Magical rainbow mermaid craft with FREE craft printable

Looking for a colorful and creative mermaid craft for kids? This fun summer activity is perfect for at home, on vacation, in daycare, or at summer camp and it includes a FREE printable mermaid tail template to make crafting even easier!

Creating Mermaid Rainbow Tails with a Tie-Dye Twist

These vibrant mermaids are made from paper rolls and decorated with rainbow-colored tails using a simple tie-dye technique. Just grab some washable markers, tin foil, and a spray bottle, kids will love watching the colors blend and swirl like magic.

This mermaid craft is loosely inspired by the charming children’s book Rainbow Mermaids of Hawaii by Gill McBarnet, known for her island-themed stories and artwork. The tropical feel of the book brings a fun island vibe to this project, but you don’t need to read it to enjoy the craft.

Free Mermaid Printable for Easy Crafting

To make things even simpler, we’ve included a free mermaid tail printable. Print it on heavier satin-finish paper for the best results, then just add a paper roll body, decorate, and bring your mermaid to life!

So grab your supplies and dive into this imaginative summer craft that kids of all ages will enjoy!

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Supplies to create this magical mermaid craft

As mentioned, you only need a few basic craft supplies to create these gorgeous mermaids. Most of these supplies are likely to be found in your home. If not, don’t worry; they’re easy to find at your local craft store. Or be creative and find an alternative.

• Mermaid tail FREE printable, get it right HERE
• Tin foil
• Colored markers
• Water spray bottle (for hair or plants)
• Paper roll
• Colored yarn, any hair color you like
• Buttons, shells, or paper (for the mermaid bra)
• Scissor
• Glue (glue stick and hot glue)
• Black Sharpie or fine liner

If you don´t have time to prep, we’ve got you covered. This beautiful mermaid printable package includes everything. You only need scissors and a glue stick. Find our favorite mermaid craft bundle right here.

How to craft a magical mermaid?

Step 1: Gather the craft supplies above and print the printable. You can download the Free printable right here. If you print the printable, we highly recommend using heavy printing paper with a satin finish for the best results.

Step 2: Decide which mermaid tail you would like to create. The tail with scales or without. Think of the colors you would like to use, all rainbow colors or just a few shades. 

Step 3: Take a piece of tin foil about twice the size of your mermaid tail. And start coloring the foil with colored markers. Ensure you cover the entire page; see the picture. Use bright colors for the best result.

Step 4: When your tin foil is fully covered with colorful markers, you´re going to spray your tin foil with water. Don´t use too much water, just enough for the colors to blend nicely.

Step 5: Lay the printable of your mermaid tail on top of the tin foil and pad the backside to ensure you have a lovely print.

Step 6: Lift your print so your colorful tail will be revealed. When you’re happy with your print, let your mermaid tail dry. You can try different mermaid tails now that you know how it works.

Step 7: Take your paper roll; if you like, you can give the paper roll any skin color you want with paint or paper, but you can also leave it as it is.

Step 8: When your mermaid tail is dry, you can cut the tail out on the black outlines.

Step 9: Glue the mermaid tail around the bottom of your paper roll. Leave the top of your paper roll (1,75 inch or 4 CM) free.

Step 10: We will make the mermaid’s hair with yarn. You can use any color you like. To make the hair, wrap the yarn around a book about 10 inches (25 CM) high. We used The Rainbow Mermaids of Hawaii. Wrap your yarn 30 times around the book; see the picture. 

Step 11: Take the yarn off the book, fold it in half, and knot your thread in the middle. Make sure you cut the ends so your hair is nice and even; see the picture. 

 Step 12: Glue the yarn on your mermaid’s head. We used hot glue to ensure the thread stuck well to the paper roll. Make sure to supervise or help your child when using hot glue.

Step 13: Give your mermaid a shell bra with two shells, buttons, or sequins. If you don´t have anything at home, you can use colored paper.

Step 14: Last but not least, give your mermaid a cute face.

Well, we are done creating this magical mermaid craft. We hope you enjoyed this activity. Don´t forget to check out the  Hawaiian Children´s Books website and give them a follow on Instagram.

More Fun Ocean Crafts To Try With Kids!

Finished your DIY origami fish? Great job! Now try some of our other easy ocean crafts for kids:

• Paper-weaving rainbow fish craft
• Watercolor manta ray craft
• Toilet paper roll whale project

These make perfect additions to an ocean-themed week, homeschool lessons, or kids’ summer craft camps!

Ocean-Themed Craft Printables, Ready to Use and Fun to Make!

Short on prep time? We’ve got you covered! Our printable ocean craft packs are designed to make creative time simple, fun, and stress-free. Each pack comes in both full color and black-and-white coloring page versions, so kids can customize their creations and add their own flair.

Here are a few of our most-loved ocean printables, see pictures above. You can purchase them on our website, Etsy Store and Teachers Pay Teachers:

1. Sea Turtle Shell Weaving – A perfect blend of fine motor skills and creative play.

1. BIG Mermaid Puppet Bundle – A magical favorite packed with movement and sparkle!

2. Swimming Shark Puppet – Always a hit with shark fans and full of ocean action.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or homeschooler, these print-and-go craft kits are perfect for engaging little learners in a creative underwater adventure!

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