TP Tube Dragon

It's official. I'm a Maker. I have the badge to prove it.

My friend Dashka Slater (who wrote Dangerously Ever After) and I participated in the East Bay Mini Maker Faire. To celebrate the release of our books we created fire- breathing dragons from toilet paper tubes and "poisonous" amanita mushrooms from crepe paper and wax.

I was in charge of dragons.

Here's how to make a dragon like this from a toilet paper tube.

 The TP tube will have a seam that intersects the edge of the tube. Cut along one seam and then cut again at 90 degrees to the first cut. The red lines on the photo to the left indicate where to cut.

 Don't cut all the way around. Leave about an inch between the ends of the two cuts.

 After cutting,  you will have a vaguely  triangular shape at one end of the tube.

 You can divide this triangular shape to make a dragon with multiple horns. Here I am making a four-horned dragon.

 Pinch the tube opposite the triangular shape so that the top and bottom are the same length, as shown. Pinch the ends only.

 Cut along the pinch marks for about 3/4 to 1 inch.

 Pinch along the upper and lower tabs created by the cut you just made. Wiggle the card board back and forth to loosen it and make it easier to fold.

 Fold the tabs over twice as shown.

 Do this for both top and bottom tabs. These will be the lips.

Pinch the tube just behind the cut for the mouth and fold it inward.

Repeat pinching the tube and folding it inward on both sides.

 Add a bit of glue to the inside of the folds you just made.

  You can clip them while the glue dries.

 You can curls the horns around a pencil...

 or just twist them with your fingers

 Fold the horns forward. Then make a second fold just a little higher up on the horns and fold back.











Glue along the first fold you just made and clip until dry...

 this will make the horns stand up like this.

 Push the little point behind the horns at the bottom of the tube forward...

until the tip of the point touches the top of the tube. Two folds will form on either side of the point.

  Now pinch those two folds together.

 Glue them.

 Clip them until dry.

Now you have the shape of the dragon's head.









Push a stick or pencil through the bottom.

Paint the dragon's skin.  Paint on eyes or add buttons for eyes or glue on googly eyes from the craft store.

 Glue thin strips of tissue or crepe paper to the inside of the upper lip.

Blow through the back of the dragon's head to make him breath fire.