How to make a watermelon shark that is sure to be a hit at your next summer BBQ! Fill with fruit and gummy fish for a fun added detail!
You might also like our summer kebab party, red white and blue mini fruit pizzas or our homemade lime ice cream!
Watch our step by step video!
Watermelon Shark
Making a watermelon shark is such a fun summer tradition that we have. We usually make one for the 4th of July, but have brought them to summer BBQs with friends at other times too. They aren't hard to make, and are always such a hit with the kids! Wouldn't this shark be fun to make for shark week? If you're looking for another shark week idea, check out or shark rice krispies pops!
We've made our watermelon shark many times and it's fun to see the photos throughout the years. Every time we make him, he looks a little different! Sometimes we add gummy fish in little cups around the base to really make it come to life. Other times we fill the shark with a variety of fresh fruit for a fruit salad shark. We've even scored lines on the side of the shark to look like gills, and sometimes we add side fins!
Watermelon Shark Supplies
platter or cutting board
seedless watermelon
large knife
sharp paring knife
melon baller
permanent marker or dry erase marker
toothpicks
gummy fish (Swedish Fish candies)
Tips
- Use a melon baller to scoop out the watermelon flesh.
- When scoring the area around the mouth, use a sharp paring knife or x-acto knife. This part is best done by an adult.
- Fill with other fruits for a yummy fruit salad!
- DO NOT scoop out all of the watermelon from the bottom of the shark, leave 2-3" as a base.
How To Make a Watermelon Shark
Make a Watermelon Shark
How to make a watermelon shark that is sure to be a hit at your next summer BBQ! Fill with fruit and gummy fish for a fun added detail!
Pin Recipe
Cost: $8
Equipment
- platter or cutting board
Materials
- seedless watermelon
- large knife
- sharp paring knife
- melon baller
- permanent marker
- toothpicks
- gummy fish
Instructions
- If the watermelon is dusty, give it a quick wash and dry with a towel.
- You will need to cut a flat surface on the watermelon so that it can stand on its own. To do this, cut off about ⅓ of the watermelon on a diagonal angle.
- Place the watermelon, flat side down, onto your work surface (large platter or cutting board).
- Cut out the mouth opening with a sharp knife.
- Use melon baller to scoop out the watermelon. Leave 2-3" of the base intact. We learned the hard way that if you scoop out too much of the watermelon that the juices will leak out the bottom. Leaving 3" of watermelon will create a barrier.
- Use a smaller utility knife or Exacto knife to carefully cut out teeth. To do this, score a shallow outline (about 1") around the mouth, only cutting through the green rind.
- Then carve off the strip of green rind until you have a 1" white outline around the mouth (white rind of the watermelon). The white strip will be the teeth area.
- Make triangle cuts all around the white outline area to create teeth in serrated pattern.
- Remember the ⅓ of the watermelon that you cut off? Use that to cut out a dorsal fin and fins.
- Attach fins with toothpicks. Draw an eye on with a permanent marker.
Video
Notes
You can make a watermelon shark out of a round or oblong watermelon.
Red grapes or blueberries can be used for the eyes (attach with a toothpick or wooden skewers).
Use a melon baller to scoop out watermelon. Gummy fish are such a fun added detail but do get sticky if touching the watermelon. Have some on the side that are nice and dry to serve with the watermelon.
For a fruit salad shark, add cantaloupe and diced pineapple with the balls of watermelon in the shark.
Here are more fun watermelon carving ideas from Taste of Home.
Leigh Powell Hines (@Hinessightblog) says
Cute. Cute. Cute.
Navy Wifey Peters @ USS Crafty says
Such a fun snack! Thanks for sharing at the Submarine Sunday Link Party!
Desiree @THE36THAVENUE says
Such a fun idea! Thank you so much for linking up to our Party Palooza! Sharing on FB later today! XO
Brandy says
Thanks so much, Desiree! 🙂
Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says
I love it, my oldest loves sharks and all my boys love watermelon. They'd flip if I did this! Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup. Pinning to our linkup board and hope you found some great posts to visit this week!
Brandy says
Thanks so much, Tanya!!