Happy Chinese er…or Lunar New Year everyone!!!
Now, I’d like to say we are traditional and doing it up with the festivities. Unfortunately, that’s not the current case! We’ve just moved from Australia to the States. Yes, we are physically closer to our Chinese side of the family now, but with work, NY day on a weekday, grandparents’ car’s in for repairs, AND extended family just had a new baby so it’s all a bit difficult to get everyone together. Luckily, we will be able to drive down to Popo and Gong gong’s house this weekend and celebrate with them then!
If you saw my previous blog post, you’d seen that the kids made some beautiful coffee filter art. Coffee filter watercolors!
Yesterday, after the filters were dried completely, I made them into an over-sized carnation! Beautiful and perfect for maybe Mother’s Day in the near future??
Ok so went off track there a bit. Haha but I thought I’d throw that in there.
SO! I really wanted to make something for New Year. I looked and and researched and with the materials I had in hand, I decided to make a Lion Dancer Mask! It took me a lot longer than I had planned. Nearly the kids’ entire nap. This is because I wasn’t 100% sure if I wanted to make it into a puppet, a figurine, or a mask!
I layered the filters like I did with the carnation and stapled the middle to keep it together. Then I lined two egg carton cups in the middle to make my lion’s FIERCE eyes.
Then I scrunch up the middle to frame the eyes.
Then color in the iris with permanent marker. You can use googlie eyes if you prefer. Or buttons?? Fun to explore various options! I also used another egg section to make it into the red nose. I used tissue paper to cover the nose. Again, try different options! Use buttons, bottle caps, whatever you like!
For the whiskers I used a green pipe cleaner. Easy.
I also made a mouth out of colored construction paper.
I used glue and staples to put everything together. I’m sure you can find other more practical options. Please make sure to share if you do!!
Glue the face onto a paper plate and adhere a stick behind it. Tada! A mask.
You can even attach this to a sock to make it into a sock puppet or attach the rest of the egg carton to the head and make it into a stick puppet? So many ideas….so little time….the kids woke up. 😉
curiouslittlegnomes 