Things You'll Need:
- Long, flexible plastic pipe (at least 5 to 6 feet in length) with a diameter of 1 foot
- Several pieces of PVC pipe (approximately 3 to 4 feet in length)
- A large role of canvas
- Chicken wire
- Paper mache supplies (water, flour, Elmer's glue)
- Fabric paints or fabric markers
- Fabric glue
- Newspaper
- Duct tape
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Step 1
Obtain an image of a Chinese dragon costume. There are a lot of different color patterns and styles out there. Check out this picture of an impressive but low cost Chinese dragon costume (http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/Media?MEDIA_ID=32110).
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Step 2
Decide how long you want your dragon to be. If you have several people standing inside the dragon, allow at least 3 feet between them, starting with the person who stands directly beneath the head. Decide on a length and cut the flexible plastic pipe accordingly.
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Step 3
Cut a long, narrow section of canvas, just large enough to wrap around the plastic pipe and to cover its entire length. This canvas represents the dragon's long, snake-like body. Experiment with different design concepts for the body. Most Chinese dragons have large scales on top of the body, with a different scale design on the dragon's underside.
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Step 4
Draw your designs onto the canvas in pencil and color them with fabric markers or fabric paints (I recommend Cameo paints). The Chinese dragon is famous for its bright, contrasting colors and complex designs. Choose colors that create a distinct, dynamic and vibrant look.
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Step 5
Attach the fully dried and finished canvas to the plastic tube by slightly overlapping its edges and gluing them to each other with fabric glue (I recommend Fabri-tac adhesive). Cut holes through the tube and canvas along the bottom of the dragon's body at the intervals where people will be standing. Insert the PVC pipes into these holes.
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Step 6
Build the dragon's head using paper mache and wire. Form the wire into whatever size and style of head you wish. I recommend making the mouth extremely large. Make a paper mache mixture of three parts water and one part flour. Place strips of newspaper in the mixture and cover the wire frame with them. Completely cover the frame with newspaper and allow to dry.
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Step 7
Decorate and color the dried paper mache dragon head with fabric markers or fabric paint. Create large, open eyes and intricate, colorful designs on the face. Attach the dragon head to the dragon's body by forming the excess chicken wire around the pipe end. Run several layers of duct tape around the wire and the pipe to hold it in place. Cover the duct tape with the canvas from the dragon's body.
