Paper dragons
Difficulty: Average
Parental supervision is recommended
Fire up your Chinese New Year Parade with this easy, colorful paper dragon for kids.
What you'll need:
- Tempera paints, in colors desired
- Paint Brushes
- Wide Crepe paper (at least 3 1/2" x 3')
- Printed pattern (see below)
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons to decorate the head
- Heavy paper (1" x 7")
- Stapler
How to make it:
- Make a sample dragon if doing this as a group project, so the kids can see how the parts fit together.
- To make the body of the dragon, cut a strip of wide crepe paper 3 1/3 - 4" wide and between 4 and 6 feet long.
- Have the child dab an assortment of spots and lines on the crepe paper with a paintbrush. Let dry. If desired, hang the crepe paper on a clothesline or some place so it can dry.
- Take the paper plate and trim off the two sides as shown.
- Fold the plate in half, have the children decorate one half with eyes and nostrils as shown. They can also put a red mouth on the inside of the plate.
- Take 5 pieces of narrow (about 2" wide) crepe paper that are a foot long each. Fold them half and in half again, then unfold and have the children cut up along the folds, making each streamer have 4 long strips. Do not cut the last inch, and then you can attach them easily as one piece. Four will make a mane on the back of the head, one will be a beard.
- Staple the handle across the bottom of the folded plate (made from a 1x7" piece of sturdy paper).
- Glue the 4 crepe paper strips you just made to the underneath back of the head. Glue the wide body strip below them. Glue the last narrow set of strips to the dragon's chin at the bottom front of the plate.
- Let the glue dry, grab the handle with one hand, hold your dragon high, and have a parade. Be sure to make your dragon dance!
