You can easily make these adorable cardboard tube fish with the kids. A great way to recycle and make something fun at the same time.
Cardboard Tube School of Fish
I have a lot of cardboard tubes. Seriously, it’s become a standing joke around here that no one is allowed to throw out the cardboard tubes from the toilet paper or paper towels because I need them for craft projects! And see, if they were throwing them away I wouldn’t be showing you these cute cardboard tube fish you can make with the kids!
This cute project is great for a group of kids, like summer camp or a classroom. Be sure to pull out the smocks and have baby wipes handy for quick clean up.
What You’ll Need
- 4-inch cardboard tubes
- White craft glue
- Paint: green, light blue, purple
- Scissors
- Self-adhesive gems
- Large googly eyes
Flatten each cardboard tube. Line the inside with some glue and press them tight together with your hands. Place a heavy object on top of each one to help them stay closed while the glue takes hold.
Paint each flattened tube, one blue, one green and one purple.
Cut on a diagonal on each side (see photo) to create the head. Save the pieces you cut off for the tail.
Carefully open the back end of the fish and insert the two cut pieces creating the tail. Press back together.
Use scissors to trim out a mouth. Glue on eyes and decorate with self stick gems.
P.S. I use Craft Smart paint for most of my kid’s crafts. You can find it at Micheals or here on Amazon, it goes on nicely but costs a lot less than other paints.
More cardboard tube crafts
Looking for more? I’ve provided a few of my favorites below, but you can also find all my cardboard tube crafts here.
Cardboard Tube School of Fish
Supplies
- 3 4-inch cardboard tubes
- White craft glue
- Paint: green, light blue, purple
- Scissors
- Self adhesive gems
- 3 large googly eyes
Instructions
- Flatten each cardboard tube. Line the inside with some glue and press them tight together with your hands. Place a heavy object on top of each one to help them stay closed while the glue takes hold.
- Paint each flattened tube, one blue, one green and one purple.
- Cut on a diagonal on each side (see photo) to create the head. Save the pieces you cut off for the tail.
- Carefully open the back end of the fish and insert the two cut pieces creating the tail. Press back together.
- Use scissors to trim out a mouth. Glue on eyes and decorate with self stick gems.
This post originally appeared here on Apr 23, 2014.
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Dan R Morris says
Hey hey,
Love Snap! When you get back to Milwaukee we’d love to see you at our Blogging Concentrated event in August. It’s our 2nd one there and will be awesome.
Amanda Formaro says
Thanks Dan, I’ll look into it!
jet says
Hi Amanda
i have made of your xmas tube trees in the xmas time.
i used 3d paint for the snow effect and added some fake rihnstones.
and hanged them on a garland which i had origamied folded, my sis was flabber gasthed.
so i told her it was from you!;-D
thank you for those funny tube tute of yours and the sharing.
i love them;-D
Amanda Formaro says
Thank you Jet! I’m so glad you enjoy the projects!! :)