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Cupcake Liner and Handprint Hermit Crab Craft Idea

A children’s craft features a handprint red crab with googly eyes and a white cupcake liner shell, placed over two colorful childrens books about summer and hermit crabs, with a sticker of flip-flops nearby.

Bring a bit of the beach right into your home or classroom with this adorable Cupcake Liner and Handprint Hermit Crab craft. This simple project is perfect for keeping little hands busy and sparks plenty of imagination. We love how it uses basic supplies to create a wonderful, personalized keepsake. Let us walk you through how to make it!

Materials You Need

Gather these basic craft supplies before you begin:

  • Red cardstock or construction paper
  • Blue cardstock (for the ocean background)
  • Brown or tan paper (for the sand)
  • White cupcake liners
  • Googly eyes
  • Glue stick or school glue
  • Child-safe scissors
  • Markers, glitter string, or fun stickers to decorate

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Create the Beach Background
Start by making the scene for your crab. Tear a strip of brown paper to create a textured, natural-looking shoreline. Glue this brown piece to the bottom of your blue cardstock.

2. Make the Crab Body
Trace your child’s hand on the red cardstock and carefully cut it out. Glue the red handprint onto your background. Position it horizontally so the thumb points down into the sand and the fingers point sideways. These fingers will act as the crab’s legs.

3. Attach the Shell
Take a white cupcake liner and flatten it out with your hands. Glue the liner directly over the palm area of the red handprint. To make it look like a real shell, use a marker to draw a spiral design, or glue down a piece of sparkly string in a circle.

4. Add the Googly Eyes
Cut two small, thin strips of red paper to act as eye stalks. Glue these strips to the top of the handprint. Next, attach a googly eye to the very top of each stalk so your crab can look around.

5. Decorate the Scene
Now it is time to add some extra flair. Stick some colorful fish stickers into the blue ocean, or draw extra beach details on the sand.

RELATED —> Paper Plate Crab – Beach Craft Idea

A snail craft made from a red paper handprint for the body and a white cupcake liner for the shell, with googly eyes on red stalks, on a blue and tan background. The username @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS is at the bottom. Two handmade crab crafts using red cut-out handprints and white cupcake liners for shells, decorated with googly eyes and surrounded by colorful fish stickers on blue backgrounds, with @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS in the corner.

We hope you have a fantastic time making these sweet little hermit crabs. Feel free to mix up the colors, try different patterned backgrounds, or use whatever leftover craft supplies you have lying around. Every single crab will turn out unique and full of personality. Happy crafting, my friends!!!

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A snail craft made from a red paper handprint for the body and a white cupcake liner for the shell, with googly eyes on red stalks, on a blue and tan background. The username @GLUEDTOMYCRAFTS is at the bottom.
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Cupcake Liner and Handprint Hermit Crab Craft Idea

Create a fun beach themed craft project with a cupcake liner hermit crab. Gather your supplies and start crafting today!

Here’s your checklist of supplies to bring this craft to life:

Prepare your creative haven by laying down a protective cover before the crafting magic begins!

Directions: 

  • Start by making the scene for your crab. Tear a strip of brown paper to create a textured, natural-looking shoreline. Glue this brown piece to the bottom of your blue cardstock.
  • Trace your child's hand on the red cardstock and carefully cut it out. Glue the red handprint onto your background. Position it horizontally so the thumb points down into the sand and the fingers point sideways. These fingers will act as the crab's legs.
  • Take a white cupcake liner and flatten it out with your hands. Glue the liner directly over the palm area of the red handprint. To make it look like a real shell, use a marker to draw a spiral design, or glue down a piece of sparkly string in a circle.
  • Cut two small, thin strips of red paper to act as eye stalks. Glue these strips to the top of the handprint. Next, attach a googly eye to the very top of each stalk so your crab can look around.
  • Now it is time to add some extra flair. Stick some colorful fish stickers into the blue ocean, or draw extra beach details on the sand.
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