Coffee Filter Mermaid Bookmark Craft

Do your kids love mermaids? This coffee filter mermaid craft is a fun way for kids to make a bookmark. When you are done creating these, we have lots more coffee filter crafts for kids for you to check out!

Children of all ages will enjoy transforming coffee filters into bright, colorful mermaid tail bookmarks. Kids will get to practice important skills too.

I also have a few tips on how to adjust this activity for different age groups. Even adults will enjoy crafting their own set of bookmarks! 

Be sure to download the free printable craft template available at the end of this post.

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate and a participant in other affiliate programs, we earn a commission on qualifying purchases.

This project can be made in about 30 minutes and I love that it uses simple craft supplies you may already have at home.

These may require additional drying time depending on how much water is sprayed on the coffee filter during the blending stage.

Benefits of Making Mermaid Coffee Filter Bookmarks

This is a quick and easy kids’ craft you can do at home with your kids or with a group, such as in  a classroom. This can be at a school, homeschool co-op, library, etc.

It’s also perfect to include in an ocean or beach themed art center or for summer camp at home. 

Another idea is to use it as a craft activity for guests at a mermaid themed birthday party.

Creating bookmarks that look like mermaid tails is also a good way to encourage kids to read. They could make a set of coffee filter mermaid bookmarks as part of a summer reading challenge.

Making this coffee filter mermaid craft is also a fun fine motor activity for preschool and kindergarten children that provides coloring, tracing, cutting and gluing practice.

For an additional learning opportunity, you can discuss color theory with them.

Get 15 easy coffee filter craft tutorials conveniently all in one place for you with our Cute Coffee Filter Crafts digital craft book! Access it on your phone, tablet, or computer any time.

What Age Is This Mermaid Tail Craft For?

This craft is ideal for preschool through elementary school age children. Toddlers may enjoy assisting you with coloring and spraying the coffee filters. Everybody loves to watch the colors spread and blend together!

Younger children may need some assistance to complete this project. However, older children should be able to work independently.

Depending on their scissor skills, you may want to adjust this project. For example, part of the project calls for cutting coffee filters into strips with a scallop edge to layer on as mermaid scales.

Instead, you can use the mermaid template to trace and cut the coffee filter in one piece to cover the tail. Then use glitter glue to decorate and create mermaid scales.

The project will still be fun for the kids and look adorable.

Another option is to have younger kids glue tissue paper onto the mermaid tail craft template, or just color them!

Coffee Filter Mermaid Craft Supplies

Since coffee filters are very thin, the colors can bleed onto your work surface. 

Protect your area by placing coffee filters on top of a craft mat, parchment paper, zippered plastic bag, or even a paper plate before spraying with water. 

We do not recommend placing them on top of newspaper though because the colors may be absorbed into the newspaper as your filters dry. This can make the colors less vibrant.

Using a fingertip water spray bottle can help reduce the amount of water used by keeping it to a light misting compared to a squeeze trigger style water bottle.

Here’s everything you will need: 

• Mermaid Tail Printable Pattern (enter your email into the form at the bottom of this post to have it sent to you)
• Round White Coffee Filters
• Washable Markers: Pink, Purple, Green, Blue
• White Cardstock
• Glue Stick or Adhesive Runner 
• Glitter Glue: Blue, Green, and/or Clear
• Water Spray Bottle
• Scissors
• Scallop Craft Scissors
• Pencil

How to Make a Coffee Filter Mermaid Tail Bookmark

You will need about two coffee filters per bookmark. Start with flattening the coffee filters and color them with a variety of mermaid colors using washable markers.

Place the colored coffee filter on your covered work surface and mist with a water spray bottle to blend the colors. 

Set the wet coffee filters aside to dry. The drying time will vary depending on how much water is sprayed on them.

Print out the Mermaid Tail Printable Pattern (to download, enter your email into the form at the bottom of this post).  

Cut out each mermaid tail shape, trace them onto cardstock paper, and cut them out. 

I recommend cardstock because it is heavier, sturdier paper. You can use regular printer paper; however, the bookmark might not last as long. 

Select two tie-dyed coffee filters for each tail. At this point you can either cover the entire mermaid tail with one coffee filter and skip down to decorating or follow the rest of the instructions to give the tail scales more texture.

Next, trace the fin of the mermaid tail on the colored coffee filter and cut it out. You will be covering ONLY the fin at this step. Glue the coffee filter onto the fin.

Then trace and cut a section to glue along the top edge of the mermaid tail. At this point, you should have only the top edge and the fin covered. The middle section of the tail is open.

Cut the rest of the coffee filters into strips approximately one-half inch wide.

Then take each coffee filter strip and cut along one edge using the decorative scallop scissors. Each strip should have a straight edge and a curvy edge.

Now you will begin layering the strips over the rest of the tail using a glue stick or adhesive runner. 

Start near the bottom of the tail (just at the start of the fin) and glue one strip with the scallop edge facing down towards the fin.

Overlap the next strip on top of the previous one until the entire tail is covered.

Flip the bookmark over and carefully trim off the excess coffee filter that is hanging over the sides with scissors.

Decorate the mermaid tail bookmarks further with glitter glue. You can follow the scallop edges and add lines for scales.

If you cut the entire mermaid tail out of a coffee filter, you can add scallop lines with glitter glue now. Set aside to dry completely.

Once they are finished, you can personalize the bookmarks on the back!

More Mermaid Activities for Kids

• Ocean Zones in a Jar – Use your kid’s love of mermaids to teach them about the different zones in the ocean.
• Coffee Filter Mermaid Tail Suncatcher – Make a set of under the sea suncatchers to hang in a sunny window.
• Coffee Filter Starfish Suncatcher
• Coffee Filter Seashell Suncatcher
• Mermaid Island Board Game – This is a cooperative board game for kids five and older from Peaceable Kingdom that is actually fun to play with your children.