How to Making a Long-Necked 3D 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. Fold and cut a plain white paper plate in half with scissors. Fold the plate in half first, then use the crease as a cutting guide. For best results, use the kind that's made from cardstock and has a frilled edge, rather than the kind that's made from thick cardboard with a rim.
Set aside 1 of the paper plate halves; this will make the body.
2. Cut a dino head, tail, and spikes from the other paper plate half. Draw the shapes on the second paper plate half (the other one will be the body), then cut them out. Make sure that the limbs are proportionate to the body. Don't worry about the feet; you will be using toilet paper rolls for that.
Make the spikes about 1 in (2.5 cm) tall and wide.
Make the tail about 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) wide at the base, and about 1/2 to 2/3 the length of the paper plate.
If you don't know how to draw a dinosaur head, tail, or spikes, look at pictures of cartoon dinosaurs online or in coloring books.
Use the brim to make the neck, if desired. Cut it off first so that you get a C-shape, then cut it in half. Use 1 of these halves to make the neck.
3. Glue the cut shapes to the other paper plate half. The straight edge of the plate is the bottom of the dinosaur, while the curved side is the back. Glue the tail to 1 end and the neck and/or head to the other. If you made spikes, glue them down the dinosaur's back.
4. Use scissors to cut an empty toilet paper roll into thirds. Keep 2 of the segments and discard the third. This will give you rings that are a little over 1 in (2.5 cm) tall. If you don't have any empty toilet paper rolls, you can use an empty paper towel roll instead.
If you're using an empty paper towel roll, cut 2 1 to 2 in (2.5 to 5.1 cm) segments from it.
5. Cut a set of slits into the top of each toilet paper ring. You will be sliding the dinosaur's body into these slits, so make sure that they are directly across from each other. The easiest way to do this would be to squish the rings in half, then cut a 1⁄2 in (1.3 cm) long slit into each one.
6. Slide the dinosaur into the slits. Take the first roll, and turn it so that 1 slit is facing the dinosaur's head and the other is facing its tail. Slide the bottom edge of the dinosaur's body into the slit. Repeat this process for the other leg.
Slide the legs apart until they are on opposite sides of the plate.
7. Paint the dinosaur, then let it dry. Acrylic craft paints will work great for this, but you can also use poster paint too! Use the same colors and patterns for both the front and back. How long it will take for the paint to dry depends on what you are using. Expect to wait about 15 to 20 minutes, however.
You can take the dinosaur's body off of its feet in order to paint it. Do the front first, let it dry, then do the back.
Don't forget to paint the eyes and mouth! Alternatively, you can glue on some googly eyes after the paint has dried.
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.
White paper plate, Empty toilet paper roll, Scissors, Green acrylic paint or poster paint, Glue stick or white school glue.
