Hannah’s Artzooka Aquarium

We recently found a new TV show called Artzooka and my craft loving girl is trying new things after watching each episode!

Recently they showed how to make an aquarium using a plastic veggie container and since we’d had salad for supper that night we were all set.   (Unfortunately I can’t find a link to the instructions but will do my best to describe the steps she took.)

We picked up a few colours of tissue paper, watered down some white glue and were ready to go. 

Using tiny squares of the hot pink and navy blue tissue paper they were glued mosaic style into the bottom third of the dish.  She did the by dipping her paint brush into the watered down glue, then into the squares, then she painted them onto the tray that already had a layer of glue where she wanted the base to go.  Like modge podge, extra glue was painted on top of the tissue paper.

Next Hannah tore 3 colours of blue tissue paper into strips.  Glue was painted into the remainder of the tray and working from dark up to light while crisscrossing and twisting strips, she created the water.  I helped a little but was pleasantly surprised at how well Hannah did this task herself!

Next she added seaweed created using 2 colours of green tissue paper.

Green seaweed was also added to the front of the container which would create a 3D effect.

The fish was made out of a plastic water bottle.  The top and bottom were cut off to create a tube.  The tube was pushed down to create a flatter shape and a 'V’ was cut at one end to create the tail shape.

The other end was folded and secured with tape to create the head.

Hannah then covered this with red tissue paper although you could also use any combinations of orange/yellow/other that you want.

The following day when all was dry she added a googly eye and a piece of dental floss to suspend the fish in the aquarium.

Ta da!  Hannah and her aquarium featuring her fish – Goldie!

Hannah is into fish right now after she received her first pet for her birthday this year! (Thanks Makenna!)  Her first fish was a beautiful red Beta fish that she named ‘Goldie’ :o) and lived ummm…8 days!  Whoops!  I think it was getting too cold at night as we turn down our heat and have a ceiling fan on.

Hannah handled the loss of Goldie really well and was excited the next day when we went to a local Fish Store to purchase a new fish.  This time she chose a beautiful blue Beta fish whom she named….Goldie!  LOL!  I’m sensing a trend!  We now cover the top of her container to hopefully keep the water warmer.

Well, Goldie II has been with us for almost 2 months and happily swims around her little container and has been a nice addition to the family.  Anybody who knows me knows that I am not a pet person so I’m guessing fish and possibly small animals like hamsters will be the extent of pets in our home.  (Uh oh – wonder if I’ll be eating those words some day?) 

Hannah and her beloved Goldie!