DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Paper Bag Giraffe Craft

contributed by Leanne Guenther

This is a fun and easy cut and paste paper craft that uses a paper bag as a base to make a giraffe puppet.  I think puppets are a great tool to use in the preschool and kindergarten classroom!

Materials:

• a paper lunch bag
• yellow construction paper or yellow poster paint
• a printer,
• some crayons,
• scissors,
• glue,
• paper for the printer

Optional:

• big wiggly eyes

Fun Foam Option:

• yellow and brown fun foam  (trace the template pieces onto fun foam and then follow directions as normal)

Print the Template:

• Print out the template of choice (color or b&w)
• Color (as required) and cut out the template pieces.

Get Familiar with Your Paper Bag:

• I'm going to walk through this slowly.  Look at your paper bag.
• It should be closed and flat like a piece of paper.  Just like when they are brand new.
• On one side, it's all smooth.  This will be the BACK of your puppet
  • It's important that all the kids get the back and front straight at the beginning!
• On the other side there's a flippy tab (which is typically the bottom of the bag when you're carrying your lunch around...)
  • This flippy tab will be the HEAD
• Lift the flippy tab up a bit.  Underneath of the tab will be the mouth,
  • When the child puts her hand in the bag, she'll be able to make the puppet talk.
• Look at the rest of the front of the bag.  (The 3/4 or so of the bag below the part with the flippy tab)  This will be the BODY.
• Look at the sides of the bag.  There should be a FLAP of paper.  
  • We'll be slipping the arms (template 2) into this flap.
  • If the kids goof and glue the arms onto the front or back of the bag, it isn't a big deal.
• OK, now that we're comfy with our bags, let's craft!

Template #1

• Cover the paper bag with yellow construction paper (just glue it on and trim) or paint the paper bag yellow and let dry.
• Glue the tongue underneath the flippy tab.
• Glue the nose (a big oval) onto the HEAD.  It should overlap the body a bit.
• Glue the eyes onto the HEAD above the nose.  If you like, you can use wiggly eyes instead of the paper template pieces.
• Glue the "horns" onto the HEAD.
• Glue the ears onto the HEAD.
• Glue the hair tuft onto the HEAD.

Template #2

• Glue the arms into the FLAP.
• Glue the spots onto the BODY and the BACK.
• Glue the tail onto the BACK.

Templates:

• Close the template window after 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 1:  (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 2:  (color)   or   (B&W)

Print friendly version of these instructions