Paper Plate Fishbowl
If you love the soothing, pretty colors of a fish aquarium, but can't remember to feed them their flakes every day, try our Paper Plate Fishbowl! With a few things you can find in your kitchen, you can create your own habitat for some fine, finned friends!
- Sturdy paper plate
- See-through blue cellophane (available in most craft stores or gift wrap departments)
- Markers
- Scissors
- Tacky glue
- Glue stick
- Dry food goods such as dried beans, peas, pasta, rice (a mix of textures and colors is best)
- Q-Tips or cotton swabs to apply the glue (optional)
Begin with your paper plate and your marker. Near the top, draw a half-circle that goes down over the lip of the plate, toward the center, and back up again. Use our photo as a reference. Then, cut along the line with your scissors.
The larger piece is going to be your fishbowl, and you'll turn your smaller piece into the stand!
Snip the sides off of the small piece, as shown in the picture. You want the small piece to be a bit narrower, and have a more triangular shape.
Going back to your larger "bowl" piece, trace around the plate with your marker on your blue cellophane. Cut the plastic wrap out with your scissors, and set it aside.
Now to attach the stand to the bowl! Using your tacky glue, put a thin line of glue on the front side of the narrowest tip of the small piece.
Firmly affix the front side of the narrow tip to the back side of the bottom of the bowl. You may need to wait a bit for the glue to set! Tacky glue can take up to five minutes to set, and it should be gently pressed for about a minute to ensure a firm bond. If an adult is able to, they can speed up the process by prepping several fishbowls ahead of time. They can also use a hot glue gun or staples -- just remember to keep safety first!
Here's where the creativity really kicks in! Using your dry goods, markers, and other decorative items, you're going to create an underwater scene!
This process is very similar to our Kitchen Cabinet Mosaic. You can either draw a fishy scene with your markers, then fill it in with glue and adhere your dry goods. Or you can let the creative spirit move you, and glue as you go! It's best to work one section at a time: glue, then fill with one type of dry good, then glue and fill with another type. This keeps your different goods from getting mixed up!
Your bowl is now filled with fun, fishy friends! Add a castle for your fishies to swim in, and some bubbles coming from their gills!
It's time to seal in your scene behind shining "glass!" With your glue stick, place a line of glue all around the outer lip of the "bowl."
Lay your cut out piece of blue cellophane over the bowl so that the shapes line up, then press and smooth the plastic wrap carefully. Allow to dry.
If you like, you can decorate your bowl even more! Instead of a plain bowl, glue some more of your dry goods on to create pretty patterns!
Your underwater scene and its swimming inhabitants are ready to go on display!
1. If you don't have cellophane, don't worry! Simply color in the blue "water" with markers.
2. If you have a beach trip planned, bring back some seashells to use in your fishbowls!
3. If you're unsure of your artistic talent, or you're working with younger children, using stickers as your fish is a great alternative.
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- Sturdy paper plate
- See-through blue cellophane (available in most craft stores or gift wrap departments)
- Markers
- Scissors
- Tacky glue
- Glue stick
- Dry food goods such as dried beans, peas, pasta, rice (a mix of textures and colors is best)
- Q-Tips or cotton swabs to apply the glue (optional)
Sophie's Tip of the Week
