If you’re looking for a fine motor exercise for your child that also boosts focus and concentration, this woven paper turtle craft is the perfect choice!

Imagine a part of your body is so strong that it lasts long after the rest of you is gone. Imagine this part of your body is considered sacred, and even as a calendar. How awesome would that be?

Well, these things may be impossible for us, but not for a turtle, whose shell is unlike anything else in the world!

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Why are turtle shells so special?

You know that turtle shells are hard, but did you know that they’re made of bony plates called scutes? Many turtle species have 13 scutes on the central part of their shell, which is where the associated mysticism comes from.

Many indigenous tribes believe the 13 scutes correspond to the 13 lunar cycles in a year, assuming that each cycle lasts 28 days. This shows that the turtle has a strong connection with Mother Nature’s rhythms, which is why many cultures treat it as a living calendar.

That’s not all, a turtle’s shell is probably the only part that’ll survive the fossilization process. I think we can safely say that it’s the shell that makes the turtle such a celebrated creature in many cultures!

Since 23rd May is World Turtle Day, we think it’s the perfect time for a turtle craft, and we’ve got one that features a special woven paper shell!

Wonderful Woven Paper Turtle Craft for Kids

Supplies required:

Colored craft papers
Cardstock
Googly eyes
X-acto knife
Pencil
Craft glue
A pair of scissors

How to make the Woven Paper Turtle Craft:

1. Download and print the Woven Paper Turtle Craft Template. The template contains everything you need to make your turtle, including the shell, head, limbs and of course, the strips for weaving!

2. Trace the patterns of all the parts except the strips on thick cardstock and cut them out. For the strips, use regular craft paper in a contrasting color so they stand out against the shell once you’re done weaving. Lay out all the parts of your woven paper turtle craft once they’re ready.

3. We start with the main part of our craft – the turtle shell! Use a pencil to mark straight lines on the shell as shown below. Use an X-acto knife to cut slits along the lines marked on the shell.

4. Time to start weaving! Take a paper strip and insert it from the outermost slit near the edge of the shell. Weave the strip over and insert again through the next slit, as shown below.

5. Continue weaving the strip over and under all the way till you reach the opposite end. Secure the strip in place with glue.

6. Take another strip – this time a different color. Insert it into the same slit as the first strip, but this time in the opposite direction. If the first strip was under, this time go over. Then continue to weave till you reach the end.

7. Repeat the previous step for the remaining strips, alternating every time you enter the strip into the first slit. You should end up with a basket pattern like the one below.

8. Trim the extra edges of the strips so that they’re in line with the curves of the shell of your woven paper turtle craft.

9. Now that your shell is complete, let’s move on to the other parts of the turtle. Stick the head to the shell, applying glue under the shell.

10. Using glue, attach the legs to the four ‘corners’ of the turtle shell.

10. Glue the googly eyes to the head. Use a black marker to draw a smile and a pink marker to draw some cheeks.

There you go, your cute little woven paper turtle craft is complete!

Now you can go ahead and try the same craft in different color combinations – for the shell and weaving strips. This craft is a great way for kids to learn about how the shell protects the turtle and also offers us lots of information in its fossilized form. There’s no better way to learn than by doing and playing!

If you’d like to make more turtle crafts, check these out: