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    Home » Recipes » Kids in the Kitchen

    Make a Watermelon Shark (Video)

    May 20, 2021 By Brandy 38 Comments

    ↓ Jump to Instructions

    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!
    watermelon shark on platter

    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!
    watermelon shark and cups of gummy candies
    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 and gummy fish

    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

    watermelon shark
    Print
    5 from 1 vote

    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! 
    Active Time25 minutes mins
    Total Time25 minutes mins
    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.
      knife cutting bottom of watermelon
    • Place the watermelon, flat side down, onto your work surface (large platter or cutting board).
    • Cut out the mouth opening with a sharp knife.
      watermelon with section removed
    • 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.
      melon baller scooping watermelon from watermelon shark
    • 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.
      scoring watermelon with knife
    • 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.
      carving mouth of watermelon shark
    • Make triangle cuts all around the white outline area to create teeth in serrated pattern.
      knife cutting shark teeth from watermelon
    • 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.

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    About Brandy

    Welcome! I'm Brandy, mother to 5 darling kiddos and a cute black lab named Toby. My husband is in the Coast Guard so we've lived all over the place, turning each house into a home. I love baking, sewing, making cute things with my kids, and sharing what I've learned with all of you!

    Comments

    1. Leigh Powell Hines (@Hinessightblog) says

      May 21, 2016 at 3:40 pm

      Cute. Cute. Cute.

      Reply
    2. Navy Wifey Peters @ USS Crafty says

      May 19, 2016 at 4:07 pm

      Such a fun snack! Thanks for sharing at the Submarine Sunday Link Party!

      Reply
    3. Desiree @THE36THAVENUE says

      May 19, 2016 at 8:55 am

      Such a fun idea! Thank you so much for linking up to our Party Palooza! Sharing on FB later today! XO

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        May 19, 2016 at 12:21 pm

        Thanks so much, Desiree! 🙂

        Reply
    4. Tanya @ Mom's Small Victories says

      May 18, 2016 at 1:38 pm

      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!

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        May 18, 2016 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks so much, Tanya!!

        Reply
    5. Shelley @ Calypso in the Country says

      May 18, 2016 at 4:57 am

      This is beyond adorable!
      Shelley

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        May 18, 2016 at 8:32 am

        Thanks Shelley! 🙂

        Reply
    6. Anne @ Domesblissity says

      May 18, 2016 at 4:46 am

      Hi Brandy. I've seen these watermelon sculptures so much on Pinterest and have been so tempted to have a go at making one. Thanks so much for sharing at Thriving on Thursdays. I'm featuring this post at tomorrow's party.

      Anne @ Domesblissity

      Reply
    7. DearCreatives (@DearCreatives) says

      May 17, 2016 at 11:24 pm

      Hi Brandy, Such a fun idea for a party or BBQ. Thanks for sharing at the Inspiration Spotlight Party. Pinned & shared. Hope packing and your move goes well. See you again soon.

      Reply
    8. Mama's Happy Hive says

      May 17, 2016 at 6:22 pm

      Thank you for linking up at "A Little Bird Told Me" Wednesday link party! You have been featured on Mama's Happy Hive blog. 🙂

      Reply
    9. JD - altamontefamily.com says

      May 16, 2016 at 12:03 am

      Sooo cute! This would be perfect for shark week or any summer party! Love that watermelons are in season right now. Stopping by from the Happiness is Homemade Link Party. Just joined today and your post caught my eye!!!

      JD - altamontefamily.com

      Reply
    10. apoconant says

      May 15, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      I love this! I'll be bringing one of these to my in-laws memorial day bbq!

      You should stop by my weekly link party and share this with everyone : )

      http://www.twentysomethinginthe2010s.com/peace-love-linkup-007/

      Reply
    11. l0l0bunny says

      May 15, 2016 at 12:34 pm

      Cute! My students would get a kick out of this!

      Reply
    12. Cristina at Ava's Alphabet says

      May 14, 2016 at 8:12 pm

      This is awesome! I made a watermelon owl for my daughter's "Look Whooo's One?" first birthday party. Perhaps this will have to be my next watermelon masterpiece?!? Thanks for sharing. 🙂

      Reply
    13. Erin says

      May 14, 2016 at 1:00 pm

      Cute!!

      Reply
    14. themondaybox says

      May 11, 2016 at 5:50 pm

      What an awesome centerpiece! Even more special and fun that the kids can help make it themselves.

      Reply
    15. Lady Lilith says

      May 11, 2016 at 2:39 pm

      This is such a fun way to encourage healthy snacks. I would add some grapes and berries.

      Reply
      • Brandy says

        May 12, 2016 at 8:34 am

        That's a great idea for a filler! Perfect for summer too!

        Reply
    16. Claire says

      May 10, 2016 at 10:15 pm

      Oh wow this is so creative! Love it 🙂 I bet the children do to...

      Would love you to share at my Tuesday Treats blog hop?

      Reply
    17. krista says

      May 10, 2016 at 5:34 pm

      This is so creative. I am amazed how great it looks.

      Reply
    18. Sam says

      May 09, 2016 at 9:36 pm

      This is so adorable!! Now I need to find a reason to use this...

      Reply
    19. Munchkin Time says

      May 09, 2016 at 4:47 pm

      This looks so cool, thank you so much for sharing! Going to pin it on Pinterest!;D

      Reply
    20. JESS44903 says

      May 09, 2016 at 11:18 am

      Well isn't this just the cutest! 🙂

      I would love for you to share this with my Recipes, Crafts, Tips and Tricks Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pluckyrecipescraftstips/

      Thanks for joining Cooking and Crafting with J & J!

      Reply
    21. Laura says

      July 05, 2013 at 2:09 am

      I love your watermelon shark and its candy fish lunch! I am featuring this project on my blog today. http://www.theexperimentalhome.com/check-in-check-out-4/ ‎

      Reply
    22. JDaniel4's Mom says

      June 30, 2013 at 11:41 am

      I made one of these once before, but I didn't include the fish. What a brilliant addition! I am going to pin this post.

      Reply
    23. DesignedByBH says

      June 29, 2013 at 1:09 am

      Aww, super cute! 🙂
      Hope the move went well!

      Reply
    24. Samantha @ Five Heart Home says

      June 29, 2013 at 12:59 am

      Hopping over from TT&J Weekend Wrap-Up to say I love this idea! Pinning it for my son's upcoming pool party birthday party. Thanks for the inspiration!

      Reply
    25. Angela Abbott says

      June 01, 2013 at 6:41 am

      Just found your blog through the Show & Tell Hop. This is too cute. Thanks for sharing!

      Angel
      http://householdsavvy.com

      Reply
    26. therewasacrookedhouse says

      June 05, 2012 at 4:41 am

      Wow! That looks great. I will have to remember that for our next summer party.

      Reply
    27. Randi~Dukes and Duchesses says

      June 02, 2012 at 2:43 am

      Love it! This would be perfect for a pool party this summer. I love the fish candies ... what a fun touch. Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply
    28. Shasta @ intheoldroad says

      May 31, 2012 at 12:59 am

      That looks good...perfect for summer. I'd love it if you would consider sharing it with our Summer Recipes linky party. We're two blogs sharing one combined linky party for double exposure.

      Shasta
      http://intheoldroad.blogspot.com/2012/05/summer-recipes-and-all-stars-linky.html

      Reply
    29. Scrappy Gifts says

      May 26, 2012 at 4:14 pm

      So cool!

      Reply
    30. Melanie says

      May 26, 2012 at 4:13 pm

      That is awesome! We have to bring watermelon to school this week, maybe we'll make a shark too! Also, where exactly in CA?

      Reply
    31. Keri says

      May 26, 2012 at 3:45 am

      Too cute! That's such a great idea.

      Reply
    32. Laurie @ Rookiewife520.blogspot.com says

      May 25, 2012 at 11:11 pm

      That's so cute!

      Reply
    33. Bindu says

      May 25, 2012 at 9:00 pm

      Wow!!That is cool. have a wonderful summer

      Reply
    34. Renata says

      May 25, 2012 at 7:31 pm

      I love it! I wish I was that patient to creat scuh amazing things!

      Reply
    5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)

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