Make a Paper Snake

Paper snakes are fun and easy to make. They are a great craft to learn about snakes. They also make great decorations for Halloween, or for nature lovers. This article will show you a few simple and fun ways of making a snake out of paper.

Steps

Using a Paper Plate

1. Gather your supplies. This is a simple snake that you can make out of a paper plate. It lays flat on your table, but springs up into a long snake when you hang it! Here's a list of what you will need:
   • Paper plate
   • Acrylic or tempera paint
   • Paintbrushes, spongers, etc
   • Pencil or pen
   • Scissors
   • Crayons, markers, or googly eyes
   • Red paper or ribbon
   • White school glue or tacky glue
   • String, thumbtack, hole punch (optional)
   • Rhinestones, glitter, etc (optional)
2. Cut off the raised edge of a paper plate. Be sure not to go too far into the middle or else it may not be big enough.
   • If you don't have a paper plate, use a small plate to trace a circle onto a large sheet of paper. Cut the circle out using a pair of scissors, and use that circle instead.
3. Paint or decorate the paper plate. You can paint the snake however you want. You can use a paintbrush, a sponge, or even your fingers. Snakes come in many different colors and patterns. Here are some ideas to get you started:
   • Paint the plate a solid color and let the paint dry. Next, dip a sponge into a different color and tap the excess paint off onto a paper towel. Then, dab the sponge all over the plate. If you want to add another color, wait for the first one to dry. This will give you a scale-like effect.
   • Wrap a sheet of bubble wrap (bubble-side-out) around a rolling pin and secure it with tape. Pour two colors of paint onto a palette and gently roll the pin across. Next, roll the pin across the plate. You will get a scale effect.
   • You can also color the other side of the plate to make the snake's belly. Most snakes have a plain, light colored belly. Do this once the top of the snake dries.
4. Draw a spiral on the back of the plate. Make the spiral about half an inch thick. It doesn't have to be perfect, but try to make it even all the way around. The center of the spiral will be the snake's head, so make it rounded.
   • You are drawing the spiral on the back so that you won't see it on the top.
5. Cut out the spiral shape. Start front the outside of the spiral, and work your way in. Try to do this right on the line, because you don't want the line to show on the finished product.
6. Add more decorations to the snake. At this point, you can paint on some extra designs to make your snake even more special. Here are some ideas to get you started:
   • Paint thick stripes across the spiral to make a striped snake.
   • Paint Xs or diamond shapes across the spiral to make a diamond pattern.
   • Glue some colorful rhinestones using white school glue or tacky glue. Try not to add too many, or your snake will be too heavy.
   • Make some squiggles and patterns on the snake using white glue. Then, shake some glitter onto the glue. Tap off the excess glitter and let the glue dry.
7. Add the eyes onto the front of the head. You can draw the eyes on using a marker or crayons. You can also paint the eyes on. If you have googly eyes at home, you can glue them on using white school glue or tacky glue.
   • Remember, the head is the rounded part in the middle of the spiral.
8. Add the tongue. Cut a thin 1 to 2 inch (2.54 to 5.08) long rectangle out of red paper. You can also use a piece of thin, red ribbon. Cut a V shape into one end of the rectangle. This will be the snake's forked tongue. Lift the head up and glue the tongue under it.
9. Punch a hole through the snake if you want to hang it. You can punch the hole at the end of the tail, right between the eyes, or even in the tongue. Thread a piece of string through the hole and tie it in a knot. Use the other end of the string to hang the snake from a door knob, a stick, or even a thumbtack in the wall.

