Dragon Clapper: Material & Tools

Series Summary

One of the easiest ways to introduce your child to the world of artistic exploration is to allow them the freedom to initiate and participate in their very own arts and crafts projects. Three very simple but truly fun projects for children and adults are the creation of a Jacob's Ladder, a dragon clapper and a children's puppet using a variety of art supplies and, naturally, creative vision! Parents who are drawn to such timeless and innovative hobbies as scrap-booking and homemade frame-making will delight in the project featured in this series. Your kids will love creating their own designs and watching their mind's eye create something for friends and family, and you will open your creative spirit wide as you help your child discover their artistic potential. This free crafts video series will take you from choosing supplies to adding finishing touches to your children’s Jacob's Ladder, dragon clapper and puppet. Learn how to gather supplies, paint, measure, construct and decorate your creation. Get started watching these videos and you’ll have a fun children’s Jacob's Ladder, dragon clapper and puppet before you know it.

Video Transcript

"Today I'll show you how to make three classic children's toys. These toys have been played with by children for centuries. They're easy to make with inexpensive materials and simple tools. I'll show you how to make this cute pop-up puppet and give, show you techniques on how to paint her face. Here is one, a fairy princess with tassels as hair and a little trim for a crown. I'll show you how to make a Jacob's Ladder out of blocks of wood and ribbon and I'll show you a little trick; watch that two dollar bill disappear. I'll show you how to make this Dragon Clapper, this is a great toy, children always like things that make noise. This is made out of wood and string and just paint. I'll show you some neat painting techniques to bring it to life. These are the materials that we'll be using to make our wooden Dragon Clapper toy. You need a piece of wood, eleven inches by one and a half by one quarter inch. We'll need a ruler and a pencil for measuring and marking. We'll need some craft paints, some, these are acrylic craft paints. I'm going to be using a green, red, black and white and it's nice to have some good paint brushes. I'll be using a wider brush and a very small detail brush. You'll need a piece of red ribbon. We'll need some sandpaper, this is 180 grit, just to take the rough edges off. We'll need a piece of cord, something pretty strong that we're going to tie the clapper together with. We're going to be cutting our wood with a miter box, this is an inexpensive miter box, and it's a handy thing to have around the house. We'll also be using a drill with about an eighth inch bit. You can use a hand drill, you can use an electric drill."