DLTK's Crafts for Kids Heart Fish Paper Craft Read a bit about DLTK's Grow With Me Craft Concept to get some ideas on how this basic craft idea can be used with different materials to make it appropriate for everyone from ages 2 thru 82!

One of our viewers wrote: "Take a large coffee filter and let the kids color it with washable markers (permanent ones won't work).  Then either mist it with water or carefully sprinkle water on it.  The colors will bleed and blend, making a tie dye look. Let the filters dry, flat. Be sure to put wax paper or something under them as they will "bleed" onto what ever you lay them on.  Then cut the hearts out of the filters and you'll get some really cool fish! I've used filters to make butterflies and flowers and now with you heart fish idea I have another use for this material.  My kids love to watch the colors mix!"  Kelly Another viewer wrote: "Your fish made of hearts reminds me of a craft we did in scouts. We made heart fish from red and pink felt. One mostly red and one mostly pink. Made them into magnets and made them so they would face each other and kiss as they stuck to the fridge. I have had mine for 13 years now and love them all over again each year as I put them out for Valentines Day. "  Janette

Tip 1:  Include the message "Wishing you oceans of love!"

Tip 2:  Glue the heart animal to the front of a folded over piece of construction paper or a doily to make a cute Valentine's Day card.

Tip 3:  Purchase fancy paper from the scrapbooking store and print the B&W version onto this for an extra fancy Heart Animal.

Tip 4:  Scotch tape a straw or popsicle stick to the bottom to make a puppet

Tip 5:  Glue a small piece of sandpaper on the back to make a felt board character

Tip 6:  Cut construction paper into 4 inch wide strips as long as you can make them.  Tape two together to make even longer.  Measure around child's head to make a construction paper 'crown'.  Glue Heart Animal to front of the crown to make a Valentine's Day hat.
 

Materials:

• paper,
• glue,
• scissors
   

Instructions:

• Print out the template of choice.  I like printing the B&W version on colored paper.
   
• Color (where appropriate).
   
• Cut out the template pieces.  (the pieces on the template are at about the angle they will be on the finished craft.  That should help you sort out which pieces belong where).
   
• Glue pieces together:
   

Glue largest heart so its attached to the tip of the medium heart to form the tail.
Add the smallest heart onto the front as a mouth.
Glue on two small hearts sticking out the top and bottom of the body as fins.
If making on a card or other background, add the three blue heart 'bubbles' coming up from the mouth.

Option for mass-producing - young children:  Print out the B&W template.  Trace the pieces onto stiff cardboard (back of paper pads works well) or margarine/ice cream container lids.  Cut out to make permanent templates.   Allow the children to trace these permanent templates onto different colors of construction paper to make their animal

Option for mass-producing - older children:  Omit the templates.  Let the children cut out heart shapes in various sizes from colored construction paper (show them how to fold paper in half and then cut to make a perfectly symmetrical heart).  Let the children create their own animals by putting together hearts of different sizes (you can pre-make a few example animals to give them some inspiration).
 

Templates:

• Close template window when done printing to return to this screen.
   
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).
   

Heart Fish template    (color)   or    (B&W)

Printable version of these instructions