Shark Name Art

Time for more name art! Specifically, Shark Name Art. 

This project would be awesome for a school or team with sharks as a mascot, as an accompaniment to a study of sharks, or just for everyday fun. It's easy to do, but definitely takes some creative thinking!

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Shark Name Art

Materials:

• shark template
• pencil
• scissors
• construction paper (grey and blue)
• glue stick or tacky glue
• black pen

Steps: 

Print a copy of this shark template, which has two identical sharks facing in opposite directions. 

Use a pencil to lightly fit your name into a shark. Each letter should extend to the outline and there should be as little space between letters as possible. This is going to take some experimentation and some erasing, so keep those pencil lines light. Every name is going to look completely different and some may seem harder than others, but don't give up! When I first thought up this craft, I only drew the left-facing shark because I could see that it would be easy to turn the snout into a C and the tail fin into a Y. The I and the D were easy, but I really struggled to make my N fit. I did, but then realized that a right-facing shark might be easier for some names. I actually like the way CINDY fits into the right-facing shark better than the left, so definitely try both. 

Pick the shark you like better (or do both, like I did), then layer the template you've made over a piece of grey construction paper. You can use paperclips to hold the papers together if you want. Cut out the first letter, cutting through both pieces of paper at the same time. Set aside the template and place the grey letter onto a piece of blue construction paper. Repeat the process for each letter. Line up the cut letters carefully on the blue paper. If you like how they look, glue them in place. 

When I cut my left-facing shark and arranged it on my paper, I didn't like the way the N looked. With the notch I'd cut at the top, it looked more like a K. So I used the template to recut just that letter. I like the new N much better. 

Finally, use a black pen to draw an eyeball. 

Wouldn't these sharks look amazing on a classroom bulletin board, with all the different names represented? Or on a "Go Sharks!" team banner? You could even laminate your shark and then use it as a bookmark. So many possibilities!