Metro Parent / July 2010 / Cheeky Crocodile Paper Craft

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Cheeky Crocodile Paper Craft

Kids can create this cute little critter, featured in the book 'Paper, Scissors Glue,' published by Ryland Peters and Small

Children can snip, snip away to create a scaly little paper crocodile. This simple craft is from Paper Scissors Glue, published by Ryland Peters & Small and written by Catherine Woram, a London mom of two daughters. While we might not see any in Michigan, this croc will be right at home in your kid’s room!

Stuff you’ll need

• Plain paper for template
• Template (click the photo to the right to download it)
• Pencil Scissors (the smaller/more-pointed, the better)
• One piece of color cardstock paper (green – or whatever you please)
• Two googly eyes
• Plain white glue
• White paint
• Fine paintbrush

Directions

1. After you've clicked the image at right, to download the template, print it out on a place of plain paper. Cut it out with scissors.
2. Fold the color cardstock in half lengthwise and draw around the template using a pencil. Make sure the croc’s “back” is positioned along the fold.
3. Snip around the shape of the crocodile’s body, as drawn.
4. Along the back, create a spiky “spine” effect by drawing six evenly spaced pencil lines at a 45-degree angle to the ridge of the spine. Snip along the lines, through the fold. (Smaller scissors give better control.)
5. Open the crocodile flat. The cuts will have created six triangular shapes. Fold these back on themselves, exposing the triangle-shaped holes, and press flat with your finger.
6. Fold the croc back in half again, so the now-knobbly spines stand up all the way along its back.
7. Finish off by gluing a googly eye to each side of the croc’s face. Use the paintbrush to stroke on his teeth with white paint (sketch it with pencil, first, if you’d rather).