Let’s make this gorgeous 3D Underwater Shadow Box Craft and use it to learn more about the creatures that live under the seas and oceans!

Quick quiz: how many species of underwater creatures live in the ocean? I’m guessing you’re thinking of some number in the millions or billions. Are you ready for the answer? Here it is – no one knows!

Yes, apparently, 95% of the ocean is still unexplored, and scientists estimate that we don’t know over 90% of the creatures that live there. How amazing is that? No wonder the underwater world always seems to have a sense of mystery and allure. Not to mention how breathtakingly beautiful it is!

It may be a while before we get an opportunity to visit a museum or aquarium. That’s why we’ve decided to bring the underwater right inside your home, with a 3D Underwater Shadow Box Craft! This craft is deceptively simple, yet the resulting three dimensional effect sure looks like you worked a lot on it! 

3D Underwater Shadow Box Craft

Materials Required:

• Thick craft paper or card stock in various shades of blue
• Craft paper in different colors
• White cardboard
• Googly eyes
• Scissors
• Glue
• Paper Cutter or X-acto knife
• Pencil

How to make the 3D Underwater Shadow Box Craft:

1. Choose one of the blue card stock sheets as the background and keep it aside. Take another one of the blue sheets of card stock and draw a wavy outline on it with a pencil. Cut it out with the X-acto knife.

2. Draw similar outlines in the other blue sheets, making the opening smaller and smaller, so when placed together, they look like ocean layers, appearing as shown in the image below:

3. Take the blue card stock that was kept aside for the background. Cut out a border from the white cardboard, with the outer dimensions of the same size as this blue card stock.

4. Stick the first ocean layer with the smallest opening on top of this border, so you get a 3 D effect. Continue the process, alternating between cardboard borders and ocean layers till all the paper is used up.

5. Time to get our ocean life ready! Draw different kinds of fish and sea weed on colored paper and cut them out. Stick googly eyes on the fish.

6. Insert the creatures and plants in between the ocean layers as shown.

7. Secure everything in place with glue and your 3D Underwater Shadow Box is ready!

While we can’t match the absolute gorgeousness of the ocean, you have to admit that we’ve come at least a teeny bit close with this pretty craft! You can make all kinds of ocean creatures, and keep changing up the display from time to time – how fun would that be? If you need ideas, we’ve got octopus crafts, shark crafts, whale crafts, dolphin crafts and even a seahorse!