Looking for a fun summer craft idea? This coffee filter mermaid tail craft is an excellent choice. Like all of our coffee filter crafts for kids, it’s an easy and affordable project to make at home or school.
Using washable markers, transform coffee filters and colored paper into a vibrant mermaid tail suncatcher you can hang in the window.
This craft is ideal for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary age children. Younger children may need some assistance to complete this project.
When completed, they are so bright and colorful, making it the perfect homemade decoration or craft activity for a mermaid themed birthday party too!
Create a themed set with our coffee filter seashell and coffee filter starfish suncatchers too.
Looking for more coffee filter craft ideas? Check out our book of 15 cute coffee filter crafts.
More Ocean Themed Activities for Kids
- Ocean Zones Density Jar
- Moving Shark Paper Plate Craft
- DIY Ocean Pop Up Book
- Shark Life Cycle Activities
Mermaid Tail Coffee Filter Craft
Do this craft at home, as a family, or at a school. It’s a quick and easy craft to include in a summer themed art center or for summer camp at home.
Making these coffee filter mermaid tail suncatchers is a fun fine motor activity for preschool and kindergarten children that provides coloring, tracing, cutting and gluing practice.
For an additional learning opportunity, you can also discuss color theory.
Younger children may need assistance cutting out the center of the tail, but older children will also enjoy this craft that they can complete mostly independently.
Kids of all ages will love spraying the coffee filters with water and watching the colors blend too.
These may require additional drying time depending on how much water is sprayed on the coffee filter during the blending stage.
Coffee Filter Mermaid Tail Craft Supplies:
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This coffee filter mermaid tail craft uses craft supplies you probably already have and only takes about 30 minutes to complete (plus additional drying time).
Coffee filters bleed color because they are so thin. So, it’s important to protect your work surface by placing the coffee filters on top of a craft mat or parchment paper.
- Mermaid Tail Suncatcher Template (available by filling out the form at the bottom of this post)
- Round White Coffee Filters
- Washable Markers in Pink, Purple, Green, Blue
- 2 sheets of Colored Paper in Blue, Green, or Purple
- Glue Sticks
- Water Spray Bottle (for color blending)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paper Plate, parchment paper, ziploc bag or craft mat
How to Make a Coffee Filter Mermaid Tail Suncatcher:
Start by flattening out round coffee filters. Draw on them with washable markers in a variety of patterns or simply lightly color the entire area.
Let kids use whatever colors they want, but we suggest pink, purple, blue, and green for the mermaid tail.
Place the colored coffee filter on a paper plate, sheet of parchment paper, craft mat or large zipper baggie and mist with a water spray bottle.
Have fun watching the magic of the colors move and blend! Then set the wet coffee filters aside to dry.
The drying time will vary depending on how much water is sprayed on them during the blending stage.
Print out the mermaid tail suncatcher template (form at the end of this post) and cut out the mermaid tail frame.
Pinch the template in half, cut a slit in the center, and then cut out the inside of the shape. Younger kiddos will need help with this step or prepare the template for them ahead of time.
Next, trace the mermaid tail frame pattern two times on colored paper. Cut it out with scissors.
Once your coffee filter is dry, place the suncatcher frame over it until you are happy with how it shows through the frame. You may need to layer two coffee filters to completely cover the mermaid tail.
Attach the colored coffee filter to the first suncatcher frame with a glue stick. Then flip it over, line up the second frame and glue them together so the coffee filter is in between the two paper frames.
Now carefully cut away the excess tie-dyed coffee filter with scissors. The colored paper should make a nice outline around the brightly colored coffee filter.
Hang the suncatcher in a sunny window or door using a loop of string or double-sided tape.
More Coffee Filter Crafts for Kids
- Coffee Filter Campfire
- Coffee Filter Bats
- Coffee Filter Turkeys
- Coffee Filter Dragonfly
- Coffee Filter Ladybug
Coffee Filter Mermaid Tail Craft
Make a bright and colorful coffee filter mermaid tail suncatcher for a fun summer craft for kids.
Materials
- Mermaid Tail Suncatcher Template
- Round White Coffee Filters
- Washable Markers in Pink, Purple, Green, Blue
- 2 sheets of Colored Paper in Blue, Green, or Purple
- Glue Sticks
Tools
- Water Spray Bottle (for color blending)
- Scissors
- Pencil
- Paper Plate, parchment paper, ziploc bag or craft mat (to protect work space)
Instructions
- Flattening out round coffee filters. Draw on them with washable markers in a variety of patterns.
- Use whatever colors they want, but we suggest pink, purple, blue, and green for the mermaid tail.
- Lightly mist with a water spray bottle.
- Then set the wet coffee filters aside to dry.
- Print out the mermaid tail suncatcher template (download using form at bottom of post) and cut out the mermaid tail frame.
- Carefully fold the template in half, cut a slit in the center, and then cut out the inside of the shape.
- Trace the mermaid tail frame pattern two times on colored paper. Cut it out.
- Place the suncatcher frame over it until you are happy with how it shows through the frame. You may need to layer two coffee filters to completely cover the mermaid tail.
- Glue colored coffee filter to the first suncatcher frame with a glue stick. Then flip it over, line up the second frame and glue them together so the coffee filter is in between the two paper frames.
- Cut away the excess tie-dyed coffee filter.