This jellyfish paper plate craft is all swirly paint and long, wiggly tentacles. Half a plate becomes the body, and strips of paper hang down underneath.
It’s quick to set up, and a great one to pair with an ocean unit or a few jellyfish books.
What You Need for This Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft
Jellyfish Paper Plate Craft (visual directions + template)
Get the printablePaper plate
View on AmazonPaint in a few bright colors
View on AmazonPaintbrush
View on AmazonPurple, pink and blue construction paper
View on AmazonKid scissors
View on AmazonDouble-sided tape or glue
View on AmazonBlack marker
View on AmazonSome links above are affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.
💡 No double-sided tape?
Regular tape or glue works fine. Use whatever colors of paper you have on hand.
How to Make a Paper Plate Jellyfish
Cut the body
Cut the plate in half, then cut gentle curves along the straight edge for the bottom of the jellyfish.
Paint it
Swirl a few colors of paint together on the plate for a dreamy, blended look. Let it dry.
Make the eyes
Cut two small curves from the leftover plate and shade the pupils with a marker.
Cut the tentacles
Cut long, wavy strips from construction paper. Long, short, curly or straight are all fine.
Attach the tentacles
Tape the tentacles along the underside of the plate, spreading them out evenly.
Add the eyes
Tape or glue the eyes to the top of the body, then hang your jellyfish up to float.
Ways to Use It
- Hang it from the ceiling so the tentacles sway
- Make a whole smack of jellyfish for an ocean bulletin board
- Add glitter glue for a glowing look
- Pair with other ocean paper plate crafts
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Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft for Preschool, Pre-K and Kindergarten
Preschool
Paint, glue and decorate. You handle the tricky cutting, and kids point to each picture step as they go.
Pre-K
Trace the template and cut the straight lines. Follow the visual steps in order.
Kindergarten and up
Cut out every piece, add their own details, and retell the steps in order.
Get the Printable Visual Directions
Doing this with a group? The printable has picture steps for every part of the jellyfish, plus a template you can trace.
🎟️ Blog reader deal
Use code JELLYFISHPLATE at checkout to get this craft free.
What’s included
- A picture supply list
- Visual step-by-step directions
- Photo step cards
- A printable template
- Instant PDF download, nothing is shipped
Perfect for
- Preschool and kindergarten classrooms
- Special education and speech therapy
- Following directions practice
- Thematic units
- Homeschool art time
Paper Plate Jellyfish Craft FAQ
A group of jellyfish is called a smack or a bloom. Kids love that fun fact.
Ages 3 to 6. Preschoolers paint and glue with a little help, and kindergartners can trace and cut the pieces themselves.
Yes. Crayons, markers or torn construction paper work too and are less messy.
You can freehand the pieces, but the template and picture steps help kids work on their own and make it easy to do with a class.
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