Dragon Rider Duo

60 min · $5-10 · Medium

A viking rider and a cardboard dragon, ready to fly over the neighborhood.

You need

1 brown t-shirt and 1 pair dark pants for the rider (make: from closet)
Gray felt, 2 yards, or 1 old gray blanket for the dragon tunic (buy: craft store or thrift store)
1 large cardboard box for wings and tail (make: collect spares)
Black and yellow craft foam, 1 sheet each for the dragon eyes (buy: craft store)
1 faux-fur vest or brown scarf for the rider (make: from closet)
1 headband for the dragon eyes
Scissors, tape, and string, 6 feet (make: household tools)

Buy the gray felt, craft foam, scissors, and tape. Pull the brown t-shirt, dark pants, and faux-fur vest from the closet.
Draw the wing shape on paper first and hold it against the dragon person's back: wings should reach from shoulder to hip. Cut two wing shapes and a long tail from the cardboard box with the scissors. Cut the wings smaller than the paper test, not bigger: oversized cardboard wings hit every doorway. Tape all cut edges smooth before wearing.
Glue the black and yellow foam eyes to a headband for the dragon head. The rider wears the faux-fur vest over the brown t-shirt.
Safety: keep wing tips above waist height and tape all cardboard edges smooth so nobody gets scratched.
Rider stands in front with arms out like steering; dragon crouches behind with wings spread. Take the flying photo.
Optional pro finish: tape a row of small cardboard triangles along the dragon's shoulders as back ridges. Ridges plus wings read as dragon; wings alone read as bird.
Optional pro finish: tape a row of small cardboard triangles along the dragon's shoulders as back ridges. Ridges plus wings read as dragon; wings alone read as bird.

How do you keep cardboard wings up?: Tape them to the gray felt tunic, not the person, with wide packing-tape tabs on both sides. Taped wings stay up for hours; glued wings peel.
What is the best pose for the photo?: Rider stands in front with arms out like steering, dragon crouches behind with wings spread. The crouch sells the size difference.

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