Dragon Puppet

Supplies

STYROFOAM™ Brand Foam:
Balls, 2", two
Balls, 1½", one
Balls, 1", five
Individual-sized cereal boxes, two
Acrylic craft paint: green, red. pink
Green fabric, fat-quarter
Felt: red, yellow, black
Wiggle eyes, two 1"
Optional: Block-out white acrylic paint or gesso; colored paper; stiff white paper (for teeth); scrap cardboard; fiberfil
Plastic serrated knife
Low-temp glue gun and glue sticks
Thick white craft glue
Needle and thread

Caution: This project requires adult supervision. Children should never use a serrated knife or glue gun unsupervised; only adults should handle a glue gun and serrated knife.

Instructions

Carefully open one end of each cereal box and empty out cereal. Cut away two side flaps and top flap on one box; do not cut off the bottom flap. On remaining box, cut away all four flaps. These two boxes will form the dragon's mouth, and the one remaining flap will serve as the "hinge" holding the boxes together.

Stack the two boxes together, so that the side with the remaining flap is on top of the second box and the flap is positioned to fold down and into the second box, forming the "hinge" for the mouth. Fold flap into second box and glue securely to inside of lower box, so boxes are now attached and form the mouth of the puppet.

Cut two, 1" x 4" felt strips. These strips will form loops inside the boxes so that small hands can better move the mouth. Add one strip to the inside bottom of the top box; adjust so that the child's four fingers can fit comfortably under the strip; glue down ends of strip. Add second strip to the inside top of the bottom box; adjust so that the child's thumb can fit comfortably under the strip and glue down ends of strip. Let glue dry.

Using serrated plastic knife, cut small slice from the bottoms of the two, 2" foam balls. Glue to the top box for eyes.

Glue two 1" balls of STYROFOAM™ brand foam to the front end of the top box for nostrils.

Cut the 1 ½" ball of STYROFOAM brand foam in half and glue to either side of the top box for cheeks.

Cut the remaining 1" balls in half and glue onto the puppet for warts.

If desired, paint cereal box with block-out white paint or gesso; let dry. Paint the boxes and STYROFOAM brand foam with green acrylic paint. Let dry.

Cut fat-quarter to measure 17" x 18". Fold the fabric in half, right sides together, forming 8-1/2" x 18" tube. Starting from the top, sew a ½" seam 12" long, leaving the last 6" open.

Turn under ½" at top of tube and gather loosely so fabric tube fits snugly around the back of the puppet mouth. Glue sleeve to back edge of puppet low-temp glue gun.

Glue wiggle eyes to front of 2" balls.

12. Use your imagination to create the dragon of your dreams:

Cut out eyelashes from paper.

Lightly paint the cheeks pink.

Cut out red felt rectangle and glue to the inside of the mouth.

Cut out fire from yellow felt and glue inside the mouth.

Cut out triangles from stiff white paper for teeth. Fold the ends over ¼" and glue the tab under the red felt.

Use a sharp tool such as a toothpick to poke a tiny piece of Fiberfil into each nostril for smoke.

Cut out horns from scrap card board. Score a line near the end of the horn, and fold over for a tab. Paint the horn with red acrylic craft paint. When dry glue the tab onto the side of the puppet head. Decorate with paper punches.

Add other embellishments as desired.