1Prepare a paper bowl.

Find a paper bowl to make into the turtle's shell. Use a large bowl if you want to make a big turtle or a small bowl if you like a mini turtle.

2Draw the turtle's body.

Place the paper bowl upside down on a sheet of green construction paper. Using a pencil, trace around the bowl's mouth to make a circle. This circle will be your turtle's body.

3Draw the head, legs, and tail.

Draw the turtle's head on top of the circle, a tail at the bottom, and two pairs of legs at the sides.

4Cut out the turtle.

Cut out the turtle outline.

5Punch a hole on the bowl.

Punch a small hole about an inch or two from the paper bowl's mouth.

6Paint the paper bowl.

Paint the paper bowl to transform it into a turtle's shell. Green or brown are common colors for a turtle's shell but you can choose any color you like.

7Paint spots.

Paint spots on your turtle's shell. Use a darker shade of green or brown if you want your turtle's color to be close to the real thing. You can also choose to paint some bright colorful spots like we did.

8Curl the head, legs and tail.

This is an optional step but if you slightly curl the head, legs and tail, your turtle will look more three-dimensional.

To do this, place a pencil in a horizontal position under the turtle's leg, close to where the leg meets the body. Place your index finger under the pencil and your thumb on top of the turtle's leg. Slowly move the pencil through the length of the leg until you reach the tip.

9Create a face.

Draw the turtle's eyes, nostrils and mouth using crayons or markers. You can also make more interesting eyes by gluing a pair of wiggle eyes or beads.

10Attach a string.

Cut a 2 to 3 feet length of string. Insert one end through the hole on the paper bowl. Make a knot on the string from inside the bowl.