DIY Egg Carton Coral Reef

Did you know that even though coral reef habitat covers less than one percent of the ocean, they actually provide a home for nearly a quarter of all ocean species? Millions of fish, clams, starfish, squid, seahorses, sea turtles and other creatures make coral reefs their home. 

These habitats are among the most fascinating parts of the ocean, but sadly, they are under threat. Making a coral reef craft alongside your kids is a great opportunity to discuss and teach the ways in which coral reefs are important, and ways in which we can help protect them!

To inspire you this month, we used Kid Made Modern’s Arts and Craft Supply Library to make our very own egg carton coral reef!

Materials Needed:

-Kid Made Modern's Arts and Craft Supply Library

-Hot glue gun

-Scissors

-Egg Carton

-Marker or pencil

-Blue Paint (we used Seaside and Deep Sea from Kid Made Modern’s Washable Paint Set)

Step 1:

Gather your materials. Use the bottom of an egg carton to create the base of your reef. We cut ours in half and then hot glued it back together at an angle, but you can choose to shape it however you would like. Once you have cut it in half, paint the egg carton using the darkest blue you have.

Step 2:

Add some dimension to your reef by painting over the dark blue with a lighter color. Allow the paint to dry completely before moving on to the next part.

Step 3:

To make a simple plant, roll a piece of felt together and hot glue the ends.

Step 4:

Use your scissors to cut vertically along the top section of the felt plant. 

Step 5:

Add some coral! We used felt and cut the shape out of the pink felt pieces, laying them vertically.

Step 6:

Create some sea life for your coral reef. We made a couple of fish and attached them to craft sticks so that they could be used for play. Cut a fish shape from felt and attach the craft stick at the bottom, then add whatever details you’d like!

Step 7:

Add some final finishing touches to your coral reef! Comb through the many items from Kid Made Modern' Arts and Craft Supply Library to decorate your coral reef. Have fun adding lots of color and dimension by using a variety of materials.

We created plants from pipe cleaners, pom poms and beads. We added colored paper shells and circles and a few gems. Once we got going, we found it hard to stop! The possibilities were pretty endless!

When you’re finished and the glue is dry, your kids can play with their DIY Coral Reef craft. My girls could not wait to get their hands on it. It was amazing to see their imaginations come to life so quickly. We hope this craft inspires your children, too!

About the Author: 

Jaclyn Ryan is a mom of four and former teacher. She lives in Connecticut with her family and prefers to engage her children in activities that foster creativity and connection -- and that are also fun!