Using Construction Paper

1. Gather your supplies. You can easily make a snake out of construction paper rings. The more rings you add, the longer your snake will be. Here's a list of what you will need to make such a snake:
   • Several sheets of construction paper
   • Red paper
   • Scissors
   • Glue stick, tape, or stapler
   • White school glue or tacky glue
   • Markers, crayons, or googly eyes
2. Find some construction paper. You will need at least three pieces. You can use all one color to make a solid-colored snake. You can also use different colors if you want a striped snake.
3. Cut the paper into 1½ to 2 inch (3.81 to 5.08 centimeters) thick strips. You will need at least 16 strips. The more you make, the longer your snake will be.
   • Consider stacking the paper and cutting several sheets at the same time. This will make the cutting part faster.
4. Make a ring out of a strip of paper and glue it shut. Pick up a strip of paper and bring the two ends together. Overlap them by about 1 inch (2.54 centimeters). Use a glue stick to hold them together. You can also use tape or a stapler instead.
   • Do not use white school glue or tacky glue. It does not dry fast enough. Your snake will fall apart before the glue dries.
   • If you are using a stapler, ask an adult to help you.
5. Slip a strip of paper through the ring and glue the ends together. Keep repeating this step until you run out of strips of paper. You can make your snake just one color, or you can make it many colors. You can give your snake a pattern, or make the colors random.
6. Add the tongue. Cut a skinny rectangle from red paper and cut a V shape into one end to make the fork. Fold the flat side over by about ½ inch (1.27 centimeters) to make a tab. Glue the tab to one of the end rings.
7. Add the eyes right above the tongue. You can draw them on using a marker or crayon. You can also glue them on using some white school glue or tacky glue.

Using Toilet Paper Rolls

1. Gather your supplies. If you have any spare toilet paper rolls laying around, you can turn them into a fun, wiggly snake using a bit of paint and string. Here's a list of what you will need:
   • 3 – 4 toilet paper rolls
   • Acrylic or tempera paint
   • Paintbrushes
   • Scissors
   • Yarn
   • Red paper or ribbon
   • White school glue or tacky glue
   • Markers, crayons, or googly eyes
   • Hole punch
2. Gather three to four toilet paper rolls. If you cannot find that many toilet paper rolls, you can use some paper towel rolls instead.
3. Use scissors to cut each toilet paper roll in half. If you are using paper towel rolls, cut them into thirds.
4. Paint the toilet paper rolls and let them dry. You can paint them all one color. You can also paint each roll a different color. If you want to add patterns and designs, wait for the paint to dry first.
5. Choose two rolls to be your head and tail tip and set them aside. You don't want them to get mixed up with the body of the snake.
6. Punch four holes in each body piece. There will be two holes on the top, and two holes on the bottom. The holes need to be straight across from each other. Make sure that the top and bottom holes on each side are aligned.
7. Punch two holes into the head and tail tip piece. The holes need to be straight across from each other.
8. Cut some yarn into 5 inch (12.7 centimeters) long pieces. You will need enough pieces to tie the rolls together.
9. Tie the pieces together using the yarn. Don't tie the yarn too tight, or the snake won't be able to wiggle. There should be a gap between each piece. Try to hide the knot inside the snake.
10. Add the tongue. Cut a long, skinny rectangle from a piece of red paper and cut a V shape into on end. You can also use a piece of red ribbon. Glue the flat end inside the snake's head. Make sure that it is in the middle of the mouth.
    • If you want your snake to have a closed mouth, ask an adult to staple the end of the roll shut, right over the tongue.
11. Add the eyes. You can draw the eyes on using a crayon or marker. You can also paint them on. If you have any googly eyes at home, you can glue them on using white school glue or tacky glue.

Tips

• Look at pictures of real snakes to get ideas for your snake.
• Read a book about snakes while you work. This way, you can learn about them too.

Warnings

• Do not let these snakes to get wet.
• Play gently with these snakes. Paper is fragile and can rip easily.
• Adult supervision is required for cutting steps.

Things You'll Need

Using a Paper Plate

• Paper plate
• Acrylic or tempera paint
• Paintbrushes, spongers, etc
• Pencil or pen
• Scissors
• Crayons, markers, or googly eyes
• Red paper or ribbon
• White school glue or tacky glue
• String, thumbtack, hole punch (optional)
• Rhinestones, glitter, etc (optional)

Using Construction Paper

• Several sheets of construction paper
• Red paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick, tape, or stapler
• White school glue or tacky glue
• Markers, crayons, or googly eyes

Using Toilet Paper Rolls

• 3 – 4 toilet paper rolls
• Acrylic or tempera paint
• Paintbrushes
• Scissors
• Yarn
• Red paper or ribbon
• White school glue or tacky glue
• Markers, crayons, or googly eyes
• Hole punch

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Sources and Citations

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