This crab handprint craft is SO CUTE and it’s really easy to make! This is such a fun kids craft and a great craft activity for the beach or cottage.
RELATED: Paper Roll Animals
Handprint Crabs
This paper roll handprint crab is completely adorable! My kids loved “walking” the crab on the floor and watching the legs (or do I call them hands?) flap back and forth as it moved.
It’s really simple to make using simple, dollar store craft supplies. All you need is some construction paper, googly eyes and a toilet paper roll and you can make this simple summer craft in less than 10 minutes!
Check out our handprint crab video tutorial:
*Note: Scroll down for the step-by-step photo tutorial.
Here’s a few more of our favourite handprint crafts:
Here’s what you’ll need:
The full printable instructions are at the end of this post, but here’s a list of affiliate links to products on Amazon that are similar to the supplies we used:
What is crafter’s tape?
Crafter’s tape is a double sided glue tape that comes in an easy to use dispenser. You can see it in action in the video above. (Jump to Video)
You can find crafter’s tape at any craft store, the dollar store, or on Amazon.
What type of paper works best?
Construction paper is the easiest, most inexpensive paper to use. But it does tend to fade over time.
If you’d like your handprint crab to last longer, try using colored card stock or red printer paper to make your crab.
Do I have to use a paper roll?
Nope! You can also use a paper towel roll or an empty wrapping paper tube.
If you’re using thicker card stock, you can skip the paper roll completely. Just roll up a 6 inch by 4 inch rectangular piece of card stock and make your own paper roll.
Crab Handprint Craft Tutorial
Materials:
- 2 pieces Construction paper (red)
- 1 Toilet paper roll
- 2 Googly eyes (3/4 inch)
Instructions:
STEP 1: Cover the paper roll
- Cut a strip of construction paper to be as wide as your paper roll.
- Tape one end of the strip of paper to the paper roll. Then wrap the rest of the strip of paper around the paper roll until it's completely covered. Use tape at the end to hold it in place.
STEP 2: Make the handprint
- Fold the second sheet of construction paper in half. Place your hand on the folded edge of the paper so there's about 2 inches between the fold and the end of the thumb. (So that the fold in the paper is in the middle of the palm.) Trace an outline around the hand print.
- Cut out the hand print.
STEP 3: Make the claws
- On the other side of the folded paper, cut out a circle that's about 2 inches across. Since you're cutting on the folded paper, you'll end up with 2 circles.
- Keeping the 2 circles on top of each other, cut a small, curved, pie shape from the side of the circle. These will be the crab's claws.
- Use crafter's tape to attach each of the claw shapes to the end of each thumb on the cut out hand print.
STEP 4: Make the face
- Use crafter's tape to attach the googly eyes to the paper roll.
- Use a black marker to draw a smile onto the crab's face.
STEP 5: Attach the legs
- Apply a line of crafters tape to the inside of the fold on the handprint shape. Apply another line of crafters tape about 1 inch from the middle on both sides of the fold. (We want the handprint to wrap around the paper roll slightly).
- Press the paper roll onto the middle of the crafter's tape on the handprint shape. Place your hand underneath and press the handprint around the paper roll so the fingers are coming out towards the front.
- Your handprint crab is complete!
Helpful Tip:
Here’s even more fun summer crafts to try:
Our book Low-Mess Crafts for Kids is loaded with 72 fun and simple craft ideas for kids! The projects are fun, easy and most importantly low-mess, so the clean up is simple!
Where to buy:
You can purchase Low-Mess Crafts for Kids from Amazon, or wherever books are sold:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Books- A- Million | Indiebound | Indigo | Amazon Canada
Let us know what you think: