15 Turtle & Tortoise Crafts So Cute They Might Just Crawl Off Your Table

Let’s be real—there’s just something about turtles that makes everyone go “aww.”

Whether you’re crafting with kids, prepping for a birthday party, or just looking to add a dose of cute to your DIY game, these turtle & tortoise crafts are guaranteed to steal your heart (and maybe your glue gun).

And if you’re looking for a name for the turtle you’re about to create, we’ve got over 100 turtle name ideas to match any personality.

From simple paper plate turtles for preschoolers to wearable turtle shell crafts older kids can parade around in, this list of turtle craft ideas covers every age group, mess level, and supply drawer.

Most of these turtle and tortoise crafts use things you already have — construction paper, glue, googly eyes, paint, and recycled odds and ends like bottle caps, coffee filters, and paper bags.

Scroll through, pick a favorite, and get crafting.

Turtle Craft Supplies Checklist

Before you dive into the turtle craft ideas below, run through this quick supplies checklist.

Almost every craft uses at least a few of these basics. Stock them once and you’re ready for dozens of turtle and tortoise crafts down the road.

• Core supplies (used in almost every craft): green and brown construction paper, scissors, glue stick, googly eyes, black marker, green and brown paint, paintbrush, white cardstock
• Recycled / upcycled add-ons: paper plates, brown paper bags, egg cartons, coffee filters, plastic bottle caps, small cardboard boxes, smooth rocks, pinecones
• Nice-to-haves for fancier builds: washable markers, spray bottle, foam sheets or felt, stickers, pom-poms, air-dry clay or modeling clay, Mod Podge sealant, green ribbon or elastic string, hole punch

10 Turtle Craft Ideas

1. Sea Turtle Craft

Materials Needed:

• Green and blue construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Googly eyes
• Black marker

Steps:

1. Cut out a large oval shape from green paper for the turtle’s shell.
2. Cut out four flippers and a head from the same green paper.
3. From the blue paper, cut a background to resemble the ocean.
4. Glue the shell in the center of the blue paper.
5. Attach the flippers and head around the shell.
6. Stick on the googly eyes on the turtle’s head.
7. Use a black marker to draw shell patterns and a smile.

2. Turtle Handprint Craft

Materials Needed:

• Green and brown paint
• White cardstock
• Paintbrush
• Black marker
• Googly eyes (optional)

Steps:

1. Paint the child’s palm brown and fingers green.
2. Press the painted hand firmly onto the white cardstock.
3. Let it dry for 10–15 minutes.
4. Use a black marker to outline the turtle shape.
5. Add shell lines on the palm area.
6. Draw a smiling face or stick googly eyes on the thumb (turtle’s head).

3. Paper Plate Turtle Craft

Materials Needed:

• One paper plate
• Green construction paper
• Paint or markers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Turn the plate upside down and paint it green. Let dry.
2. Cut out four legs, a tail, and a head from green paper.
3. Glue these pieces to the underside edges of the plate.
4. Stick googly eyes on the head.
5. Draw patterns or hexagons on the shell with a black marker.

4. Coffee Filter Turtle Craft

Materials Needed:

• Coffee filter
• Washable markers
• Spray bottle with water
• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Flatten a coffee filter and let kids color it with washable markers.
2. Lightly spray it with water so the colors blend. Let dry.
3. Cut out a turtle body (legs, head, tail) from green paper.
4. Glue the dried filter as the turtle’s shell on top of the body.
5. Add googly eyes and draw a smile on the head.

5. 3D Turtle Craft

Materials Needed:

• Green cardstock
• Small bowl
• Pencil
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Use a bowl to trace and cut a circle from green cardstock.
2. Cut slits on opposite sides of the circle and overlap them to make a dome. Glue in place.
3. Cut out four legs, a head, and a tail.
4. Glue them to the underside of the dome.
5. Attach googly eyes and draw a mouth.

6. Turtle Shell Craft

Materials Needed:

• Brown paper bag
• Black marker
• Scissors
• Green ribbon or elastic string

Steps:

1. Cut a large oval from the brown paper bag.
2. Draw hexagon shapes with a marker to mimic a turtle shell.
3. Punch two holes on each side.
4. Tie green ribbon or elastic through the holes to make shoulder straps.
5. Let kids wear it like a backpack.

7. Turtle Egg Carton Craft

Materials Needed:

• Egg carton
• Green paint
• Green paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Cut one egg cup from the carton.
2. Paint it green and let dry.
3. Cut out four legs, a head, and a tail from green paper.
4. Glue them to the sides and back of the cup.
5. Stick googly eyes on the head.

8. Turtle Craft for Toddlers

Materials Needed:

• Foam sheets or soft felt
• Pre-cut turtle shapes (or help cutting)
• Stickers or soft pom-poms
• Glue stick

Steps:

1. Give toddlers a pre-cut turtle body from foam or felt.
2. Help them glue stickers, soft pom-poms, or shapes onto the shell.
3. Stick on pre-made googly eyes.
4. Let them draw a smile with help if needed.

9. Turtle Headband Craft

Materials Needed:

• Green construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue or tape
• Googly eyes
• Marker

Steps:

1. Cut a long green strip to fit around the head.
2. Cut out a turtle head and glue it to the front of the strip.
3. Add eyes and draw a face on the head.
4. Wrap the band and secure the ends with tape or glue.

10. Recycled Turtle Craft

Materials Needed:

• Plastic bottle cap (or soda bottle base)
• Green scrap paper
• Glue
• Marker
• Googly eyes

Steps:

1. Use a bottle cap as the turtle shell.
2. Cut legs, head, and tail from green paper scraps.
3. Glue them around the base of the cap.
4. Add eyes and a smile.
5. Decorate the shell with tiny paper bits or marker dots.

