Toilet Paper Roll Crab Beach Craft for Kids
When the summer arrives, you’re definitely going to be searching for fun ways to keep your kids entertained on summer break, like simple crafts for kids. And if your kids love the beach as much as mine do, finding fun beach crafts for them to do is a great idea. This adorable toilet paper roll crab craft is so fun to make. This cute beach craft for kids is the perfect way to enjoy the beach at home.
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Not only is this cute crab craft for kids easy to make, but you probably already have everything you need to make it at home! Keep reading to find out what supplies you need to turn an empty toilet paper tube into an adorable crab.
Toilet Paper Roll Crab Craft
To make your own toilet paper tube crab craft, you’ll just need a handful of simple craft supplies, including
- An empty toilet paper tube
- Red construction paper
- Red pipe cleaner
- Toothpicks
- Googly eyes
- Glue
- Scissors
After you have gathered your supplies, take a minute to cut a strip of paper wide enough to cover the empty toilet paper tube. Wrap the paper around the tube and glue the ends in place to secure them.
Easy Beach Craft for Kids
When you’re finished wrapping your empty toilet paper roll with construction paper, it’s time to start decorating! Start by creating your crab craft’s feet using pipe cleaner. First, cut two pieces of pipe cleaner in half. Set one of those halves aside, then use the remaining three to create the legs. Place the three pieces together and twist them in the middle to secure them. Then, make feet by bending the end of each pipe cleaner until the set of feet stand up on their own.
Give your crab craft for kids feet by gluing your pipe cleaner feet to the bottom of the toilet paper tube. To keep the feet in place, glue the center of the feet to the tube, then secure each leg in place with more glue.
Set your crab aside and get to working on the claws for your beach craft for kids. Begin by cutting two equal circles for the red construction paper. Then, cut a wedge out of each circle to create two claws. Next, grab your remaining pipe cleaner and cut it in half one more time. Attach each of your paper claws to the end of the pipe cleaner.
Finish by gluing the arms inside each end of the toilet paper tube. Bend the pipe cleaner to move the claws around until they’re standing up on their own.
The last step to turning your toilet paper roll into a cute crab craft is to add the eyes. Since a crab’s eyes stick up out of their head, we’re going to use toothpicks to give your crab’s eyes some height. If you’re doing this beach craft with younger kids and toddlers, its a good idea for a parent to do this step. To attach the toothpick to the top of the crab craft, you’ll need to carefully stick the toothpick into the toilet paper tube. Simply place the pointy end on top of the tube and twist until it pops through the cardboard.
When both the toothpicks are in place, attach a googly eye to the top of each toothpick. Glue the eyes in place and hold them until they’re secure.
Toilet Paper Tube Craft for Kids
Now that your beach craft is complete, it’s time to play! Your kids can make this crab walk and move the claws back and forth. So much fun!
Crab Craft Variations
If you’re stuck at home and don’t feel like heading out to purchase supplies for this craft, don’t worry! There are a few simple variations you can make to this fun craft to make it even simpler to put together
- Paint the chick. If you don’t have red construction paper at home, consider grabbing some red paint to decorate your crab. Just paint the toilet paper tube red, then cut out circles from a piece of white paper and paint the claws red, too.
- Use plain toothpicks. I happened to have some red party toothpicks on hand when I made this cute crab craft, but you can also use plain toothpicks to secure the eyes in place.
- Skip the toothpicks. If you would rather not have your kids using toothpicks, I get it! That pointy end can be dangerous for young kids. To make this craft without the toothpicks, simply glue the googly eyes directly to the toilet paper roll.
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Emily is a midwestern mom of two boys. She loves all things DIY — from home renovations to kids birthday party planning. Whether she’s making a new farmhouse craft for her home or helping her kids with a cool activity, you can bet she’s in the middle of some kind of DIY project (or three) right now!
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