Mermaid Garden

There are lots of ways to create an underwater garden with colourful coral and sparkly seaweed or try adding some real plants like succulents or cacti in small pots with a selection of stones, pebbles and real shells.

Mermaid Garden

Skill Level

Beginner

Time to Make

1- 1.5 hours + drying time for paint

Adult Supervision Needed

Yes

How to Make

  1. Fold a pipe cleaner in half, twist all the way down make it thicker then push the pointed ends into a 2.5cm polystyrene ball for the mermaid’s head. This should leave a 14cm length for making the body and tail.
  2. For the arms, fold another pipe cleaner in half then twist it all the way down. Twist the pipe cleaner around the body, just underneath the head, making 2 arms 6cm in length. Curl both ends of the arms into loops for hands, so the arms are 5cm in length.
  3. Cut several strips from the length of a thin plastic carrier bag 5-6cm wide. Twist the plastic tightly around the arms and body pipe cleaners to give them more shape. Add 1 layer around the arms and 2 -3 layers over the body to fill it out. Stick the plastic bag with masking tape. Add more masking tape if you need to, making the surface as even as possible.
  4. Cut a larger piece of plastic bag to cover the tail. Twist the plastic around the lower half of the mermaid, making it thinner towards the end of the tail. Add another layer to make it a thicker shape at the top then cover with making tape. Glue a card fin at the end of the tail.
  5. Paint the top half of the mermaid with a flesh colour and tail with a metallic colour. Leave to dry.
  6. Add a face with felt pens or use paint with a think brush. Glue thin tissue paper strips onto the head for hair. Wrap a twisted tissue paper strip to cover the top of the mermaid’s body and another strip around the middle. Cover the tail fin with glue and cover with glitter. Leave to dry. Stick a sparkly gem to the middle of the mermaid.
  7. For seaweed, use pipe cleaners cut in half, lightly brush each piece with glue then twist a strip of tissue paper over the top to cover them. Twist the pipe cleaners around a pencil to make spirals then wrap masking tape over the ends to hold them in a bunch. Lightly brush with glue and sprinkle with glitter.
  8. Fill a garden tray with stones or coloured beach glass. Push the twisted seaweed into the stones with a blob of glue. Decorate the garden with painted shells.
  9. To position the mermaids, carefully push a painted cocktail stick into the underside of the tails. Push the cocktail sticks between the stones, adding a blob of glue if you need to.
Mermaid Garden Mermaid Garden Mermaid Garden

Top Tip

If you use real plants or flowers in your mermaid garden remember to water them! Grow plants in a little pot with compost inside, or fill a jar with water for cut flowers and leaves.

Tagged with:

, ,