Unicorn Crafts with Pictures: 5 Easy DIY Projects
- , by Jessica Miller
- 9 min reading time
Craft tutorials without pictures of the finished result are basically useless. You follow fifteen steps, use half the supplies in your house, and then realize the thing you made looks nothing like what you imagined. We've all been there.
So we did this differently. Every unicorn craft below comes with an actual picture of what the finished project looks like. No guessing. No Pinterest-fails-waiting-to-happen. You can see exactly what you're working toward before you even pick up the glue gun.
These five unicorn crafts range from super simple (20 minutes, basic supplies) to a bit more involved (an hour or so, still nothing crazy). All of them make great activities for rainy afternoons, birthday parties, or those "I'm bored" moments that every parent knows too well.
5 Unicorn Crafts You Can Actually Make
1. Unicorn Horn Headband
What you need: Paper plate, scissors, stapler or tape, paint or markers, ribbon or streamers, glitter (optional but honestly, when is glitter ever optional with unicorns?)
Difficulty: Easy | Time: 20-30 minutes | Ages: 3 and up (with adult help for cutting)
This is the craft you pull out when you need something quick that still looks impressive. Cut the inner circle out of a paper plate so you're left with just the rim. That's your headband base. Cut a horn shape from the leftover inner circle, decorate it with gold paint or wrap it in foil, and attach it to the front of the rim.
Add streamers or ribbon strips hanging down from the sides for the mane, and you've got a wearable unicorn headband that kids will refuse to take off for the rest of the day. Decorate the band itself with painted flowers, stickers, or whatever your kid is into.
Tips for best results: Use a sturdy paper plate, not the flimsy kind. Measure the plate against your kid's head before cutting to make sure it fits. Hot glue holds better than tape for the horn, but tape works in a pinch. If you're making these for a unicorn birthday party, prep the cut plates and horn shapes in advance so kids can focus on the fun decorating part.
2. Unicorn Mason Jar
Find yours below
What you need: Mason jar (or any clean glass jar), acrylic paint in pastel colors, paintbrush, hot glue gun, small piece of cardstock or foam for the horn, fake flowers or felt for ears and decorations
Difficulty: Medium | Time: 45-60 minutes (plus drying time) | Ages: 6 and up
This one ends up looking surprisingly polished for a DIY project. Paint the entire outside of the jar in your chosen pastel color. Let it dry completely. Then add the details: a small cardstock cone for the horn (painted gold or wrapped in glitter paper), two felt triangles for ears, and tiny fake flowers arranged as a crown around the horn.
Paint or draw kawaii eyes and a little smile on the front. Once everything is dry and glued in place, you've got a unicorn jar that works as a pencil holder, makeup brush container, flower vase, or piggy bank (just cut a slot in a lid).
Tips for best results: Two thin coats of paint look way better than one thick coat. Let the first coat dry fully before adding the second. For the horn, rolling the cardstock into a cone shape and securing it with glue gives a cleaner look than trying to fold it. Use hot glue for the ears and horn since craft glue takes forever to set on glass.
3. Unicorn Dreamcatcher
What you need: Embroidery hoop or bent wire hanger (circle shape), yarn in pastel colors, ribbon, beads, fake flowers, felt or foam for the horn and ears, scissors, hot glue
Difficulty: Medium-Hard | Time: 60-90 minutes | Ages: 8 and up
This is the project that makes people say "wait, you made that?" Wrap the hoop completely in pastel yarn. String yarn across the inside in a loose web pattern (it doesn't need to be perfect, dreamcatchers are supposed to look organic). Thread beads onto some of the web strands for sparkle.
At the top, attach a felt or foam horn and two small ears. Arrange fake flowers around them as a crown. At the bottom, tie long ribbon strips, yarn pieces, and more beaded strings that hang down like a mane and tail. Pick three or four colors that blend well together.
Tips for best results: Wrap the hoop tightly so no gaps show through. For the hanging web, start with four main yarn lines crossing through the center, then weave smaller connections between them. Don't overthink the pattern. Vary the lengths of the hanging ribbons at the bottom so they look flowing and natural, not uniform.
4. Unicorn Painted Rocks
What you need: Smooth, flat rocks, acrylic paint, thin paintbrush, paint pens or permanent markers (for details), clear sealant spray (optional)
Difficulty: Easy-Medium | Time: 30-45 minutes per rock (plus drying time) | Ages: 5 and up
Rock painting has become this whole thing over the past few years, and unicorn rocks are some of the most fun to make. Find smooth, flat rocks (river rocks work best). Paint the entire rock white or pastel as a base. Once dry, paint a unicorn face on one side: two closed happy eyes, a small smile, rosy cheeks, a gold horn, and colorful ears.
On the back, add a rainbow mane flowing down the rock using stripes of color. You can also paint the whole rock as a unicorn body in profile, but the face design is easier and honestly looks better on a round rock shape.
Pick your favorite
Tips for best results: Wash and dry your rocks before painting. A white base coat makes every color on top pop brighter. Paint pens are way easier than brushes for the small details like eyes and horn spirals. If you're putting these outside as garden decorations, spray them with a clear acrylic sealant so the paint doesn't wash off in the rain. These make excellent seasonal craft alternatives too.
5. Unicorn Paper Bag Puppet
What you need: White paper lunch bag, construction paper (assorted colors), googly eyes, glue stick, scissors, markers or crayons
Difficulty: Easy | Time: 15-25 minutes | Ages: 3 and up
This is the craft for when you need something fast, cheap, and guaranteed to entertain. The paper bag becomes the unicorn's body and head. The bottom flap of the bag is the unicorn's face (it opens like a mouth when you put your hand inside).
Cut a horn from gold or yellow construction paper and glue it to the top of the bag. Add googly eyes (or draw them), a small smile, and rosy cheek circles. Cut strips of colorful construction paper and curl them by wrapping them around a pencil, then glue them to the top and sides as the mane. Two small triangles become the ears.
Put your hand in the bag and you've got an instant unicorn puppet show. Kids go absolutely wild for these, especially when they make their own and start creating little stories.
Tips for best results: Pre-curl the paper strips for the mane so they have that bouncy, flowing look. Use a glue stick instead of liquid glue so the paper doesn't warp and get soggy. If you want the puppet to last longer, use cardstock instead of construction paper for the horn and ears. Making multiple puppets with different colored manes turns it into a whole unicorn cast of characters.
More Unicorn Craft Ideas
If five crafts aren't enough (and honestly, once you start making unicorn stuff it's hard to stop), we've got a bigger collection of unicorn craft ideas covering everything from beginner projects to more advanced builds. There's also our kawaii unicorn drawing tutorial if your kids want to create their own unicorn designs from scratch. And for younger kids who'd rather color than craft, our free printable unicorn coloring pages are always a hit.
Crafting is one of those things that's even more fun when the space around you matches the vibe. If your kid's craft corner could use a little unicorn magic, our unicorn decorations collection has pieces that turn any room into a creative workspace. And for carrying finished crafts to school for show-and-tell, a unicorn headband from our collection pairs perfectly with a homemade headband craft. Nothing wrong with having one for every occasion.
Whatever you end up making, take a picture and enjoy the process. The best part about unicorn crafts isn't the finished product. It's watching someone's face light up while they're covered in glitter and completely in their creative zone. That's the real magic.
