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The Craft Train

Crafty ideas for kids and parents

You are here: Home / Crafts and Activities / General Crafts / Paper roll fish recycling craft

Paper roll fish recycling craft

June 27, 2022 By Kate 17 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. I may receive commissions for purchases made through links in this post at no cost to you.

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Here’s a super easy paper roll fish craft you can make at home. This is a fun recycling craft idea for kids of all ages, preschoolers included!

This easy fish craft was originally posted in 2013 and has been updated and reshared for todays audience.

You might also like our egg carton goldfish

paper roll fish craft for kids

I adore making paper roll crafts using a cut and fold technique. This paper roll fish has to be the easiest one of all!

Originally I designed this craft years ago for my girls when they were preschoolers. I cut out the fish shapes for them and they decorated them with sequins, glitter and other bits and pieces. The girls used their finished fish as ‘food’ in their toy kitchen for a long time – years even! You could also turn them into a fishing game with the help of some paper clips and magnets on strings.

Want to make one? It’s easy peasy!


 

How to make a paper roll fish

You will need:

  • one painted recycled cardboard tube per fish (you can use a paper towel roll cut down to size or a toilet roll, both will work)
  • more paint to decorate
  • googly eyes and glue — or use our free printable paper eyes for a more eco-friendly version
  • permanent marker
  • scissors

How to:

  1. Flatten your cardboard tube
  2. Cut a rounded end for the fish’s head and two slits at an approximate 45º angle for the tail
  3. Fold the angled cut inwards both forwards and backwards and then tuck it inside the fish to create the tail (see video or photos if this sounds confusing)
  4. Decorate your fish with paints and allow to dry
  5. Glue a googly eye onto each side and draw on a mouth with a marker

paper roll fish steps one

paper roll fish steps 2

paper roll fish steps 3

paper roll fish step 4

paper roll fish step 5

paper roll fish step 6

See – I told you it was easy!

three paper roll fish recycling craft for kids

Here are a few that my girls made when they were pre schoolers. Aren’t they cute?

kid making paper roll fish

kid made paper roll fish

kid made paper roll fish craft

I’m always up for a challenge! What paper roll animal would you like me to create next?


More paper roll animal crafts

• Giraffe
• Swan
• Frill necked lizard
• Fox
• Grasshopper

You can find tons more on our Cardboard tubes board on Pinterest too.

paper roll fish craft and steps

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Comments

  1. 1

    Kids Crafts by Three Sisters says

    May 21, 2017 at 12:58 am

    This is really creative and cute!

    Reply
  2. 2

    Josefa Hernandez says

    May 21, 2017 at 1:42 am

    Great idea for the children ti work with, painting them putting them together, love it.

    Reply
  3. 3

    Susan Buchalter says

    June 3, 2017 at 2:28 pm

    This is so cute and easy!

    Reply
  4. 4

    Vivian says

    June 17, 2017 at 2:21 pm

    Something little ones can do with little help. Great

    Reply
  5. 5

    isha kainat says

    July 3, 2017 at 9:47 am

    i want to try this .. how many things we needed for this

    Reply
    • 6

      Kate says

      July 3, 2017 at 7:50 pm

      Cardboard tubes, scissors and paint is all you need. Googly eyes and glue optional but not necessary.

      Reply
  6. 7

    Susie Jo says

    October 25, 2017 at 4:11 am

    What kind of paint did you use?

    Reply
    • 8

      Kate says

      October 28, 2017 at 4:42 am

      Acrylic paint. My favourite brand is Jo Sonjas but that may not be available near you. Some brands will need a couple of coats of paint to get them looking opaque.

      Reply
  7. 9

    Gagan Sarch says

    November 2, 2017 at 6:50 pm

    Kate you are amazing !! This such an amazing way of crafting the fish. I am sure going to use it with my pre-k class, and thank you so much for sharing. Do you have any such simple but creative animal craft work for my class to create on wild, farm or air borne animals. Thank you

    Reply
  8. 10

    Dawn says

    April 2, 2018 at 12:17 pm

    Loved it

    Reply
  9. 11

    Ileen says

    August 5, 2018 at 3:27 pm

    Could be fun to not only make these but hot glue small metal flat washers and give child a honemade fishing rod with magnet on end?

    Reply
    • 12

      Kate says

      August 11, 2018 at 5:29 am

      That sounds like a great idea!

      Reply
      • 13

        Helen Klein says

        June 26, 2021 at 8:54 am

        We did the magnet thing. Painted numbers on the sides of the fish to see who got the biggest catch.
        Then vowels and commonly used consonants (B, T, D, S etc) to spell words.

        Reply
        • 14

          Kate says

          June 27, 2021 at 6:26 am

          What a great way to incorporate learning into the project!

          Reply
  10. 15

    Zaakirah says

    October 11, 2019 at 11:17 pm

    Thax Kate I am going to use this art for my life skills lesson. You the best .

    Reply
    • 16

      Kate says

      October 18, 2019 at 9:20 am

      Awesome! hope the kids enjoy making them 🙂

      Reply
  11. 17

    Kate says

    November 10, 2020 at 10:41 am

    Wow Kate you always amaze me and my little boy Johnny with your amazing ideas! I love this and can’t wait to try it out good job Kate!!!!

    Reply

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  • Kate GronoKate GronoCrazy Craft Fanatic

    I’m basically a big kid who never grew up and still loves to muck around with paint, glitter, glue and toilet rolls. With the crafts shared here on this website I’m hoping to give other parents and carers inspiration to get crafty with their kids at home – make our projects, or use them as a source of inspiration to spark ideas of your own. When it comes to crafting no rules apply!

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