Here’s a simple paper roll fish craft you can make and as a bonus you get to upcycle your cardboard tubes at the same time.

You might also like our egg carton goldfish

I adore making paper roll animals using a cut and fold technique and this is possibly one of the simplest ones ever.

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.

I thought it was time to revisit this fun idea with a revised step-by-step tutorial and I’ve even created a video too.

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
• 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

See – I told you it was easy!

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

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.

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