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Jellyfish

Jellyfish

A white hanging jellyfish made from three sheets of printer paper: a dome of six strips crossed over a paper ring, colored dots and a flower on top, and under the dome a fringe and twelve curls rolled on a pencil. It hangs from a thread and sways.

Make it with your phone cameraLesson code: 9148

On VanGami the template appears over your sheet through your phone camera — no printer needed. Trace it, cut, fold and glue. Below are all the steps in text.

What you’ll need

Steps

Trace

  1. Flower. Trace the flower with six petals — it will cover the center of the dome where the strips meet.
  2. Dots. Trace twelve circles — the dots for the dome.

Color

  1. Pink. Color the areas that match this color. Move the marker in one direction — you’ll get fewer streaks.
  2. Lilac. Now the areas that match this color.

Cut

  1. Cut out: flower. Cut out the flower by turning the paper, not the scissors: that way the petals come out smooth.
  2. Cut out: dots — 12 pcs. Cut out all twelve circles: each one in a single pass, turning the circle as you cut.

Strips

  1. Fold the sheet. Fold the sheet in half lengthwise, long edge to long edge, and crease the fold. Fold it the same way two more times — you'll get a narrow strip eight layers thick.
  2. Cut along the folds. Unfold the sheet and cut along all seven folds: eight strips, 1⅛ × 11 in. Fold and cut the second sheet the same way.
  3. Strips for curls. Take six strips. Fold each one in half lengthwise and cut along the fold — you'll get twelve narrow strips.

Curls

  1. Wind a curl. Hold the strip against the pencil, leaving a straight square tip, and wind it diagonally, each turn right next to the last. Hold for ten seconds, then slide it off — you get a little spring.
  2. All twelve. Wind all twelve strips the same way, leaving a straight tip on each one. If a curl unwinds too much, wind it again and hold it longer.

Dome

  1. Ring. Fold one more strip in half lengthwise and roll it into a ring with the fold facing down. Overlap the ends so the overlap is a small square — as wide as the ring — and glue with PVA glue; hold for half a minute.
  2. Cross. Take six strips, fold each one in half crosswise, and press lightly — this marks the middle. Put a drop of PVA glue on the middle of one strip and glue another across it in a cross.
  3. Twelve-ray star. Glue the other four strips into the gaps: twelve rays, evenly spaced. Press the middle and let the glue set for about five minutes.
  4. Thread. Set the star on an eraser, middle down, and poke through it with a pencil tip. Thread the string in from the top and tie a triple knot underneath so it can't slip through the hole.
  5. Arch and cross. Stand the ring on the table and tuck both ends of one strip into it — you'll get an arch, and the star will stand on its own. Do the same with a second strip across it to make a cross. Bring each tip down to the bottom edge of the ring and press it in from the inside with a small piece of tape across it.
  6. The other rays. Feed the other eight rays into the ring the same way, each one midway between its neighbors. The ends will sit snugly, slightly overlapping. Adjust the dome with your fingers to make it round.

Decor

  1. Dots. Glue a circle onto each ray — halfway between the top and the ring, alternating pink and lilac. Glue: a drop of PVA glue on the back of the circle.
  2. Flower on top. Poke a hole through the middle of the flower the same way and slide it onto the thread. Put a drop of PVA glue on the top and press the flower down — the thread comes out exactly at its middle.
  3. Hang the dome. Hang the dome by its thread from a shelf or a lamp: it hangs from the knot, and the glue under the flower will finish drying in the air. It’s easier to attach the fringe and curls to the hanging dome.

Legs

  1. Fringe. Fold the last strip in half crosswise, then in half again. Cut through all the layers at once about every 3/16 in, stopping a pencil's width short of the edge.
  2. Fringe into the ring. Unfold the fringe and insert it into the ring from the inside, with the uncut edge flush with the bottom edge: the strands hang down. Press the edge down with four pieces of tape around the ring and trim off the extra.
  3. Curls. Under each ray, place the straight tip of a curl against the inside of the ring and tape it down with a small piece of tape. Twelve in all.

Hang

  1. Hang them up. Move the jellyfish to a spot with some airflow: by a window or over a table. You can gently stretch the curls with your fingers — they’ll hang longer.

Done. The jellyfish is ready. You can roll the two spare strips into four more curls and add them between the others — the jellyfish will look fuller.

Make it with your phone camera

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