Jellyfish are interesting marine animals. They’re invertebrates, which means they have no bones and are gelatinous.
However, their most prominent trait, aside from their sting, is their umbrella shaped body – the perfect shape for lots of fun crafts!
Let your kids bring these fascinating sea creatures home with these 23 DIY jellyfish crafts!
The items are categorized by skill level (easy, moderate, and challenging) for preschoolers and older kids.
Easy Jellyfish Crafts for Preschoolers
These 17 jellyfish crafts are easy enough for preschoolers to do on their own with minimal to no help from a grown-up.
1. Simple Paper Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Paper Crafts-TR
This simple and really easy-to-do paper jellyfish craft from Paper Crafts-TR uses colored paper, scissors, and glue. There are also links for printable templates in the video’s description!
2. Handprint Jellyfish Painting
Photo credit: Red Ted Art
This tutorial by Red Ted Art shows kids how to do a jellyfish handprint painting with the use of paint, their hands, fingers (to add details), and googly eyes!
3. Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Easy Kids Craft
Paper plates are a staple in almost any arts and crafts project, and using them to make jellyfish crafts is no exception!
Easy Kids Craft shows us how to make a jellyfish from a paper plate, paint, markers, scissors, glue, and crepe paper.
4. Bubble Wrap and Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: The Resourceful Mama
Here’s another take on a paper plate jellyfish from The Resourceful Mama, but she uses bubble wrap for the tentacles instead of paper to resemble the jellyfish’s semi-transparency.
5. Swimming Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: I Heart Crafty Things
This jellyfish craft utilizes the paper plate in a different way. Instead of using a paper plate as the jellyfish’s body, I Heart Crafty Things uses it as the background for this cute swimming jellyfish craft.
All kids need are a paper plate, paint, a piece of cardboard, yarn, a popsicle stick, and a craft knife. Since a craft knife is required to cut the paper plate, a grown-up might need to supervise this step.
6. Paper Bowl Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: I Heart Crafty Things
Aside from paper plates, kids can use paper bowls to resemble a jellyfish’s body even better!
I Heart Crafty Things also shows us how to make a colorful paper bowl jellyfish craft with a paper bowl, googly eyes, curly gift bows, colored tissue paper, glue, tape, scissors, and string.
7. Plastic Cup Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Buggy and Buddy
Got a lot of extra plastic cups lying around after that last birthday party? Buggy and Buddy demonstrates how to make a plastic cup jellyfish with a plastic cup, paper clips, string, something to poke holes with, googly eyes, and bells.
This doubles as a fun activity to help develop and improve a kid’s motor skills!
WARNING: Paper clips are known to be a choking hazard, so adult supervision is recommended.
8. Seashell Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: I Heart Arts N Crafts
Moving away from party utensils, here’s a seashell jellyfish craft from I Heart Arts N Crafts. How simple is this one? The materials needed are seashells, yarn, glue, glitter, scissors, and a paintbrush – that’s it!
9. Toilet Paper Roll and Styrofoam Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Crafts by Amanda
This cute jellyfish craft from Crafts by Amanda is made using a styrofoam ball, an empty toilet paper roll, scissors, glue, a craft knife, googly eyes, pipe cleaner, paint, and paintbrush.
Since a craft knife is required again, a grown-up should supervise this step.
10. Button Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: I Heart Arts n Crafts
For this simple and easy-to-do colorful jellyfish craft, I Heart Arts n Crafts uses cardboard, ribbons, colorful buttons, and glue.
WARNING: Be sure to have a grown-up supervise this project since buttons are known to be a choking hazard.
11. Jellyfish Salt Painting Craft
Photo credit: I Heart Arts n Crafts
Using salt, glue, paint or food coloring, a paintbrush, and cardstock, I Heart Arts n Crafts shows us how to make this unique and colorful jellyfish salt painting.
12. Pool Noodle Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Mama Miss
Mama Miss shows us how to make this pool noodle jellyfish craft with a pool noodle, plastic lacing, bubble wrap, a chopstick, scissors, a knife (to cut the pool noodle), and glue.
While most of this craft can be done by your little one, a grown-up should supervise when cutting the pool noodle.
13. CD Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Fireflies + Mud Pies
Recycle old and unwanted CDs and turn them into jellyfish crafts with this tutorial from Fireflies + Mud Pies.
Additional materials include square-cut colored tissue paper, scissors, ribbons, glue, a sponge brush, markers, and googly eyes.
14. Jellyfish Suncatcher Craft
Photo credit: DIY Place
A suncatcher is a reflective ornament that “catches” sunlight.
