How to Make Egg Carton Fish

Cute egg carton craft ideas to make with your kids.

We’ve been hoarding egg cartons for weeks to make egg cartons, and Hayes loves them. And there are some with loops that use the stick as a fishing rod for “fishing”. It’s fun and easy. And it costs nothing to make. It’s a zero dollar DIY.

egg carton craft ideas

Why would you use an egg carton for something like this?

I love using recycled/upcycled materials for my kids’ craft projects.

Plus, the shape of the egg carton is perfect for fish scales.

Are egg cartons safe to use for craft projects?

yes! I especially like using soft cardboard egg cartons for crafting. I find these types of craft ideas to be the softest and easiest to manage. Any egg carton can be used. Just grab what you have from the recycling bin.

There are some styrofoam and plastic egg cartons that can be used for crafts like this as well. There is no problem to use the one from . Just like the cardboard ones, you can easily paint them.

What else can you make with egg cartons?

So many things! This fish project was at the top of my list because I knew Hayes would love it. But there are many other craft projects you can try using recycled egg cartons.

Egg carton flowers, mushrooms, egg carton caterpillars and animals, Christmas egg carton ideas, ideas for Halloween, etc. The egg carton fish idea can be turned into a regular activity once the project is all finished. So it’s high on my list. Tie a loop to the end of the fish and “catch” the finished fish from the garden with a stick.

You can also recycle egg cartons to make paper. Or use it as a starter pot for herbs and other small plants/seedlings.

material

• Egg cartons – Stored in bulk over weeks or months. The number of egg packs you need will vary greatly depending on how many fish you want to make. A good rule of thumb is one egg pack per fish.
• Paint – You can use whatever paint you have on hand. Craft paint works great. Acrylics, watercolors, and even house paints work just as well.
• Paintbrush – Any paintbrush will do. But sometimes I like to use an old toothbrush as a child’s paintbrush. It’s easy to grip, allows more surface coverage with paint, and is easier for little hands to use.
• Glue – For this project I used hot glue because it holds well and is fast. So if you have time to wait for the glue to dry, you can easily use basic school glue like Elmers. That way, the fish can be made from start to finish by the child.
• String or String – Look for strong string or string that is not too thin. This is what you’ll tie all the pieces together to create a loop at the end if you’re hooking a fish to a door handle or using it as part of a “fishing” activity with a stick.
• Scissors – any scissors will do! Even child-safe scissors should work well for cutting egg carton ingredients.

make a fish head

I’ve found that the best part of the egg carton to use for the fish head is the pointy part on the bottom of the carton. I cut off the “cup” part as carefully as possible so that it can be used for the main body. Speaking of which…

build a fish body

A cup with an egg in it makes a wonderful fish body. These pieces can also be used as heads. I’ve done a few of each.

Cut the cups individually from the bottom of the egg carton, trimming off any uneven excess if desired.

make a fish tail

I mainly used the pointy part (such as the fish head) for the tail of the fish. It’s a rectangular piece of carton, and I cut a fringe strip, rolled it up, and glued it to one of the pointed egg carton pieces.

paint all parts

head and body parts

I mixed some of the paint with a little water so the paint would spread faster and easier. He didn’t paint all of them (there were quite a few), but he did a lot and you can choose which parts to paint on the finished fish. this is cool.

I drew what was left. And since part of it is visible on the finished fish, so is the inside.

make and paint eyes

I cut out a large circle and a small circle for the eyes from the top scrap piece of the egg carton. I painted the large circle white and the small circle dark grey/black. I then glued the smaller pieces to the larger pieces to create each fish eye.I used hot glue to stick the circles together. Then hot glue it again to glue the finished eye to the fish head. Super easy!

tie it all together

The last thing you need to do is put all the pieces together.

Poke a hole in the center of each piece (head, body, tail) with scissors. Then thread or string through the holes and tie to keep the pieces in place. Start with the tail, then the torso, then the head.

If you want to hang the fish on a door handle, wall, or use it for “fishing” activities, tie a loop around the fish’s head.

Looking for more kids craft ideas?

• This party favor idea for kids was a huge hit for my son’s 4th birthday. Everyone had to take it home to remember the day.
• These rainbow clay ornaments aren’t just for the holidays. Make party favors, door hangers, and other fun crafts for kids all year round.
• Here are three Cricut gift ideas for babies/toddlers I’ve put together. But it’s so cute that I couldn’t help but put it in. Soft baby books are one of my favorites.