Fire-breathing Dragon

Total Time Needed:: Afternoon Or Evening

Amazing to look at yet surprisingly easy to put together, this disguise has a magical appeal for kids who love fairy tales.

Materials

Pencil
Scissors
Several large sheets of corrugated cardboard to cut out the pieces in steps 2-9
Acrylic paints and paintbrushes
Clear packing tape
Double-sided foam tape
Masking tape

Several sheets of colored cellophane
Small flashlight
Bubble packaging
Ribbon
Child's belt
Green clothing

Instructions

Mark and cut out all of the cardboard pieces as specified below.
Head: 26" x 20"; Cut out 2 of these.
Teeth: 11" x 2 1/2"; Cut out 4 of these.
Chin Strip: 9" x 4"
Head Strip: 34 1/2" x 4"
Tail Spike: 4" x 4"; Cut out 4 of these.
Tail Strip: 30 1/2" x 4"
Tail Tip: 13" on all 3 sides
Feet: 8" x 7"; Cut out 2 of these; slits are 3/4"
Paint both sides of the teeth white and allow them to dry. With the head shapes mirroring each other, attach the teeth inside the upper and lower jaws with clear packing tape or double-sided foam tape. Next, assemble the head by using masking tape to secure the head and chin strips in place between the head pieces.
Paint the dragon's head, the feet, and the tail pieces with a base coat of green. Be sure to paint both sides of the tail spikes. Allow all the pieces to dry, then paint on eyes, nostrils, and scales.
For a fire-breathing effect, wrap the cellophane around the end of the flashlight and secure it with clear packing tape. Use masking tape to secure the flashlight inside the lower jaw.
Stack 2 large pieces of bubble packaging (ours were 2 feet across the top and 3 feet long) with the bubbles facing in, then cut out a pair of matching wings (24" x 36"). Paint a design on the wings, if desired. When they're dry, reinforce the tops of the wings with packing tape. Poke 3 equally spaced holes through the tape and slip a 16-inch ribbon through each one.
For the tail, make the indicated cuts (each 4" long) in the tail strip and the tail spikes. Slip each spike into a slit in the tail strip and fold the tabs in opposite directions, securing the tabs with double-sided foam tape. Use clear packing tape to attach the larger triangle to the end of the tail. Now fold down a 2-inch flap at the top of the tail, sandwiching the belt between the cardboard and tape in place.
Have your child dress in green. Add the wings by tying the ribbons around her arms and attach the feet by threading her shoelaces through the slits and tying them. Finally, set the dragon head on her shoulders and turn on the flashlight.