Today we’re showing you how to create a bioluminescent tissue paper jellyfish craft!

These jellyfish are easier than they look to make (although damn hard to photograph!). Best of all, they light up in the dark with the help of an LED colour changing candle.

You could even say they create their own light, just like a real bioluminescent jellyfish.

You might also like our paper plate ocean animals

Jellyfish have to be one of the coolest species in the ocean. They don’t have a brain, bones, eyes or even a heart – plus an estimated 50% of them have the ability to make their own light.

The reason for this glow is mostly to startle predators, with some jellyfish even possessing the ability to release glowing tentacles as a decoy. How clever is that?

I wanted to make a jellyfish craft that could light up just like a real one, and these LED candles we had left over from our light up tissue paper reef did the trick.

The body and stingers of our jellyfish are made entirely from tissue paper, so the light shines through it. You can suspend your finished jellyfish from the roof like a mobile in the dark. The girls love them!

 

How to make a bioluminous tissue paper jellyfish

You will need

• tissue paper
• a small round bowl, or more than one bowl if you want to make multiple jellyfish
• PVA glue to make DIY mod podge, or you can use real mod podge
• LED colour changing candle
• sticky tape
• string (we’ve used embroidery thread)
• non-stick baking paper
• cling wrap
• paintbrush
• scissors
• metal skewer
• optional needle to thread the string through the top
• 2-3 days to allow for drying time

How to

Set out a piece of non stick baking paper as your surface to work on. If you don’t do this your jellyfish will likely get glued to the surface.

Wrap your bowl in cling wrap, and wrap a piece of tissue paper over it and tuck it under the bowl. 

Make some DIY mod podge by watering down some PVA glue. We use an approximate 50:50 mix but don’t actually measure it. So long as the glue is thick and runny it will work.

Paint the tissue paper all over with your mod podge, then lay a second sheet of tissue paper over it. This time don’t tuck the paper underneath the bowl, just leave it spread out around the bowl on a rectangular shape. Paint the part which is covering the bowl with mod podge.

Lay a third sheet of tissue paper over this and press it down gently. Leave it overnight to dry.

Once dry, add a final protective coat of mod podge, and allow to dry again.

Once the mod podge has dried, it should be easy to remove the bowl and cling wrap. You will be left with tissue paper in the shape of the bowl.

Trim around the edge, cutting away the excess paper. Leave a “ruffle” of tissue paper around the edges.

Poke two holes in the top of the paper with a metal skewer before threading the string through so that you have a loop poking out the top and the ends poking out underneath.

Tie a knot in the string underneath the jellyfish. The knot needs to be close to the ends of the string, with just enough space to add the candle underneath it.

Sticky tape the candle into place, with one string on each side of the candle. Try and get the light as close to the knot as possible, so that it is well hidden inside your jellyfish body. Trim the excess string ends away.

Make some stingers by fringing a long piece of folded tissue paper, and sticky tape the stinger to the base of the LED candle. Make sure to leave the on and off switch uncovered.

Now find a place to hang the jellyfish – they look so cool lit up in the dark.

For photography purposes I’ve used a blacklight (so that my camera can see in the dark!)

Here’s one more random fact about jellyfish… Did you know its mouth is also its butt? The jellyfish catches food by stinging any unfortunate pray they happen to drift into, then eat the food and excrete the waste through the same hole.

tissue paper jellyfish craft

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Print

Make a jelly fish from tissue paper that lights up in the dark, just like a real bioluminous jellyfish

Active Time 2 days

Total Time 2 days

Difficulty easy

Materials

• tissue paper
• a small round bowl, or more than one bowl if you want to make multiple jellyfish
• PVA glue to make DIY mod podge, or you can use real mod podge
• LED colour changing candle
• sticky tape
• string (we’ve used embroidery thread)
• non-stick baking paper

Tools

• cling wrap
• paintbrush
• scissors
• metal skewer
• optional needle

Instructions

1. Set out a piece of non stick baking paper as your surface to work on.
2. Wrap your bowl in cling wrap, and wrap a piece of tissue paper over it and tuck it under the bowl. 
3. Make some DIY mod podge by watering down some PVA glue. We use an approximate 50:50 mix.
4. Paint the tissue paper all over with your mod podge, then lay a second sheet of tissue paper over it. This time don’t tuck the paper underneath the bowl, just leave it spread out around the bowl on a rectangular shape. Paint the part which is covering the bowl with mod podge.
5. Lay a third sheet of tissue paper over this and press it down gently. Leave it overnight to dry.
6. Once dry, add a final protective coat of mod podge, and allow to dry again.
7. Remove the bowl and cling wrap. You will be left with tissue paper in the shape of the bowl.
8. Trim around the edge, cutting away the excess paper. Leave a “ruffle” of tissue paper around the edges.
9. Poke two holes in the top of the paper with a metal skewer before threading the string through so that you have a loop poking out the top and the ends poking out underneath.
10. Tie a knot in the string underneath the jellyfish. The knot needs to be close to the ends of the string, with just enough space to add the candle underneath it.
11. Sticky tape the candle into place, with one string on each side of the candle. Try and get the light as close to the knot as possible, so that it is well hidden inside your jellyfish body. Trim the excess string ends away.
12. Make some stingers by fringing a long piece of folded tissue paper, and sticky tape the stinger to the base of the LED candle. Make sure to leave the on and off switch uncovered.
13. Now you can hang your jellyfish!

More ocean animal crafts for kids

• Sew a jellyfish softie using our free printable pattern
• Make one of 14 paper plate ocean animals from our printable collection (there is a jellyfish included!)
• Create a paper roll fish using a simple squash and cut technique
• This egg carton goldfish is so cute!
• Make a coral reef in an egg carton that lights up in the dark