This fun recycling craft makes an adorable decoration for a child’s room or even a nursery.  If your child loves boats, make this cute margarine tub boat together! 

Want a sailboat craft more suitable for adults? Check out our driftwood concrete sailboat craft!

Margarine Tub Boat

The best thing about this nautical craft is you can find all of the supplies at home so there’s no need to go shopping. It’s a fun way to talk to your kids about recycling and also perfect for discussing the sea and transportation. This margarine tub boat is very simple to create, making it a great family project. So grab an empty margarine container and some construction paper and let’s get started!

What you’ll need:

• 1 empty plastic margarine tub with lid
• construction paper: light blue, red, and white
• 12” wooden dowel (cut with scissors to make it shorter if needed)
• 2” piece of household sponge or floral foam
• pencil
• scissors
• white craft glue
• fine tip black marker
• patterns
• 2 zipper sandwich bags
• 1 cup rice or sand

Things to Keep in Mind:

• Parental Supervision: scissors
• Time Needed: 1 hour or less

Helpful Hints:

• Instead of filling with rice, cut a hole in the top and have child use as a coin bank.
• Always keep construction paper on hand for fun impromptu projects!
• Change up the colors to make this cute boat with your little girl.

Making the boat

1. Cover the outside of the margarine tub with light blue construction paper using white craft glue. Trim where needed with scissors.
2. Poke a hole in the center of the sponge using your finger or a pencil.
3. Glue the sponge in the bottom of the margarine tub.
4. Add some glue to the hole in the sponge and insert the wooden dowel.

Making the mast

1. Trace around the lid onto the white construction paper and cut out.
2. Use pencil to poke a hole in the center of the plastic lid. Glue the white construction paper circle onto the top of the lid and let dry, then poke a hole through the plastic lid and through the paper.
3. Divide the rice evenly between the two sandwich bags. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. Place filled bags into the margarine tub for weight.
4. Carefully insert the dowel into the hole in the lid and slide the lid down and snap in place.

Making the sails

1. Use the pattern to cut the sails from white construction paper. You will need two sets. Cut a small strip of red paper to fit in between each sail, glue in place and repeat on the other side.
2. Use the pattern to cut out a white life preserver from the white paper. Cut the alternating pieces from red. Glue the red pieces onto the circle, then use scissors to trim evenly and cut out the center circle. Use a fine tip black marker to write “SS” at the top of the life preserver and then write your child’s name or family name on the bottom half (i.e. SS TIMMY, SS SMITH, etc).

Finishing Up

1. Line the insides of the sails with glue, put some glue on the dowel as well where your sails will go. Sandwich the sails around the dowel and hold until the glue grabs.
2. Glue the life preserver to the front of the margarine tub boat.

More Kid’s Beachy Craft Ideas:

• Try out this fun Sand Cast Starfish on your next trip to the beach!
• Decorate your children’s walls with these great Paper Plate Aquariums!
• These Clothespin Fish are very hungry!

Print Project

5 from 1 vote

Margarine Tub Boat

You and the kids can turn an empty margarine container into a fun boat craft. This margarine tub boat is a great way to teach kids about recycling!

Age Group: Kids Crafts

Author: Amanda Formaro

Supplies

• 1 plastic margarine tub with lid
• construction paper: light blue red, and white
• 12 ” wooden dowel cut with scissors to make it shorter if needed
• 2 ” piece of household sponge or floral foam
• pencil
• scissors
• white craft glue
• fine tip black marker
• patterns
• 2 zipper sandwich bags
• 1 cup rice or sand

Instructions

• Cover the outside of the margarine tub with light blue construction paper using white craft glue. Trim where needed with scissors.
• Poke a hole in the center of the sponge using your finger or a pencil. Glue the sponge in the bottom of the margarine tub. Add some glue to the hole in the sponge and insert the wooden dowel.
• Trace around the lid onto the white construction paper and cut out.
• Use pencil to poke a hole in the center of the plastic lid. Glue the white construction paper circle onto the top of the lid and let dry, then poke a hole through the plastic lid and through the paper.
• Divide the rice evenly between the two sandwich bags. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bags. Place filled bags into the margarine tub for weight.
• Carefully insert the dowel into the hole in the lid and slide the lid down and snap in place.
• Use the pattern to cut the sails from white construction paper. You will need two sets. Cut a small strip of red paper to fit in between each sail, glue in place and repeat on the other side.
• Use the pattern to cut out a white life preserver from the white paper. Cut the alternating pieces from red. Glue the red pieces onto the circle, then use scissors to trim evenly and cut out the center circle. Use a fine tip black marker to write “SS” at the top of the life preserver and then write your child’s name or family name on the bottom half (i.e. SS TIMMY, SS SMITH, etc).
• Line the insides of the sails with glue, put some glue on the dowel as well where your sails will go. Sandwich the sails around the dowel and hold until the glue grabs.
• Glue the life preserver to the front of the margarine tub boat.