Have an afternoon full of adventure this summer by making this easy paper boat craft. Our free printable template makes this sailboat craft super simple for preschoolers and kids of all ages to create.
If you are looking for a fun ocean themed summer crafts for kids to make, you are going to adore making some of these boats this year. The folded ocean waves adds awesome dimension to the paper craft and when mixed with the way the sail pops off the paper with a 3D effect, you are left with a stunning craft kids will love creating and displaying all summer long!
How to Make a Paper Boat Craft
This post contains affiliate links to the products mentioned. Read our disclosure policy for more information.
Supplies needed for making your paper craft
- sailboat craft template <—- Get your free printable template here
- blue cardstock
- blue, brown and white construction paper
- craft stick
- crayons
- extra strength glue stick
- scissors
- pencil for tracing
Instructions for making this boat craft
Step 1: Begin by downloading and printing out the free sailboat template. Cut out the two pieces of the template.
Step 2: Using a pencil, trace the sail on white construction paper and the boat on brown construction paper with a pencil. Cut out each of the pieces.
Related: Paper Hot Air Balloon Craft
Step 3: Cut three pieces of blue construction paper the length of 1-inch x 12-inch.
Step 4: Add a line of extra strength glue stick near the bottom of your blue cardstock paper, along the entire length of the paper. Place the end of one of your blue construction paper strips at the edge of your paper on the glue. Every 1-2 inches along the construction paper strip, add a small bend in the paper. Continue until you reach the opposite end of your paper.
The folds in the construction paper add great texture and dimension to your paper craft looking like ocean waves.
Step 5: Add another line of glue above the blue construction paper strip you just added. Then complete step 4 again with another blue paper strip.
Step 6: Glue the brown boat piece of the template on your blue cardstock, above the second folded strip of construction paper. Then add glue along the bottom of the boat and add your third and final strip of blue construction paper.
Related: Paper Dragonfly Puppets
Step 7: Use a white crayon to color clouds around the top half of your paper craft. Then use a blue and white crayon to draw ocean wave marks along the folded strips of your blue construction paper ocean.
You can also add lines inside your sailboat with a brown crayon at this time.
Step 8: Add glue on the back of a wooden craft stick and glue just inside the top of your sailboat. Make sure to position it towards the left side of the boat to leave enough room for your sail. We definitely recommend using an extra strength glue stick for gluing down your craft stick, but as an alternative you can also use a hot glue gun.
Step 9: Add glue on the back of your paper sail, along the curved edge. Glue it onto your craft stick. Then add glue on your blue cardstock paper, behind the center of the sail. Bend the paper sail to create a curve popping off the page and attach the center of the sail down onto your glue.
Repeat step 9 again to create one more section of the sail popping off the page near the end of the sail. This creates a fun 3D effect to your sailboat craft. The texture of the blue construction paper and the 3D effect of the sail makes the craft like your boat has set sail deep in the ocean.
Related: Colorful Paper Birds
Video Tutorial: How to Make a Sailboat Craft
Watch the video below for a step by step guide on how to make this simple paper craft with our free template.
Find more easy summer craft ideas, boat crafts for kids and summer activities for kids by browsing the categories at the top menu bar of our website. We are hoping to add some fun cork boats to our summer activities this year.
Check out our amazing list of over 100 fun and easy summer crafts for kids. Animal crafts, ocean crafts, space crafts and so much more…
