DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Chinese New Year Girl 3D Paper Model

This is one of the more complicated crafts on the DLTK websites, but it is a fairly simple example of a three dimensional paper model and provides a good introduction to the fun and time consuming hobby of paper modeling.

Chinese New Year is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays.  This little girl is dressed up and ready to celebrate.  She has a sign for each of the years (2012 is the Year of the Dragon, 2013 is the Year of the Snake, 2014 is the Year of the Horse, etc.)

Materials:

• paper,
• printer,
• scissors,
• glue,
• tape,
• something to colour with (B&W version)

Instructions:

• Print out the craft template of choice.
• Color the pieces if using the B&W version of the template.
• Cut out the template pieces.

• Piece 1 - the bottom: 

Put a dab of glue on the tab and roll into a cylinder shape.  Hold it for a second until it's dry enough to stay together on its own.

• Piece 2 - the body: 

Put a dab of glue on the tab and roll into a cone shape.  Hold it for a second until it's dry enough to stay together on its own.

• Piece 3 - the head: 

Fold on each of the dotted lines and put a dab of glue on the tabs.  Push all the pieces together.

Fold the head baubles in half and glue together.  Stick one on each side of the head folding the tabs and using them to attach the baubles to the head.

• Piece 4 - the arms: 

Fold the arms in half and glue together.  Use tape to attach one to each side of the body.  Attach them at least halfway down the body so they don't interfere with the head.

Optional:   Use the tabs on the side of the Happy New Year sign to attach the sign to the arms.

• Final Assembly: 

Put a bead of glue around the bottom and set the body on top.

Balance the head on top of the cone giving the craft a bobble head effect.  You can put a dab of glue on the tip of the cone, but I prefer not to so the head moves around.

Craft Templates:

• Close template window when done printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Template (head and feet)               color   or    B&W

Template (body and balnk sign)     color   or    B&W

Other Options:

Body and Sign - Year of the Dog  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Dragon  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Horse  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Monkey  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Ox  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Pig  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Rabbit  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Rat  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Rooster  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Sheep  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Snake  color   or    B&W

Body and Sign - Year of the Tiger  color   or    B&W

Printable version of these instructions