut two pieces of contact paper the size of a rectangle that is larger than the shape of jellyfish. You will want to remove the protective sheet of one, and leave the sticky side facing up on the table.The contact paper is like tape, so the construction paper and tissue paper will stick to it and stay. Save the second paper for a later step because it will be used for the back side of the jellyfish.

Step 5 – Place the jellyfish outline onto the middle of the sticky side of the contact paper and then you can place the tissue paper squares in the center of the jellyfish. If you want to you could make a pattern by alternating colors, or you could just place them randomly onto the contact paper.

Step 6 – Once you have everything where you would like it, take the second contact paper, peel apart the film and protective layer, and place it on top of the jellyfish. Remember that you will want to have the sticky part facing down this time because it holds all the paper in place. Then you will want to trim the extra paper off of your jellyfish.

Step 7 - Next we’re going to cut some ribbon so it looks like the jellyfish has some tentacles. Did you know that jellyfish grow about 15 tentacles AND they can be up to 10 feet long? Wow! I wouldn’t recommend using that much ribbon, but you can make the ribbon different sizes. I made mine about the length of one pencil. Once you have your ribbon cut, tape it to the back of your jellyfish.

Step 8 – Lastly, find a window that lets the sun in, tape it to the window, and enjoy your new window friend - the colorful jellyfish!