Paper Mache Fantail Fish

Make a beautiful paper mache fantail fish with your fish-loving kiddo!

Do you have a little one who adores fish? Help them make this easy, bright paper mache fish and hang it in their room.

You will need:

• An old plastic bowling pin
• Thin plastic lids (Yogurt or ice cream container lids work well)
• Plastic lid from an ice-cream cone
• Newspaper
• Modge Podge
• Craft paint
• Crepe paper
• Small hook
• Googly eyes
• String
• Tape
• Glue

What to do:

Help your child to construct the basic shape by doing the following.

Cut the fins out of the plastic lids. Use a craft knife to cut a small slit into the bowling pin and push the fins into the slit. Place the ice cream cone lid over the front of the pin and secure with masking tape. If the fins are a bit wobbly, you can secure those with masking tape as well.

Make a small hole behind the top fin and push a small hook into the plastic.

Use pieces of the rims of the lids and tape three pieces to the back of the pin. This will give shape to the back fantail fins later.

Paint podge onto the pin and cover it with newspaper squares. Work small areas at a time and make sure to cover the newspaper squares with the podge as well. Once the whole pin is covered and dry, paint a layer white. By first painting a layer of white, you will make it easier to cover the newspaper print with colors.

While the paint dries, have your little one look at images of koi and fantail fish and decide on colors.

Paint the lighter colors, you can leave white areas if preferred. Paint the darker colors.

Once the paint is dry, your child can add some details using marker pens or crayons. Glue the googly eyes.

Cut strips out of the crepe paper, and use the same color scheme as you did to paint the fish. Tape the crepe paper to the back of the pin and cover the plastic rims.

Trim the edges of the fins. Loop a piece of string through the hook, knot and hang your fish! Such a lovely paper mache fantail fish project!