Elevator Pitch
The Motley Kids miss our game dragons! We’re going to turn egg cartons into our very own legendary beasts in this craft-along.
This Craft Makes:
This is the description of the craft (with pictures)
Supplies:
You will need:
- An egg carton (we will be using a styrofoam one, but cardboard is easier to paint)
- Two pipe cleaners (sometimes called chenille stems; if you don’t have them then twist ties will also work)
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Tape (masking tape is best but regular Scotch tape works)
- A pencil or drawing instrument
- School glue or tacky glue
- Decorating supplies(some suggestions)
- Tempera paints work well on cardboard but NOT styrofoam
- Acrylics work very well
- Sharpie or other permanent markers work well on styrofoam
- Cardboard egg cartons are very easy to decorate with regular markers
You may also want:
- We always love pompoms, sequins, and other bling
- An extra pipe cleaner for the tail
Steps to Make It
- Cut the lid off your egg carton so that you have a lid portion and an egg holder portion.
- Trim any tabs off the egg holder portion
- Cut down the middle (long ways) of your egg carton to make two long strips of egg holders
- Cut the edges off of the lid so you have a relatively flat piece
- Cut your lid in half — if you have a tab sticking up in the middle, cut on each side to make two flat pieces.
- Set all the carton pieces aside and get your construction paper out. Fold it in half (short way) and draw a wing on it. You’ll want to have a flat portion on the inside edge of your wing for the middle hinge.
- Cut your wing out. You should wind up with two wings that are mirror images of each other.
- Glue the wings to the two pieces of egg carton lid, lining up flat edges if possible. They will NOT match up exactly, and that’s OK.
- Trim your extra egg carton pieces away so your wings are pretty again.
- Decorate your wings! It is easiest to do this before you attach them 🙂
- Flip your wings over and on the BOTTOM of the middle section put a strip of masking tape (clear tape will work too). This is going to reinforce your egg carton and decrease tearing.
- For cardboard egg cartons: Use a pencil, toothpick, or sharp object (with adult help) to put two holes in the middle part of your wing, through the tape, side by side. These will be your attachment holes.
For Styrofoam egg cartons: You do not need to make holes like the cardboard egg cartons but you may find it helpful. If you do not make them now, you will make them by poking through the tape and the egg carton with your pipe cleaner. - Take your egg carton strip (just one) and turn it over so the egg holding sections become bumps facing up. Put a piece of tape (two if you need it) over one of the bumps. We usually use the third one back in a strip of 6.
- For cardboard egg cartons: Use a pencil, toothpick, or sharp object (with adult help) to put four holes in the bump, through the tape, in a square. These will be your anchor holes.
For Styrofoam egg cartons: You do not need to make holes like the cardboard egg cartons but you may find it helpful. If you do not make them now, you will make them by poking through the tape and the egg carton with your pipe cleaner. - Thread a pipe cleaner through the TOP of the attachment holes in your wing, and then down through the anchor holes in the egg carton. You should wind up with the two ends of your pipe cleaner coming out from the egg holding cup.
- Do the same thing with your second wing.
- Take all four pipe cleaners and GENTLY twist them together to secure them, then tuck them into the egg holding cup (unless your dragon needs tentacles)
- Decorate your dragon! We use acrylic paints for Styrofoam dragons, bur permanent markers also work well. You can add eyes, scales, or whatever suits you!
- If your dragon has a breath weapon, you can cut that out of your extra construction paper or use pipe cleaners.
- Once your dragon is dry, take to the skies!