how to creating a paper cartoon puppet dino

How to Creating a Paper Cartoon Puppet Dino.

With the right supplies and a bit of time, you can make your very own paper dinosaur that stands or moves. If you'd like a bigger craft project, you could even attempt a paper mache dinosaur or an origami dinosaur! Depending on the colors that you use, you can make your dinosaur look realistic or cartoonish.

Steps.

1. Glue a sheet of green construction paper to a piece of thin cardboard. This will make your dinosaur nice and sturdy. If you don’t have any green construction paper, paint the cardboard with green acrylics or poster paint. Let the glue or paint dry before moving on.

The thin cardboard from cereal and snack boxes works great for this!

If you don’t have thin cardboard or construction paper, try green cardstock instead. You can also use poster paper, but you’ll need to paint it.

2. Draw and cut the body, head, tail, and leg shapes from the paper. Look up coloring book or cartoon pictures of long-necked dinosaurs, then break it down into separate body parts. Draw these separately with a pen or pencil, then cut them out. Here are the basic shapes you’ll need.

A long stem with an oval-shaped head, like a brontosaurus or apatosaurus.

A long, tapering tail, like a skinny triangle.

2 rectangular legs.

A mound- or lump- shaped body, like a semicircle but with rounded bottom corners.

3. Make spikes for the dino's back using paper and cardboard if desired. Glue the paper to the cardboard first (or paint the cardboard). Let the paint or glue dry, then draw 4 to 5 triangular spikes. Cut them out, then set them aside.

Use a different color of paint or paper for this. Orange is a great choice, but a lighter or darker shade of green will also work.

You can also make smaller rectangles for nails.

4. Use a pen to poke a hole in the ends of each limb. Make the holes 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) away from the center of each edge. A pen or pencil will work just fine for a cardstock dino, but if you used thin cardboard, use a nail to make the holes instead.

You’ll need holes in the following areas: base of the neck, base of the tail, and the top of each leg.

Don’t use a hole punch. The hole will be too big and the brad will fall through.

If you're a child, ask an adult to help you with this step, especially if you're using a nail.

5. Poke 4 holes in the body so that you can secure the limbs. Make 2 holes along the wider, flatter, bottom edge of the body. Poke another set of holes on the sides of the body for the tail and legs. As with the limbs, make the holes 1⁄4 to 1⁄2 in (0.64 to 1.27 cm) from the edges.

Don’t poke the neck and tail holes too close to the top; make them closer to the bottom so that your dinosaur has a humped back.

Don’t place the legs too close together. Keep them closer to the bottom corners of the body.

6. Use brads to secure the limbs behind the dinosaur's body. Stick a brad through the front of the neck hole on the body. Slide the neck piece onto the back of the prong, behind the body. Pry open the back of the brad, then press the prongs flat against the back of the dinosaur.

Repeat this step for the tail and both legs. Always add the limbs to the back of the body, not the front.

Make sure that the limbs are facing up as well, otherwise your dinosaur won’t match!

Brad prongs can hurt if they get under your nail. Consider using a butter knife to pry them apart.

7. Glue the spikes to the back of the dinosaur. Flip the dinosaur over so that you can see the back. Draw a line of glue along its back, then add the triangular spikes. Make sure that the flat bases are touching the dinosaur's back while the pointy tips are sticking out.

If you made nails for the dino, glue them to the bottom of each leg.

White school glue and glue sticks will work just fine for this. Hot glue is not recommended because it's too bulky.

8. Give the dinosaur a face. Here is where you can get a little creative. For a simple dinosaur, use a black marker to draw an eye and mouth. For a fancier dinosaur, use hot glue or white school glue to attach a googly eye to the dinosaur's face.

Give your dinosaur more character by adding eyebrows or eyelashes.

Tips.

Your dinosaur doesn't have to look realistic at all. You can even make it pink and blue!

Look up pictures of cartoon dinosaurs. They have simpler shapes, which are easier to copy to your paper.

Things You'll Need.

Green construction paper, Orange construction paper, Glue stick, Thin cardboard, 4 brads, Pen or nail, Scissors, White school glue (optional), Googly eye (optional).