Make a 3D Aquarium

Completed 3D aquarium placed on a desk alongside stationery

It’s week three of our Summer Super Stars competition. This week we’re taking the creativity levels up a notch by creating a 3D aquarium.

Don’t forget to post your creations on Facebook (@MapedHelix) or Instagram (@maped_helix) for a chance to win amazing prizes, including stationery bundles and Alton Towers tickets. Find out more about the competition and how to enter here.

You will need

2 Sheets of blue card
1 Sheet of green card
White paper plate
Glue stick
Colouring pencils
Felt pens
Scissors

Steps

Step 1

First, take your blue card and fold in half horizontally.

Turn the page on its side and draw two lines upwards from the fold. Draw the first roughly 5cm from the left-hand side of the page, 5cm in length, followed by another 3cm to the right.

Leave about 5cm and draw another two lines the same size and width apart.

Cut along those lines with your scissors.

Unfold the page and gently pull out the flaps you have created.

A folded sheet of blue paper laying on a desk

Step 2

Open the card at a right angle, like a birthday card.

Next, take another piece of blue card and place the corner inside the other piece of open blue card. Draw an arch to join the two ends of the open card, creating a quarter circle.

Cut along the line. Glue the straight edges of this quarter circle and stick to the open piece of card so that your aquarium stands upright.

A folded piece of blue paper stood on it's edge on top of another piece of blue paper

Step 3

Take the green card and draw triangular leaves of various lengths. Cut them out.

Some strips of green paper and a glue stick

Step 4

Glue these leaves to the base and back of your aquarium. You will need to fold the bottom of the leaves when gluing to the base so that they stand upright.

Green paper leaves standing upright against the blue folded card

Step 5

Take a paper plate or two and draw your fish. Let your imagination run wild to create a colourful display using felt tips, pencils and glitter pens.

Carefully cut out your fish.

Step 6

Use the edge of the plate to create small, round air bubbles.

Tiny white bubbles cut out from a paper plate

Step 7

Glue your fish and air bubbles all over your aquarium

A hand gluing a paper fish onto the 3D aquarium

Step 8

You may wish to use shells and stones to make your aquarium even more realistic!

And there you go, your own colourful aquarium to take pride of place in the home. Don’t forget to take a photo of your creation and tag us on Instagram or comment on the competition post on Facebook to enter our weekly Summer Super Star giveaway!

Weekly prizes, including a chance to win Alton Towers tickets, are listed on our social channels – and there’s also the opportunity to win a Micro Scooter if you complete at least three of the six challenges. You can find our terms and conditions here.

Check the Maped Helix website and social media channels every Tuesday throughout the school holidays for more craft ideas!

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