paper plate shark jaws

I have been waiting for months to do Crafty Shark Week! I wanted to time it to coincide with Discovery Channel’s annual celebration of Shark Week. My friend Jeanette had a shark-themed party a few months ago and created some fun crafts for the party. These shark jaw decorations are made from paper plates, and are a quick and simple (and striking) way to decorate for your shark-themed party. You could also string them together for a sharktastic party garland.

crafty shark week

PAPER PLATE SHARK JAWS

by Jeanette Strole Parks, Off The Cuff Cooking

Project Materials:

  • Paper plates, $1
  • Scissors, on hand
  • Pencil & eraser if needed for extra confidence, on hand

Total: $1

A note about supplies: A “deep dish” non-crimped/non-fluted Chinet style plate worked well for me, because it is smooth and sturdy.

To Make:

1. Fold your paper plate in half “backwards” (with the bottom of the plate facing you, and the folded edges coming toward you).

2. Using small scissors trim away the outer edges of the plate in a sweeping arched “M” design on the top half and bottom half, which should leave it looking like the hinges on the jaw, and the “m” shaped bottom & top of the mouth. Look at pictures on Google of real shark jaws to get inspiration, if the craft-samples in the photos don’t help you visualize the outline.

3. Cut out a large oval from the middle, and then work from that center to cut out free-form teeth that follow the inside arc of the paper plate on the top and bottom. I just snipped away happily. Shark teeth are often quite irregular and jagged and not always parallel.

More shark crafts:
Follow Mrs. Greene’s board Shark Week! on Pinterest.