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Plastic Spoon Mermaid Craft - Easy Ocean Fantasy Project for Kids

Dive into underwater fantasy by creating your own magical mermaid friend using yarn and a plastic spoon! This enchanting ocean craft transforms simple materials into a beautiful underwater companion with flowing hair and a shimmery tail. Perfect for kids who love mermaids, ocean adventures, and imaginative play that brings fairy tale magic to life!

30-45 minutes Ages 7-10 2 steps may need help

About This Project

A 30–45 minutes craft for ages 7–10, using supplies you likely already have — Yarn, Sharpie Markers, and Scissors.

GlueStick supports kids from setup to cleanup. After they choose a project, we guide them through gathering the supplies, making it, and cleaning up when they're done. We'll even help them share it safely with trusted family and friends.

Ad-free and kid-safe library — designed by a mom who wants kids to explore and create independently.

This project is perfect for:

Ocean Fantasy Play
Mermaid Themed Activities
Imaginative Play Projects
Recycled Spoon Crafts
Summer Ocean Crafts

Project Tags

mermaid rock ocean doll budget friendly summer beach mythical creatures dramatic play yarn wrapping upcycle

1
Find Supplies

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00:00

Yarn
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Sharpie Markers
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Scissors
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White Glue
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Felt
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Plastic Spoons
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Pipe Cleaners
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2
Make Plastic Spoon Mermaid

Messy Mode

Trace the fins

To make your mermaid fins, trace the spoon on your felt two times. Leave a nice long tail on each of the fins. You'll use that later to attach them to your spoon.

Cut out your fins and decorate

Cut the fins out carefully. We added wavy lines to our fins to give them more shape.

Attach the fins

To attach the fins, first lay the yarn you want to use for your tail on the table. Lay your spoons so they overlap with each other and the yarn, leaving a long tail on either side. Place the spoon on top. Tie a half-knot tightly around the spoon and felt pieces to keep everything in place. A half-knot is the first step of tying your shoes!

Wrap the tail

Wrap your yarn tightly around the bottom of the spoon and felt fins. Cover about half of the spoon handle with yarn. This works best if you hold your project in one hand and wrap the yarn around using the hand you write with.

Tie a knot and secure with glue.

When you've finished wrapping your mermaid tail, tie a knot and secure it with a dab of glue.

Add the arms

Next, take a pipe cleaner and wrap it around her body to make the arms. The photo shows her hair already on. Trust us, it's easier to do the arms first.

Make her swim suit top

Wrap yarn around your mermaid's body and upper arms to secure the arms in place. Wrap it and tie it off just like you wrapped her tail.

Make the hair

To make the hair, wrap orange yarn around your fingers several times so you have a bunch of even loops three to four inches long. Slide them off your fingers and cut the yarn. Then, tie a small piece of yarn around all of the loops., closer to one end than the other. The shorter end will become your mermaid's bangs. Cut the bottom of the loops so her hair can flow more freely.

Attach the hair

Attaching the hair can be kind of tricky. Add some glue to the edge of your spoon, then drape her hair over the top. Hold the hair tightly, sandwiching the spoon between her bangs and long hair. Then, wrap the hair with more orange yarn.If you wrap too tightly, all of the hair will pop off.

Trim the hair

When the hair is attached, it'll look a bit like a beehive hairdo. Some of the pieces of hair may have gotten uneven. Trim them up so her hair looks nice.

Add the face

Draw the mermaid's face using sharpie markers. Be careful what kind of marker you use, as most markers will easily rub off the spoon. We know the Sharpie pictured will work well.

Your creative buddy says:

"Let's stick together and make this one!"

Step 1: Trace the fins

To make your mermaid fins, trace the spoon on your felt two times. Leave a nice long tail on each of the fins. You'll use that later to attach them to your spoon.

Step 2: Cut out your fins and decorate

Cut the fins out carefully. We added wavy lines to our fins to give them more shape.

Step 3: Attach the fins

To attach the fins, first lay the yarn you want to use for your tail on the table. Lay your spoons so they overlap with each other and the yarn, leaving a long tail on either side. Place the spoon on top. Tie a half-knot tightly around the spoon and felt pieces to keep everything in place. A half-knot is the first step of tying your shoes!

Step 4: Wrap the tail

Wrap your yarn tightly around the bottom of the spoon and felt fins. Cover about half of the spoon handle with yarn. This works best if you hold your project in one hand and wrap the yarn around using the hand you write with.

Step 5: Tie a knot and secure with glue.

When you've finished wrapping your mermaid tail, tie a knot and secure it with a dab of glue.

Step 6: Add the arms

Next, take a pipe cleaner and wrap it around her body to make the arms. The photo shows her hair already on. Trust us, it's easier to do the arms first.

Step 7: Make her swim suit top

Wrap yarn around your mermaid's body and upper arms to secure the arms in place. Wrap it and tie it off just like you wrapped her tail.

Step 8: Make the hair

May need grown-up help

To make the hair, wrap orange yarn around your fingers several times so you have a bunch of even loops three to four inches long. Slide them off your fingers and cut the yarn. Then, tie a small piece of yarn around all of the loops., closer to one end than the other. The shorter end will become your mermaid's bangs. Cut the bottom of the loops so her hair can flow more freely.

Step 9: Attach the hair

May need grown-up help

Attaching the hair can be kind of tricky. Add some glue to the edge of your spoon, then drape her hair over the top. Hold the hair tightly, sandwiching the spoon between her bangs and long hair. Then, wrap the hair with more orange yarn.If you wrap too tightly, all of the hair will pop off.

Step 10: Trim the hair

When the hair is attached, it'll look a bit like a beehive hairdo. Some of the pieces of hair may have gotten uneven. Trim them up so her hair looks nice.

Step 11: Add the face

Draw the mermaid's face using sharpie markers. Be careful what kind of marker you use, as most markers will easily rub off the spoon. We know the Sharpie pictured will work well.
3
Clean up
Put things away so your space is tidy for next time.
Tidy up our space

Pick up anything that fell on the floor.

Wipe up any spills on the table.

Put your completed project somewhere safe!

Throw away all your trash and recycling.
Put away our supplies

Check off each supply when it is put away — and any clean-up tips underneath are done too. You might find a fun surprise!

Put away yarn. Where they belong:

Put away sharpie markers. Where they belong:

Put away white glue. Where they belong:

— Don't forget! Close glue lids.

Put away felt. Where they belong:

Put away plastic spoons. Where they belong:

Put away pipe cleaners. Where they belong:

Put away scissors. Where they belong:
Update what we have left

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4
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About the Author

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More projects by this author

Plastic Spoon Mermaid Craft - Easy Ocean Fantasy Project for Kids

About This Project

Project Tags

Find Supplies

Make Plastic Spoon Mermaid

Step 1: Trace the fins

Step 2: Cut out your fins and decorate

Step 3: Attach the fins

Step 4: Wrap the tail

Step 5: Tie a knot and secure with glue.

Step 6: Add the arms

Step 7: Make her swim suit top

Step 8: Make the hair

Step 9: Attach the hair

Step 10: Trim the hair

Step 11: Add the face

Clean up

Tidy up our space

Put away our supplies

Update what we have left

Save

More projects you might like

Use what’s already at home

About the Author

GlueStick