5 Tortoise Craft Ideas

1. Desert Tortoise Craft

Materials Needed:

• Tan and brown construction paper
• Sand or sandpaper texture
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Googly eyes
• Black marker

Steps:

1. Cut a large dome shape from brown paper for the tortoise’s shell
2. Cut out four thick, sturdy legs and a head from tan paper
3. Create a desert background using sandpaper or tan paper with glue and sand sprinkled on top
4. Glue the shell in the center, positioning it slightly raised for dimension
5. Attach the legs and head around the shell
6. Add googly eyes and draw a textured shell pattern with hexagons
7. Draw tiny claws on each foot

2. Rock Tortoise Craft

Materials Needed:

• Smooth rocks (1 large, 4-5 small)
• Acrylic paint (brown, tan, green)
• Paintbrushes
• Googly eyes
• Mod Podge or clear sealant

Steps:

1. Paint the large rock brown with hexagon patterns for the shell
2. Paint small rocks tan or light brown for the head and legs
3. Let everything dry completely
4. Arrange and glue the small rocks around the large rock to form the tortoise shape
5. Attach googly eyes to the head rock
6. Seal with Mod Podge for a glossy finish and durability

If you enjoy working with sculpting materials, you might also love these clay turtle project ideas that go beyond rocks into polymer and air-dry clay.

3. Cardboard Box Tortoise Shell

Materials Needed:

• Small cardboard box or large cereal box
• Brown paint or paper
• Scissors
• Black marker
• Elastic straps or ribbon

Steps:

1. Cut the box to create a rounded dome shape
2. Paint it brown or cover with brown paper
3. Draw or paint hexagonal shell patterns all over
4. Punch holes on opposite sides
5. Thread elastic straps through to create a wearable tortoise shell costume
6. Kids can crawl around pretending to be slow-moving tortoises!

4. Pinecone Tortoise Craft

Materials Needed:

• Large pinecone
• Brown or tan modeling clay or air-dry clay (if you enjoy working with clay, explore our full guide to clay turtle ideas for more inspiration)
• Googly eyes
• Small twigs (optional)

Steps:

1. Use the pinecone as the tortoise’s textured shell
2. Roll clay into four small legs, a head, and a tiny tail
3. Press the clay pieces onto the bottom and front of the pinecone
4. Gently push googly eyes into the clay head
5. Let the clay dry according to package instructions
6. Optional: Add small twig pieces as “desert plants” on a display base

5. Tortoise Puppet Craft

Materials Needed:

• Brown paper lunch bag
• Tan and brown construction paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• Googly eyes
• Markers

Steps:

1. Keep the paper bag folded with the flap on top
2. Cut a large dome shape from brown paper for the shell
3. Glue it onto the bottom (flat part) of the bag
4. Draw hexagon patterns on the shell
5. Cut out four chunky legs and a head from tan paper
6. Glue the legs to the sides of the bag and the head near the flap
7. Add googly eyes to the head
8. Decorate with markers
9. Insert hand into bag to make the tortoise “talk” using the flap as a mouth

Pick a Craft, Print a Name Tag, Done

That’s 15 turtle and tortoise crafts spanning paper plate preschool projects, wearable shell costumes, 3D builds, and zero-waste recycled turtle crafts.

Pick one that matches the supplies on your kitchen table, clear a workspace, and let the kids run wild.

Once your paper turtle is glued, painted, and googly-eyed, it’s going to need a name — browse our list of 100+ turtle name ideas for something that suits its personality.

Craving more hands-on turtle projects? Our clay turtle ideas guide and turtle room decor roundup are both next-step rabbit holes worth falling into.

Turtle Craft FAQs

What’s the easiest turtle craft for kids?

The paper plate turtle and the handprint turtle are the two easiest turtle crafts for kids.

Both use supplies most households already have — paper plates or cardstock, green paint, googly eyes, and a black marker. Both take under 15 minutes from start to finish.

They’re ideal for preschoolers, kindergarteners, and quick rainy-day activities.

How do you make a turtle shell craft?

Cut a large oval from a brown paper bag, then draw hexagon patterns on it with a black marker to mimic real shell scutes.

Punch two holes on each side and thread green ribbon or elastic through to form shoulder straps.

Kids can wear it like a backpack for dress-up days, book parades, or animal-themed school events.

For a sturdier version, swap the paper bag for a cardboard box cut into a dome.

What supplies do you need for turtle and tortoise crafts?

Most turtle and tortoise crafts share the same core supplies: green and brown construction paper, scissors, a glue stick, googly eyes, a black marker, and green or brown paint.

Optional extras that unlock more craft ideas include coffee filters, paper plates, paper bags, egg cartons, pinecones, smooth rocks, and plastic bottle caps for recycled turtle crafts.

Are these turtle crafts good for preschool or classroom use?

Yes — most of these turtle craft ideas are classroom-friendly.

The handprint turtle and the toddler foam turtle work best for ages 2–4. The paper plate turtle, coffee filter turtle, and headband are ideal for ages 4–7.

Older kids (8+) can handle the 3D cardstock turtle, the rock tortoise, and the cardboard box shell.

Teachers often pair these with a sea turtle conservation lesson, a beach cleanup discussion, or a Franklin the Turtle read-aloud.

What’s a fun DIY turtle craft using recycled materials?

The recycled bottle cap turtle is the go-to DIY turtle craft when you want a zero-waste project.

The egg carton turtle and coffee filter turtle also reuse items most people would toss.

For bigger builds, the cardboard box tortoise shell turns shipping boxes into a wearable costume — a perfect Earth Day or Ocean Awareness Week activity.