A hand dragon is a great way to introduce young children to the world of polymer clay. It’s also a fun project for older kids and adults to work on together! You can even make it as a gift for your child’s favorite friend.
To start, gather a handful of air-dry clay from your container and knead it in your hands for a few minutes to activate it. This will help the clay limber and easier to work with as you sculpt.
Once your clay has become a bit stiffer, take it out of the container and begin shaping the body of your dragon. Roll the ball between your palms until it becomes slightly ovular in shape and flatten it out on a surface. This will create a base for the head, legs, and wings of your dragon.
If you’d like to make more detailed limbs, add some more clay from the limbed ball as you model them. The more thick the limbs are, the stronger and more stable they will be when you attach them to your dragon’s body.
Next, model the neck and head of your dragon. Make sure they are a little bit longer than the rest of your dragon’s body and that they are thick enough to support the head. You can also sand down the limbs if needed to make them a bit more solid.
After modeling the neck and head, use some of your limbs to form the tail of your dragon. Ensure that the tail is long enough to cover the end of your dragon’s body, but not so long that it will break off easily when you attach it to its body. You can also use the tail to attach your dragon’s snout to the top of its head.
Finish your dragon by adding a pair of wings, a mouth, and some eyes to the top of its head. You can paint the dragon’s face and eyes to add detail or you can use googly eyes instead if you’d prefer a more abstract look.
For the dragon’s eye, you can use a piece of glass and some thin pieces of clay to create the eyes and nose. Once the base is shaped, you can paint your dragon’s eye with acrylic paint in a variety of colors or glue on some gems, gemstones, or buttons.
When you’re finished, you can mount the dragon and display it on your wall as a work of art or hang it from your window to keep it cool on hot days! The possibilities are endless for this easy and fun project!
Once your dragon is sculpted and painted, you can show it to your friends and family. They’ll be sure to love it!
How to Make a Hand Dragon
The world of polymer clay is filled with endless possibilities. You can find anything from a simple snake to a majestic dragon. Whatever you decide, you can be sure that your child’s eyes will light up when they see their very own creation.
