“Under the sea, under the sea! Darling it’s better down where it’s wetter. Take it from me…”
Cue up The Little Mermaid and get ready for a full day of undersea fun with these crafts and recipes inspired by Disney’s Ariel and friends!
Whether you’re looking for Little Mermaid-inspired fare and decor for an Ariel themed birthday party or you just want to do at-home Disney activities with your kids, there’s enough Disney magic here for an entire day of fun.
Get your day of underwater-inspired activities off to a good start with this free Princess Ariel coloring page. Simply download the page from Disney, print, and enjoy!
Hang your Little Mermaid coloring sheet on the fridge to inspire you and get to baking! These adorable iridescent mermaid cupcakes are sure to make a splash, whether you’re prepping for a party or just making a special treat for an at-home Disney movie night.
Mermaid Tail Cupcakes (Courtesy of Disney)
What You Need:
- Your favorite cupcake recipe
- White frosting
- Teal or white candy melts
- Teal and purple food coloring (Alternatively, mix green and blue for teal, and red and blue for purple)
- Sprinkles
- Cupcake collar in scale print, iridescent, or other mermaid designs!
- Mermaid tail silicone mold
- Cupcake liners
- Large zip closure plastic bag
- Scissors
What You Do:
- Prepare the cake batter according to your favorite recipe.
- Place cupcake liners into a cupcake tray, and fill each one with cupcake batter about 2/3 of the way. Bake according to the recipe instructions. Set aside to cool.
- To make 4 mermaid tails, place about 2/3 cup of candy melts in a microwave safe bowl. (Note: Amount varies depending on the size of the molds and how many you want to make. Increase as needed to make more mermaid tails.)
- Microwave for 30 seconds at a time, stirring frequently.
- If you only have white candy melts, add food coloring to the melts to create a teal color.
- Using a small spoon, fill the molds. If you overfill, it’s okay – you can trim any excess off once set.
- Place the mold in the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Remove the mold from the freezer and carefully pop out the mermaid tails. If you need to cut off the excess, place on a cutting board and use a small paring knife to clean them up. Store in the refrigerator until you’re ready to add them to the cupcakes.
- Place frosting in a bowl. Add food coloring to make it purple. Mix until the color is smooth and evenly distributed.
- Pour about ½ inch of cooking oil in a pan and heat it to medium-high.
- Place one star in the oil to test the heat. It should start to bubble and sizzle once it touches the oil. If it doesn’t, turn up the heat a little bit and try again.
- Once the oil is heated well, use tongs to place a few stars in the oil and let them fry.
- Turn them over once the edges look light brown, and remove them once the underside is also light brown.
- Place them on a plate with a paper towel (to help soak up excess oil and cool for a couple seconds).
- Use the tongs and/or a fork to place the stars in the sugar and coat them completely. Turn them over a couple times, scoop the sugar on top, and roll it all around in there to get it nicely covered. Lightly tap off any extra sugar.
- Place candy eyes on the stars! You can use frosting or gel frosting to help keep the eyes on, or serve them flat and let the eyes rest on top.
Finally, decorate your space like Ariel’s Grotto with this teal candelabra (complete with a dinglehopper!) This kid-friendly mermaid craft is a cute way to add some Disney decor to your space while making family memories.
Ariel’s Grotto Candelabra
What You Need:
- A small candelabra
- White, teal, green, and purple acrylic paint
- Paintbrush
- Decoupage glue
- Hot glue
- Small sea shells
- Metal or plastic fork, spoon, and knife
What You Do:
- If the candelabra is a darker color, start by painting a primer coat of white paint. Let dry completely.
- Paint the candelabra with a coat of teal paint. Let dry completely, then lightly brush green and purple in random spots to add accents of color.
- Repeat the same steps to paint the silverware. Let dry completely.
- Seal the candelabra and the silverware with a coat of decoupage glue. This creates a more finished look!
- To attach the silverware, apply a generous amount of hot glue inside each of the candle holders, and place and hold the silverware upright inside the candle holders until the glue sets.
- Attach a few shells around the candelabra with hot glue.
And you’re finished! Use this as the centerpiece of a mermaid party or give your dining room table a Disney Princess tablescape makeover.
Hopefully this full day of DIY The Little Mermaid crafts and recipes will add some Disney magic to your family’s everyday routine. Remember, it’s important to “shell-ebrate” life and have fun, no matter what season you’re in, just like Ariel would do.