I thought it would be fun to share a fun DIY gift idea for children (or grownups!) — a simple fishbowl customized with sea-themed doodles! I think watching a little fish paddling around its bowl could be a calming way to spend some time. And adding happy illustrations to the bowl is an easy way to make this simple gift into something special.
Just think, a simple doodle can transform a plain fish bowl into a fun and interesting home for our finned friends — without having to buy (or clean) extra accessories.
If you’re worried about your doodling skills, we took care of that for you. With the help of illustrator Stephanie Frey, we have three underwater scenes you can print off and trace on your choice of fish bowl.
You can choose from a school of fish, the ocean floor (with pirate’s treasure!), and seaweed and coral — or choose all three!
Ready to find out how simple it is? Come see!
Supplies:
-fishbowl
-marker*
-printable fishbowl scenes — treasure + ship, school of fish, seaweed
-tape
*To doodle, there are a number of marker options. The basic permanent marker will work although it won’t withstand scrubbing but if you’d like a change of scenery often, this marker will work fine. The oil-based permanent marker is what I used. It has better color opacity and really sticks. It can be removed with rubbing alcohol or acetone if you make a mistake. Finally, there is the option of porcelain or glass markers. These are made for drawing on glass surfaces and require a little oven-cure to make them permanent. Just follow the directions of the manufacturer.
The only step is to tape the printable in place and then trace it with the marker on the outside of the bowl. That’s it! You might need to resize the print-out to fit your bowl. Most of mine were reduced to between 70-80% size, except the ocean floor which was enlarged to 125%. And feel free to rearrange them to fit your needs. Whatever works!
Once you have the doodles just the way you want, add the water and fish (make sure to follow all the instructions for introducing the fish to a new bowl). Note about the fish: A commenter mentioned that Beta Fish thrive in fishbowls, but Goldfish do not. Good to know!
Tie a ribbon on and it’s ready to give!
Created with Amy Christie for Design Mom.
Donated!!
I love that I could direct my donation to my local (relatively) hospital – WVU Children’s, that makes it even better for me! :) Thanks for the nudge!
Donated!! Thank you Gabrielle – for shining light on such a great cause. I am so lucky to have a healthy 4 year old son but – as anyone can tell you – life can change in an instant. Nice to see you always, ALWAYS using your blog in a positive way. It’s heartbreaking to think of these children spending the holidays in a hospital. $5 is not a lot to ask to help bring a smile to a child’s face. From one mom to another – THANK YOU and Merry Christmas to you and your family.
Thank you! I just donated and it was a perfect thing of joy. Despite being majorly broke giving always makes me feel GREAT!!
I donated! Thank you for the information and motivation to donate. My heart goes out to every sick child this holiday season and I am ever so grateful for all the blessings our family has. This is a great organization that helps millions of kids in need.
My son was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease this summer, and we’ve made about a dozen trips to our local hospital since then for clinic visits, treatments, and yes–even the dreaded overnight stay. I feel blessed and lucky that he’ll be home with us ( and in good health) this holiday, but know that might not always be the case. What’s more, every time we’re there, I see a child whose needs are even more dire than my child’s and am reminded how quickly things can turn, for all of us. Thanks, Gabrielle, for thinking of these kids and encouraging your readers to give. I did, and it feels great!
Just donated :) Happy to help-thank you!
This is such a worthy cause but the number of hospitalized children is way too high, at least if you are talking about in the US. There are fewer than one million hospital beds total in the US, so even if every one were full, there would not be this many patients.
Wonderful cause. I was pleased to donate.
I donated – and I loved that I could pick our local hospital. It’s nice knowing you are helping sweet kiddos, but even more awesome when you know that these are kids in right in your own “backyard.” Thank you for raising awareness for this cause!
PS, I apparently donated “anonymously”, unless it took my name from my paypal account. But I did save a web file of my transaction for proof! :)
Our family donated! And if you donate more the tracker moves down in relation to the donation amount…nice feature for the kids to see! Happy holidays!
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The perfect cause. Donated :)
Thank you for helping with such a great cause. I donated.
I donated. I’ve been having to take my baby to the deep suction clinic at the hospital the last couple of days. A child having to spend Christmas in the hospital breaks my heart!
I just donated!!
Thank you for bringing this to mind. I donated in memory of my mother.
What a fun idea! And a great cause! We happily donated!
I do feel warm and fuzzy after donating!
I donated under BP. Fun giving opportunity! Thanks, Gabby!
Donated! Cheers xx
I donated!
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