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DIY Jellyfish Party Decoration Craft Tutorial

I have been known to make overly complicated decorations for parties. But sometimes, it is the easy decorations that are the most striking. As is the case with these hanging jellyfish decorations from my daughter’s The Little Mermaid Party (also to be used for my daughter’s Octonauts party later this month).

DIY Jellyfish Party Decoration Craft

So pretty, right? And really, so very simple. (And cheap too!)

Materials:

  • Disposable bowls**
  • Plastic tablecloth
  • Monofilament thread
  • Scrapbook paper (optional)

**I used plastic disposable bowls that I found at Party City because they were the right color (purple bowls, ocean blue tablecloths). I also found them very easy to work with, and they hold their shape so I recommend plastic bowls. But if you find the perfect paper bowls, they would work too. 

Creating the Body

I used glitter scrapbook paper as an accent throughout my party, so I had plenty of scraps. Using my one-inch circle punch, I punched out an assortment of little circles. Then my daughter used Glue Dots to cover the outside of the bowls with glittery circles. 

Jellyfish Craft Party Decoration

Creating the Tentacles

Leaving your tablecloth mostly folded, cut three inch-strips. (I think I unfolded the table-cloth once.) BTW plastic tablecloth is surprisingly simple to cut through several layers at a time if you have never done so.)

Jellyfish Craft Decoration

Once you have strips, all you have to do is pinch and pull the strips working from the center out in order to create the rippling effect.

Jellyfish Decoration Craft Tutorial

Warning, if you pull too thin it will rip. 

Continue pinching and pulling down the length of your strips until you have a pile of rippled strips.

I used four tentacles for each jelly. Once you have your strips ready, fold two strips in half — but not evenly, you want the tentacles to be all various lengths. At the point where you plan to fold the strips, staples the strips together. 

Jellyfish Craft Tutorial

Then take a push pin and poke a whole through the middle of your plastic bowl. Cut a length of monofilament to hang your jelly, and tie a big fat knot in one end. Poke that through the tentacles at the point where you stapled them together, then feed the monofilament through the bowl from the bottom. This attaches the tentacles loosely to the bottom, but that’s all you need to hold it for hanging.

Jellyfish Tutorial Craft Project

Hang your jellyfish at various heights to create an under the ocean feeling. 

Jellyfish Party Decoration

Having a The Little Mermaid party? Get more inspiration from my other party posts:

  • The Little Mermaid Party
  • Mermaid Tails Tutorial
  • Mermaid Party Printables

Related

Crafts, DIY birthday party, birthday party ideas, craft, DIY, how to, little mermaid, party, the little mermaid, tutorial

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christy Garrett @ Uplifting Families says

    March 12, 2014 at 7:51 pm

    What a great idea, Jen you are so creative. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
    • jen says

      March 12, 2014 at 10:04 pm

      Thanks Christy! I love the way they came out 🙂

      Reply
  2. maria says

    March 12, 2014 at 8:05 pm

    What a great idea! I love the tablecloth/tentacle suggestion! Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply
  3. Jelli says

    March 19, 2014 at 10:05 pm

    I’ve never seen the thread you used before. Glad you added a link. This is such a fun way to add color to a kids party. Love it and pinned it.

    Reply
    • jen says

      March 24, 2014 at 9:24 am

      The thread is kind of life fishing line, but thinner. 🙂

      Reply
  4. Alexis Brown says

    June 26, 2014 at 9:43 pm

    These are awesome! Would you be willing to sell then when your finished with them??

    Reply
    • jen says

      July 5, 2014 at 3:53 pm

      Actually, yes. Email me jen@thesuburbanmom.com.

      Reply
      • Alexis says

        July 6, 2014 at 10:30 am

        Email sent 🙂

        Reply
  5. Joyce says

    July 27, 2016 at 7:34 am

    Hello, your Mermaid party looks adorable. What did u use for the back decoration? That purple stuff hanging in the back? Thank you so much

    Reply
    • jen says

      July 28, 2016 at 8:26 pm

      My backdrop is a piece of siding, covered with a white tablecloth. Then I used purple and teal crepe paper, and I twisted them together. Pinning them on the backside, running them down the front of the board and pinned to the bottom. It wasn’t hard, but it was a cool effect!

      Reply
  6. Steph says

    October 4, 2017 at 12:04 am

    Thank you so much for the tentacle idea! I have been looking for a cost effective way to make tentacles for umbrella jelly fish and you had the perfect solution. Great idea:)

    Reply

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Hi, I’m Jen

I'm an Orlando, FL mom, a blogger and a social media junkie. I love anything crafty, Disney, Gator football, chocolate, green living, flip-flops and family movie nights.
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