How to Paint a Life-sized Chinese Dragon Part II

Chinese New Year was nearly a week ago and I had totally forgotten that I had promised to show you how to make a Chinese New Year dragon.

After painting the scales you will cut them like so:

Add fringe to the back using tape or glue. Next attach each section one at a time (we attached it the wall using staples) and flipping the paper so that the scallop alternates, one section with the scallop on the bottom; the next one is on top. 

You will keeping adding until it is as long as you would like, allowing the body to curve as high or low as your room allows, tapering the scale as it reaches the end of your desired lenght.

As you can see the fringe is always on the "bottom" side of the dragon. 

Next add the dragon's head and feet.

Students Singing in Chinese

We had enough sections to make two dragons that swirled around our school's multipurpose room.

Chinese Ribbon Dance

A dragon of this size was not possible without the help of many volunteers that came out to attach each piece one by one. I am so lucky to have such a supportive group of parents.

DIY Valentine Boxes

Favorite Valentine Boxes

I love to see kids creativity when designing their own Valentine boxes. This one is my daughter's. Isn't she cute?

Made from empty Kleenex boxes, egg carton, googly eyes, glitter paper, pink wrapping paper, black construction paper for eyelashes.

Big Lip Valentine Box

How about this Valentine mailbox, available at Target.

Valentine Mailbox from Friskars

This one is just purrfect, if you ask me!

Scrap Reused and Recycled Art Projects.

...and for the kids who love to play with Legos.

The Pretty Poppy 1

With so many choices, it will be hard to decide. Have fun creating!

Edgar Degas, How to Use Coffee Filters in Art Projects

Ordinary coffee filters used for drip coffee makers are a versatile and inexpensive supply for arts and crafts projects. Perfect for home, or school art program as it can be purchased in bulk. Combine with markers, paint, water, these paper circles can be transformed into a numbers of things.

Edgar +Degas Art Masterpiece

+Degas Style Ballerina

Edgar Degas (deh ɡɑhs); was a French artist regarded as one of the founders of the Impressionism.   He enjoyed capturing female dancers and is famous for capturing movement in his work and  is best known for paintings, pastels and drawings of dancers. 

+Degas Style Sailboat

After a discussion about Edgar Degas, our volunteer art guide Anna, demonstrated how kindergartners in Mrs. Knowlton's class can show movement and texture by using coffee filters. Students drew  and cut out their designs and applied to their background.  Coffee filters were colored with markers and attached as tutus or sails on a sailboat.

Coffee filters also work well with watercolor and diluted tempera paint.  Add the desired about of paint to your water.  The less water you start with the darker your filters will be.  Stir the paint and water together.  Dip each filter in just about an inch in the water.  The coffee filter will soak up the paint. Place on rack to dry. Once dried your coffee filter will have an ombre effect.

Cath Kidtson DIY Bunting

It is hard to believe that we will be celebrating my daughter's 12th birthday in just few days (She's my Christmas baby), and is truly my Christmas gift. I am a blessed mommy. She invited eight of her friends over this past weekend  for a sleepover party. They had a night of Christmas caroling, Christmas scavenger hunt, pillow fights! and staying up until all hours of the night.

"Pillow" fight

We kept the party decorations simple (normally I'd be going over the top); partly because I was running out of ideas and short for time; and  partly because her taste is maturing.

I was also excited that she did not ask for a themed birthday cake and suprisingly requested a s'mores chocolate cake. I baked twelve luscious layers (one for every year); six layers of chocolate cake and six layers of ganache and graham cracker; all topped with toasted marshmallow frosting.

Twelve Layer Chocolate S' mores Cake

Because her birthday is Christmas day we try to keep the party looking like a birthday and not like a Christmas party. It made me super excited that she was willing to to do a Cath Kidston birthday theme, oh... how I love Cath Kidston! UK's popular lifestyle brand, famous for her brightly colored patterns. My daughter's room has a Union Jack theme, so it was a no-brainer to incorporate these together. My two favorite things... Union Jack and Cath Kidston! I love paper crafts and initially purchased a Union Jack bunting printable on Etsy, but decided do my own so that I could incorporate Cath Kidston. The bunting was strung together with 1/2 inch ribbon I found at Michael's.

DIY Cath Kidston Bunting

I think I will recycle the bunting at our annual Teacher's Tea...

You can download printable of some of Cath Kidston bunting by clicking on the images below.