Ahoy, sailors! Ready to sail the waves of creativity? Then hop aboard, because I have a unique free printable craft for kids (and playful adults!) that fits perfectly for summer: 3D boat in a bottle paper craft.

This summer craft is fun to create, easy enough for younger kids to accomplish with a parent, makes an awesome coloring activity, requires only simple materials, and turned out so pretty in the end.

So, congratulations, you found the ultimate summer craft idea! Now let’s get the wind in our sails and make our beautiful boat craft.

* This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you. See my disclosure to learn more.

Boat in a bottle paper craft for summer

To make this craft, you will need*:

• This printable template
• White cardstock for printers
• Coloring materials
  (I use Amazon Basic Premium colored pencils)
  
• Scissors
• Glue (I use glue stick)
• Transparency film (acetate Sheets)

* (Amazon Affiliate links)

Steps:

1. Print out the free template and color the parts.

2. Cut out the parts.

3. Cut out the window in the bottle’s front part.

4. Fold the bottle parts along the dashed lines (tip: it’s easier to fold after scoring. To score, place a ruler along the dashed line and trace the line with the dull edge of a butter knife to create a soft crease).

5. Glue a piece of transparency film (acetate sheet) to the back of the window in the bottle’s front part. I’m using glue stick throughout the whole process of the craft. It is convenient and affective.

6. Apply glue to the large glue tab of the bottle’s front part. Glue the bottle’s back part to the bottle’s front part, as shown in the picture (make sure both part is facing the right direction).

7. Prepare the paper stands that will support the waves, the boat and the clouds. Each stand corresponds to a specific item.
Fold the stands along the dashed lines and seal them by sticking the glue tab.

8. Place the bottle parts facing down, with the neck of the bottle pointing left. It’s time to set up the scene inside the bottle.

Start by gluing the back wave to its two paper stands. Then, place the back wave one the bottom part of the bottle.

Check that the wave does not interfere with the closure of the bottle. If it does, adjust it’s position or trim its edges.

9. Next, glue the sun, the boat and the clouds. The sun does not have a base, so it is glued directly on the background.

10. To complete the scene, glue the front wave over the boat:

11. Once your boat is sailing happily between the waves, under the summer sun and the soft clouds, go ahead and close up the bottle.

Apply glue to on the glue tabs and glue the flaps to seal the bottle like a box:

And it’s done! You made your own DIY paper Boat in a Bottle!

What’s your impression of this printable paper craft for summer? If you liked it, Pin it to Pinterest so that others can find it. You can also visit my Pinterest boards for more inspiring things.

Wanna take your summer crafts to the next level? Check out this paper plate submarine window, which comes with free printable fish to color and looks great as a DIY wall décor!

* All the free printables in my website are for personal, non-commercial use only. Kindly refrain from sending them directly to others. Instead, feel free to share the link to the relevant post. Thanks!