Chinese New Year Special: Best of … Snakes

Chinese New Year is this Sunday, February 10, 2013

THE YEAR OF THE SNAKE

So, here it is….

The Lunchbox Season’s

BEST OF…SNAKES!
and a Chinese New Year Feast

Snake Sock Puppets
DIY Snake Puppets made from socks, googley eyes and ribbon.

Python Masks
A free printable python mask with additional DIY/Instructions.

Necktie Bean Bag Snakes
Transform a dollar-store necktie into a bean-bag snake – a great shoulder companion!

Snake Skip-Counting Game
Free printable sheets and instructions for a snake-shaped skip-counting game.
Use chocolate coins, poker chips or other tokens and get started on all of the fun!

Serpent Mobiles
DIY serpent mobile with free printable template.
Hang these from your lights or from the ceiling as your Chinese New Year decor!

Snake Stick Puppets
Snakes on dowels. Easy DIY.

Snakewiches
Easy to make snake sammies!

Chinese New Year Feast
Have a fabulous Chinese New Year Feast!
Recipes for Pork Potstickers, General Tso’s Chicken, and Kung Pao Shrimp.
And a cute cupcake dragon/snake as your dessert inspiration!

Enjoy!
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
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Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning

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March 15, 2012

MARCH breAK! 2012: DIY Python Masks

In the story I wrote for the kids to illustrate, A The Adventures of Sir Lochrann Holmes: A Study in Emerald, a pair of pythons named Drebber and Strangerson have landed in Ireland, disrupting the life of the grass snakes who live in secret there. Today, we made python masks so that the kids could act out a scene from the sixth chapter of our piece!

DIY Python Masks

Supplies
Stiff Watercolour OR Plain Paper
Watercoulours and Brushes OR Markers, Paints, Crayons, etc
A few feet of Elastic OR string
Scissors
Computer/Printer or Permanent Marker
My Hand-drawn Template: (just right-click on the image to the side and copy)

Method
Copy and print out the template on watercolour paper you’ve cut down to 81/2×11 size or plain paper. OR, Hand-draw a similar mask with permanent marker on watercolour or plain paper.
Watercolour the mask, or use the art supplies of your choice. You’ll notice that the printer ink will mix with the watercolours in interesting ways.

Let Dry.

Cut out the mask via its outline.

Bend the paper slightly to create an incision in each dark eye.
Cut a large circle around the black eye circle. You may want to place the mask up to the face at this point and adjust by making the eye holes a bit larger towards the centers or faraway sides. We made ours pointier at the top.

Use the tip of the scissors or a skewer to make a small hole in or near the dark circles on either side of the mask.
Insert elastic or string in one of the holes from front to back.

Knot several times at back of mask and then pull taught.

Insert other end of elastic or string in the hole on the front of the other side of the mask.

Raise mask to face and pull elastic or string tight enough to hold mask to face without either slipping off or pinching too tight.
Place a mark on the elastic/string if so desired.
Knot elastic or string at back of mask.

Trim the free ends of the elastic or string near the knots.
Enjoy!

________________________
Quick Links for Mobile Users
The Lunchbox Season : Summer of Funner : In Defense of Burning