Handprint Mermaid Paper Craft for Kids – Free Template
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Handprint Mermaid Paper Craft for Kids – Free Template
If your little ones love mermaids, this Handprint Mermaid Paper Craft is going to be an absolute favorite! With a clever handprint shaped mane of flowing hair, sweet bangs framing the face, big expressive googly eyes, delicate drawn on eyelashes and rosy cheeks, a ruffled top, graceful arms, and a shimmering tail finished off with pretty flower and button embellishments tucked into the hair, this mermaid is as magical as she is meaningful to make. Whether you're exploring ocean themes at home, planning an under the sea unit in the classroom, or just looking for a fun keepsake craft that uses a real handprint, this Handprint Mermaid is guaranteed to make a splash from the very first trace.
Why Kids Love This Craft
There's something wonderfully special about a craft that includes a real handprint — using the hand shape for the mermaid's flowing hair feels clever and surprising, and it turns this craft into a sweet keepsake parents will want to save forever. Kids love picking out their own hair embellishments like little flowers and buttons, and the moment the googly eyes go on and the mermaid suddenly has personality is always a favorite step. It's a wonderful craft for building fine motor skills through tracing, cutting, and gluing, and because every mermaid gets her own unique hair color, outfit color, and embellishments, no two ever look exactly the same.
What You'll Need
- Free printable Handprint Mermaid template from CraftyYak.com
- Colored paper for the hair, shirt, tail, and skin tone, or print template directly on colored paper to save time
- Googly eyes or template eyes
- Buttons, beads, or small flower embellishments for the hair
- Black and pink thin markers
- Scissors
- Glue
How to Make a Handprint Mermaid Paper Craft
Step 1 — Trace the handprint.
Trace your child's hand onto colored paper for the hair, or use the hand template provided if you'd rather skip the tracing step. Cut it out carefully — this handprint becomes the mermaid's beautifully flowing hair!
Step 2 — Cut out the remaining template pieces.
Cut out the head, bangs, shirt, arms, tail, and eyes from the template. Trace them onto your choice of colored paper, or save time by printing the template directly onto colored paper from the start.
Step 3 — Glue the handprint to the head.
Glue the traced handprint to the back of the head piece so the fingers fan out behind it like flowing mermaid hair.
Step 4 — Add the bangs.
Glue the bangs piece to the front of the head, just above where the face will go, to frame the mermaid's face beautifully.
Step 5 — Attach the shirt.
Glue the shirt piece onto the neck area of the head so the body begins to take shape.
Step 6 — Add the arms and tail.
Glue the two arms onto the back of the shirt on either side, then glue the tail onto the back of the shirt below the arms so it flows downward.
Step 7 — Glue on the eyes.
Glue googly eyes onto the face — or use the template eyes instead if you prefer a drawn on look.
Step 8 — Draw the face details.
Using a black marker draw on eyelashes above the eyes and a sweet smile below, then use a pink marker to add rosy cheeks for the most charming finishing touch.
Step 9 — Add hair embellishments.
Glue small flowers, buttons, or beads into the hair for a beautiful decorative touch. This step is every kid's favorite part — they get to make their mermaid truly their own!
Your handprint mermaid is ready to swim away! 🧜♀️🌊
Tips for Making It Even Better
- Print the template directly onto colored paper instead of coloring it by hand — it saves time and gives the finished mermaid a bolder more vibrant look.
- Use shimmery or iridescent paper for the tail if you have it — it gives the mermaid a beautiful magical shine that kids absolutely love.
- Save this craft as a sweet keepsake by labeling the back with your child's age and the date — handprint crafts make wonderful mementos to look back on as they grow!
- Mix and match different hair and tail color combinations to make a whole pod of mermaid friends — it's a fun way to extend the craft for siblings or a group of classmates!