Kids Craft: Chinese New Year Dragon Puppet

Have some fun this Chinese New Year and make a colourful dragon puppet to celebrate this vibrant festival.

Kids of all ages will love painting the dragon in bright colours – a red dragon red is especially lucky.
So easy to make with paper plates, an egg carton and some other basic craft items you probably already have at home.

If you’ve ever been lucky enough to experience a Chinese Dragon procession, you’ll know it’s quite the exciting spectacle.

I fondly remember the excitement of seeing Melbourne’s iconic Chinese Dragon as a child. Dancing its way along the Moomba parade route with all the noise of the fire crackers and smell of gunpowder.

I’ve added streamers to this Chinese dragon puppet to capture that same excitement and swirling colour as children  dance around with their puppet.

If you are making this Chinese New Year craft activity with several kids or a school classroom art project, you may like to have a dragon parade with all the finished dragon puppets to celebrate Chinese New Year.

You may also enjoy this other Chinese New Year Craft idea – Chinese New Year Paper Cut Bookmark

You will need:

• 2 paper plates
• egg carton base
• stapler
• glue
• acrylic paint
• paintbrushes
• feathers and streamers

How to make a paper plate dragon puppet:

1. Gather your supplies

2. Cut one plate in half and fold the other in half as pictured.

3. Cut the end of the egg carton off, these will be the eyes.

4. Staple the plate edges together around the edges and glue or staple egg carton section on top.

5. Paint brightly in your favourite colours.

6. When dry, glue on feathers and streamers behind the eyes.

Time to have some fun.
Here is some behind the scenes action of Emma’s puppet making style.

PIN FOR LATER

Revised post – Originally published Jan 2012