Make Adorable Egg Carton Goldfish — Easy, Budget-Friendly DIY for Kids

Turn a leftover egg carton into a cheerful little goldfish with this simple, budget-friendly craft. It’s perfect for kids, classroom activities, or a quick weekend project. Follow the step-by-step instructions below and customize colors and tail shapes to make each fish unique.

Trim and paint an egg carton cup to form the goldfish’s body.

Supplies You’ll Need

• Egg carton
• Yellow or orange acrylic paint
• Yellow tissue paper (same color as paint)
• White pom-poms (about 1 cm / 0.4") — 2
• Black pom-poms (about 5 mm / 0.2") — 2
• Pink pipe cleaner (about 4" long)
• Craft glue
• Paintbrush
• Scissors

Simple, inexpensive materials: tissue paper, pom-poms and a pipe cleaner bring the fish to life.

How to Make DIY Egg Carton Goldfish

1. Create the body: Cut out one corner cup from the egg carton. Trim the edges so the cup has a smooth, rounded shape that will become the fish’s body.
2. Paint: Paint the cup with yellow or orange acrylic paint. Allow to dry completely. A second coat gives more even coverage—let that dry as well.
3. Prepare fins and tail: Cut three pieces of tissue paper — two smaller pieces for fins and one larger piece for the tail. Fold each piece in half, twist slightly in the center, then scrunch and fluff so they look wavy.
4. Attach the tail: Make a small slit at the back of the painted egg cup and insert the longer tissue piece to form the tail. Secure with glue if needed.
5. Attach the fins: Glue the two smaller tissue pieces to either side of the cup to make the fins.
6. Make the eyes: Glue the white pom-poms onto the front of the cup, then add the small black pom-poms on top for pupils.
7. Create the mouth: Wrap the pink pipe cleaner around your finger twice to form a small circle, add glue to the back, and attach it to the front as the fish’s mouth.
8. Finish and dry: Allow all glued pieces to set and dry completely before handling or displaying your goldfish.

These little goldfish make cute decorations, party crafts, or a playful addition to a kids’ art display. Supervise children when using scissors and glue.

Finished egg carton goldfish with tissue-paper tail, pom-pom eyes and a pipe-cleaner mouth — ready to display.