Awesome Paper Shark Craft – A Fun Craft for Shark Week!
Home » CREATE » Crafts » Under the Sea Crafts »
If your little one loves anything and everything shark-themed, you’ve hit jackpot with our Paper Shark Craft! This is an awesome art project for your child for Shark Week and to learn more about the different types of sharks that live in our oceans – starting with a Great White Shark!
Affiliate Disclosure
We have included affiliate links to products and services related to the topic of this post.
This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you purchase after clicking on those links.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Read Our Full Disclosure and Privacy Policy
Paper Shark Craft
This awesome Shark Week craft is great for improving those cutting skills, learning how to follow instructions, and an opportunity to talk about different creatures that live in the ocean.
To make a paper shark, all you will need is some construction/craft paper, scissors, glue, and our free printable template.
Once assembled, you can use the Great White Shark for roleplaying, learning about the creature (check our facts below to get you started!), building an aquarium or ocean scene, or hanging from the ceiling!
Facts About Sharks
- There are over 500 species of shark, including the Great White Shark which is the type of shark in this craft.
- 143 of these shark species are under threat from vulnerable to critically endangered.
- Sharks do not have bones, but have a skeleton made from cartilage which is the same stuff that your ears and nose are made of.
- Shark skin feels like sandpaper.
- Many sharks have several rows of teeth and can lose and replace thousands of teeth in their lifetimes.
- They are one of the top predators in the oceans and help to keep balance in the food chain.
- Great White Sharks eat fish and rays when they are small, but when they get to full size they eat seals, sealions and even small whales.
- The smallest shark is the Dwarf Shark that’s about the size of a human hand.
- The biggest shark is the Whale Shark that is up to 40ft/20m long.
- Sharks can be found worldwide from tropical reefs to the deep seas to under the Arctic sea ice.
- Most sharks are cold-blooded, but Great White Sharks are partially warm blooded which helps them to move faster when hunting for food.
- Sharks have been around for 400 million years – long before the dinosaurs!
Materials & Tools Used in This Craft
The full list of materials, tools, and instructions are found in the printable tutorial card at the end of this post. I highly recommend reading the blog post all the way through before starting this project to ensure that you have everything required and understand the steps and timings involved.
You may have several standard craft supplies at home already, but I’ve included links to Amazon below for your convenience.
- Construction Paper in the following suggested colors: Dark Grey, Light Grey, White, Red
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
- Shark Printable Template
- You will find the template download links before the tutorial card and surrounded by a purple box. Tap the purple download buttons to save the file(s) to your device.
- Printables are available in two paper sizes – A4 and US Letter (8.5″ x 11″). Download the size that is appropriate for your printer.
TOP TIP! Print my craft templates in advance and store them in a folder so that you can grab them at a moment’s notice.
Speaking of a moment’s notice, a box of basic craft supplies is also a good thing to have on hand so you can get started on projects without worrying if you have the right stuff!
I’ve compiled a list of craft basics that I think everyone should have – you’ll find them in tips section further down this page. You don’t have to get ALL the things all at once, but building your craft stash will make life a lot easier when the kids are stuck indoors or want to make something last minute!
More Under The Sea Crafts
This Shark paper craft is just one of a collection of fun under the sea paper crafts! Here are the others for you to do after this one:
- Angelfish
- Blue Whale
- Blue Crab
- Blue Tang Fish
- Dolphin
- Jellyfish
- Lionfish
- Lobster
- Octopus
- Oyster & Starfish
- Pelican – by the sea rather than under it!
- Puffer Fish
- Scuba Boy
- Scuba Girl
- Seagull – by the sea rather than under it!
- Seahorse
- Sea Turtle
- Shark
- Sperm Whale
- Squid
- Stingray
- Submarine
We have created more than 100+ Free Printables for you to download and use. They include seasonal crafts, decorations, puzzles, coloring sheets, and more! Right-click and open a new tab to read next.
Shark Craft Tips
- Print the template onto the suggested colored construction paper and cut the pieces out. (But you could use any colors you want!)
- Why not experiment with different color combinations and make an aquarium full of colorful sharks?
- If construction paper won’t go through your printer, you could print onto regular paper and trace around the pieces onto the colored paper/card. You will have to add any detail with a black marker pen.
- Another option is to print onto white paper and color the pieces in with crayons, pens, paints, or pencils.
- Or what about making this Shark using craft foam? You will have to add any detail with a black marker pen.
- Cut all the pieces out and lay them where they should go before sticking them down with glue.
- An optional extra is adding glitter: apply white school glue to the parts you want to add some sparkle, sprinkle glitter on top, shake off the excess and leave to dry.
- You could also use other embellishments like googly eyes, or sequins to bring this craft to life.
- If you want to hang up your completed Shark you could use a piece of ribbon or string to form a hanging loop and stick to the back (or you could punch a hole at the top and thread the ribbon/string through).
- Why not use a variety of blue paints to create a water background to mount the paper Shark onto?
- If you plan on making more under-the-sea creatures from this series, you could even paint a large ocean background using a roll of plain/lining paper from the DIY store!
- Included in the printable are bubbles of various sizes – use these in your artwork as you wish.
Download the Shark Template
Click the download link to save the printable file(s) to your computer.
The Shop opens in a new tab/window.
Visit The Purple Pumpkin Shop for both premium and FREE printables that you won’t find on my main blog!
How Do I Make a Paper Shark?
Just check out the how-to card below with full materials, tools, instructions, and demonstration photos. You can print the card out too (don’t worry, the pics don’t print to save your ink!).
Paper Shark Craft
This awesome Great White Shark is super easy to make, you just need some construction paper and few other simple craft supplies and you’re ready to go!
Materials
- Construction Paper in the following suggested colors: Dark Grey, Light Grey, White, Red
- Free Printable Template (link in blog post)
Tools
- Scissors
- Glue Stick
Instructions
- Download the shark template and print it onto the suggested color construction paper. Additional bubble template is included to use as you wish.
- Cut the pieces out.
- Lay the pieces in the correct order before sticking them down with a glue stick.
- Leave to dry before using (mounting, using role-play, or hanging up).
- Optional - paint a blue ocean background onto a larger piece of paper to mount the shark onto!
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.