10+ Easy Ocean Crafts for Adults and Kids

Make your beach days even better and your days at home more beach-themed with these easy ocean crafts!

A day at the beach can be soo nice and relaxing! Calming waves, warm sand between your toes, and maybe even a good book to enjoy in the sun; it all sounds wonderful, right?

To make your beach days even more awesome AND to bring the beach home with you when you can’t be there in person, we’ve gathered some of our favorite ocean-themed crafts for adults and kids to enjoy.

Below you’ll find art projects, decor ideas, toys, and even a DIY backpack idea to try out! Be sure to scroll through the entire post so you don’t miss anything!

1. Ocean Animal Suncatcher

As I said, these crafts are meant to bring the beach to you, and I think this one does that perfectly. It’s great for kids or adults, and once you’re finished you can hang your masterpiece in the window and watch it glow in the sunlight.

Get the full tutorial from A Little Pinch of Perfect.

2. Jellyfish Suncatcher

This is another fun suncatcher idea but this time in the shape of a jellyfish. You can get some really cool colors going here with just some markers and a spray bottle!

Get the full tutorial from Kid Friendly Things To Do.

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Both of the crafts above are made simply with coffee filters! For more similar ideas, check out our list of coffee filter crafts.

3. Paper Plate Ocean

This would be an awesome project for preschoolers and other kids as it’s crafty AND interactive. After they’ve made their ocean plate, they can have all sorts of fun placing the sea creatures on it.

There’s a lot of fun craft elements to this art project as well. Your kids will get to use a hole punch which is always fun, and then stringing the “water” onto the plate will be a great sensory activity as well. The ocean animals come as a simple printable template too which is easy.

Get the full tutorial from Non-Toy Gifts.

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Love the simplicity of crafting with paper plates? Check out these other paper plate crafts for more ideas! We even have a list of animal paper plate crafts.

4. Sand Bowl

If you want to literally bring the beach back home with you, fill up a bag of sand, take it home, and make one of these DIY sand bowls! This is a fun project you can do with the kids, and when it’s finished, you can store all sorts of goodies inside.

Get the full tutorial from Fabulessly Frugal.

5. Ocean-Themed Rocks

There are SO many different sea creatures you could paint on rocks, so don’t limit yourself! Here are a couple of ideas that I really love:

Goldfish with a Fin

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This one is just adorable. It’s easy too as there isn’t too much going on!

Sharks

Image source + tutorial

I had to include these shark painted rocks! They’re really fun looking.

Fully Painted Fish

Image source + tutorial

Last but not least, a simple little fish rock. I really love the different colors being used in this one, but you can make your fish look however you want!

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For more rock painting inspiration, check out our list of rock painting ideas for beginners.

6. Seashell Shadow Box

This is one of my favorite ocean crafts for adults as it just makes for such a nice, inexpensive piece of decor. It’s beautiful!

Learn more at Bower Power Blog.

7. More Seashell Themed Ocean Crafts

We have an entire list of seashell crafts you can check out! Here’s a handful of favorites:

Tropical Fish

This one is so clever. The fish are almost entirely made of seashells! I love the amount of color in these as well. Great for kids.

Get the full tutorial from Crafts By Amanda.

Seashell Candles

This is SUCH a cool idea for a beach themed house. It’s really easy too – all you need is a wick, some candle wax, and a seashell.

Get the full tutorial from Budget Savvy Diva. 

Wind Chime

How cool is this? What an awesome way to remember your trip to the beach, and I’ll bet the sound of the seashells knocking against each other is really nice and calming.

Get the full tutorial from Artsy Chicks Rule.

Puff Paint Seashells

Here’s a fun one you can do with the kids. The puff paint makes it possible to create some really neat designs!

Get the full tutorial from Color Made Happy.

Turtle

Here’s another fun one and I think it would make for an awesome – yet simple – piece of home decor. Could even be given as a homemade gift!

Get the full tutorial from Fun Money Mom.

8. Ocean-Themed Toilet Rolls

I was going to try to include just one toilet roll idea on this list, but after looking through our collection of toilet paper roll crafts, I had to include a couple more! There are so many good ones!

Octopus

This is just too cute, right!? Super easy to make too and the kids will love it. They could even use it as a piece of decor in their room.

Get the full tutorial from Easy Peasy and Fun.

Shark

This just works so perfectly with a toilet roll.

Get the full tutorial from Gluesticks & Gumdrops.

Seahorse Puppets

Not only are these really cute but they also double as puppets!

Get the full tutorial from The Craft Train.

9. Beach Backpack

The beach can get pretty messy at times, so you might not want to bring your favorite backpack with you when you go. Instead, craft this beach-themed backpack to hold all the necessities!

Get the full tutorial from The Girl Inspired. For more ideas, check out our list of 5 DIY backpacks.

10. Sea Glass Mason Jar

This is an amazing little craft you can make with sea glass you collect from the beach. It’s surprisingly easy too! After it’s finished you can put a candle inside for a really unique, colorful effect.

Get the full tutorial from The Country Chic Cottage.

Bonus: Sea Salt Spray

If you want to give your (or your kids) hair a cool, beachy look without actually going to the beach, this sea salt spray works great! It even contains aloe vera and coconut oil to keep your hair looking and feeling great.

Get the full tutorial from Fabulessly Frugal. 

Final Thoughts

There should be quite a few beach crafts on this list to keep you and your kids occupied for a while! Enjoy the fun homemade decor, adventures to the ocean, and be sure to put your own spin on each craft idea to make it truly unique!

Which craft idea is your favorite? What does the ocean inspire you to create? Let us know!

Other Ideas You Might Like:

• 10 Simple DIY Kimonos Anyone Can Make – these are great for the beach!
• How to Make Your Own Kinetic Sand – if your kids really love playing in the sand, they’ll love this for at home.
• 15 Easy Summer Crafts for Kids, Teens, and Adults
• How to Make a Water Blob for Hours of Summer Fun
• 14 DIY Camping Ideas, Hacks, and Essentials