Try this fun recycled paper folded fish craft with kids! You only need a few materials to get started and you can even use leftover greeting cards from the holidays!
Material List:
Recycled Greeting Card Fronts ie: Christmas, Valentine, Easter, OR Colourful Card Stock
Fishing Line
Sewing Needle, with large eye
Tacky Glue
Hole Punch, Scissors, Ruler, Pencil, Toothpicks, Clothes peg (optional)
Hanging Stick ie: Gnarly Branch or Root, Dowel or Coat Hanger, about 30–38cm long
Handy Damp Rag, for keeping fingers glue free
Instructions:
1) Mark and cut out 6 strips of card for each fish.
Large Fish, 16.5cm X 1.5cm
Medium Fish, 15cm X 1cm
Small Fish, 12cm X 6mm
2) Take the first 2 strips, lay 1 on top of the other forming a cross with 2 short arms. The short arms should measure about 5cm each.
3) At overlapping spot, using Tacky glue and toothpick, put a very small dab of glue.
4) Keeping top and bottom ends of strips even, slide vertical strips under the horizontal one, one on each side, and snug each up tightly.
5) With toothpick and Tacky glue, add a small dab of glue to any overlapping spots.
6) With the last 2 strips and keeping the ends even, weave over and under either side of the horizontal strip. Again, glue all overlapping spots.
7) When glue is dry, flip your woven strips over so that the wrong side is facing up.
8) Fold both sets of long arms up, over and flat against the previously woven side. Pattern on card is now showing again.
9) Once folded, weave vertical and horizontal strips over and under each other. Glue at any overlapping spot and snug the woven pieces up tight together.
10) You will have 2 arms each with 3 strips. With scissors, cut out the middle strips level with the woven body. This will leave your fish shape with fins top and bottom and the 2 centre strips for the tail. Let glue dry.
11) Roll up a small piece of tissue, cotton ball, or scrap of paper. Open the fish body just enough to slip the tissue inside to plump up your fish body. Add a small dab of glue, to glue the body closed. You might need to hold it or clamp it with a clothes peg, till the glue dries.
12) With scissors, cut the fins diagonally to even up each set and to make more decorative.
13) Do the same with the tail pieces. Then, cut slits along the length of the each tail piece and curl up a bit to make more decorative.
14) With hole punch, cut 2 eyes out of glittery paper and glue one to either side of the head. Put aside.
15) Find the balancing spot on your stick, and with fishing line tie a long loop there to hang your mobile with.
16) To hang your fish; Thread your needle with the fishing line. Find a balancing spot on your fish body and poke the needle through. Pull the fishing line through the hole you just made. Tie it in a knot and cut off the short tail end.
17) Leave the fishing line about 40cm long, for the first fish, and attach to the stick by knotting tightly.
18) You will need to thread each fish the same way but as you attach them make sure that each one moves without getting tangled with another one. Each fish needs its own space.
19) Make sure to have different lengths of fishing line to make it more interesting.
That’s it! You’re done! Hang your mobile up from a light fixture, a curtain rod or ceiling hook and enjoy!
*Note, For Younger Children: You can skip the strip and folding part and just make simple fish shapes. Decorate the fish shapes with felt pens, glitter, shiny or colourful papers or paint. Hang each fish the same as above, from a stick with fishing line.