Jellyfish are amazing creatures. But, however, it would be hard~~and not to mention expensive~~to buy one of these lovable creatures. Do not fear! I know just how to make a jellyfish. And, kids will love to stare at it for awhile, and watch this amazing creature bob up and down. And--the best part--

ALL OF THE MATERIALS ARE IN YOUR RECYCLING BIN!!!! (well, pretty much all of them!)

Step 1: Materials

In order to make one of these creatures, you will need the following.

~a plastic water bottle, container, or jar.

~Thread/String

~Food Coloring

~A plastic grocery bag

~Water

~Scissors

See, mostly from your recycling bin. Note that I got my bottles used to demonstrate from the dollar tree. In the other photos, you see another bottle. This was from Voss Brand Water.

Step 2: Cut the Plastic Bag

Do the following:

Cut the handles off the plastic grocery bag. (Picture 1.)

Cut off the sides of the bag. (Picture 2.)

Cut off the bottom of the bag. (Picture 3.)

This should now leave you with two separate sheets. If both of them have no logo, use either side. If one side has a logo, use the blank side. You will only need one sheet for this project.

Step 3: Creating the Head/Tentacles

To start creating the jellyfish, you will need to start by pinching a head. I noticed that this worked best if you set it over your index and middle finger, slid them out, and quickly pinched it closed. You can blow air into the hole that is in the neck to inflate the head. (Pictures 1. and 2.)

Once you are happy with your head, tie the neck off using your thread or string. However, leave a small hole so the water will be able to get into the head. (Picture 3.)

Now you should be left with a head on the remains of the plastic bag. Cut these into strips of different sizes. Make sure your jellyfish will fit into your bottle. Try not to have more than 12 tentacles, as this will mask the head and look massy. (Pictures 4. and 5. are of finished product after cutting. Picture 6. is of the bottom of the tentacles after cutting.)

Step 4: "Preparing" the Bottle

If you are using a water bottle, or a bottle with a label on it, (I wasn't) then get the label off with soap and warm water, or Goo-Gone.

Fill your bottle up with water. It should be almost to the top; give about a half-inch of space for the jellyfish to be put in. (Picture 1.)

Add in your food coloring. I used blue, for realistic reasons, but you can be creative!! Who is stopping you from making yellow water? Okay, sorry, that's kind of nasty. How about red. Who is stopping you from making red or green water? Anyways, do whatever you want, but use very little food coloring. About 1-2 drops should do it, depending on the size of your bottle. For this bottle, I used 1, however, in my Voss Water Bottle, I used 2. (Picture 2.-Last :)

Step 5: Putting Your New Pet Into Its Habitat

Now, simply, put your jellyfish in the bottle or whatever. No special instructions needed. Depending on different factors, your jellyfish may sink, float, or neither, just lurk in the middle. Both of mine floated, and it looked like it was "Coming up for air!" I was very pleased with both bottles, and loved the effect they gave when turned upside down, however, if you don't like yours floating, sinking, e.g., then experiment! I'd love to hear your stories and ideas!

In the images above, you can see both of the bottles I created, the one on the right is the Voss Water Bottle! The Voss Bottles look great for Sensory Bottles, and any other projects such as this one.

If you liked this intractable, feel free to favorite, comment, and vote. For more fun projects, follow me and check out my page. Thanks for reading, and have a great day! :)