This easy-to-do jellyfish suncatcher craft from DIY Place uses cardstock, square-cut colored tissue paper, yarn, glue, scissors, clear adhesive paper, and a pencil.
15. Egg Carton Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Ey to Zee Creative
Teach your kids the value of upcycling with this creative project that uses egg cartons.
Ey to Zee Creative shows us a simple yet cute jellyfish craft using the dimples of an egg carton (the part that holds the egg), googly eyes, paint, glue, crepe paper, scissors, and string.
16. Cupcake Liner Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Easy Peasy and Fun
This tutorial from Easy Peasy and Fun shows us how to make a jellyfish craft using cupcake liners, ribbons or colored tissue paper, paper or googly eyes, scissors, markers, and glue.
While this craft may seem incredibly simple, your toddler will have a lot of fun bringing these cute jellyfish to life.
17. Coffee Filter Jellyfish Crafts
Photo credit: Look! We’re Learning!
Look! We’re Learning! uses a white coffee filter for the jellyfish’s body along with crayons, scissors, ribbons, glue, and construction paper to make this simple coffee filter jellyfish craft.
Moderate Level Jellyfish Crafts for Preschoolers
The following 3 jellyfish crafts are a little more involved than simple paper and glue projects. For these crafts, preschoolers will need help from a grown-up.
18. DIY Jellyfish in a Bottle Craft
Photo credit: Dream Gem
While bringing an actual jellyfish home might be a bit hard, kids can make the next best thing!
This DIY jellyfish in a bottle craft by Dream Gem allows kids to bring these majestic creatures straight into their bedrooms.
All you need is blue food dye, a plastic bag, a clear bottle, string, scissors, and water.
19. DIY Jellyfish Paper Lantern Craft
Photo credit: Paper Mart
This paper lantern jellyfish craft can be used to throw an ocean themed party for your kids. Paper Mart shows us how to make them with the use of a paper plate, ribbon, crepe paper, scissors, a hot glue gun, and an accordion paper lantern.
Since a hot glue gun is used in the video, a grown-up needs to handle this step.
20. Clay Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Kiwi Charms
These cute, tiny, and adorable little clay jellyfish are made by Kiwi Charms using polymer clay. Her tutorial shows us how to make a tiny jellyfish, but kids can make bigger jellyfish from clay as well!
While molding clay also doubles as an activity to help develop a kid’s motor skills, be sure a grown-up helps with baking the clay jellyfish!
Challenging Jellyfish Crafts for Older Kids
The next 3 jellyfish crafts may be challenging for preschoolers and are therefore more suitable for older kids (and require adult supervision as well).
21. Light-Up Paper Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: The Craft Train
Mimic the bioluminescence of jellyfish with this craft idea from The Craft Train.
All you need are colored tissue paper, a bowl, glue, a LED color changing candle, sticky tape, non-stick baking paper, plastic wrap, a paintbrush, scissors, a metal skewer (or something to poke holes with), and a needle (optional).
The glue will be used to make DIY Mod Podge, or you can opt to get actual Mod Podge. Since this craft involves lights, a grown-up should handle that part.
This project may take about two days to dry, but the result is a neat bioluminescent jellyfish for kids!
22. DIY Christmas Themed Jellyfish Craft
Photo credit: Art and Crafts Ideas UNLIMITED
Art and Crafts Ideas UNLIMITED shows us how to make a Christmas themed jellyfish craft using decorative mesh, a balloon or pumpkin, pliers, pipe cleaners, light-up icicles, ribbons, clear tape, and cling wrap.
Since there are lights involved with this craft, grown-up supervision is required.
23. DIY Jellyfish Costume
Photo credit: Almost the Real Thing
I’ve saved the best for last.
Remember how a jellyfish’s body resembles an umbrella? Almost the Real Thing shows us how to make a DIY jellyfish costume using one!
Let your kids become a jellyfish on halloween, complete with its bioluminescent trait!
All you need is a transparent dome umbrella, gift wrapping ribbon, string LED lights, velcro, paper (for the eyes), and a hot-glue gun (or very strong tape).
Since lights need to be attached to the umbrella, a grown-up’s help is required for that step.
From the Sea to Your Home!
From jellyfish suncatchers to jellyfish light decorations, kids will enjoy these 23 DIY jellyfish crafts.
Not only are these jellyfish crafts fun, some of them can help develop and improve kids’ motor skills. Get your kids started on making their own jellyfish crafts with these tutorials today!