Excited to share this Maleficent Dragon backdrop! For our eldest daughter’s 5th birthday she wanted a Sleeping Beauty birthday party. I planned to incorporate Maleficent’s dragon because it is her favorite scene. I searched a bit for some decorations and soon realized I didn’t want a cake topper or a stuffy; I wanted to go big! It dawned on me that I wasn’t going to find what I was looking for online and that I would need to create it.
I hadn’t planned on making anything so of course this turned into a couple of night time crafting sessions. You’ll see the beautiful outfit changes in the video! There was also no intention to turn this into a post. I had taken some video to do a short reel and once I started editing… thought, “why not do the whole thing?!” And here we are! I had tons of fun bring this to life!
Now I need to figure out where to house this thing long term. Our eldest loves it and wants it in their room. The youngest, while she likes it in the dining room where it currently is, doesn’t seem really keen to have it in their room putting her to sleep every night. hmmm…
If you would like a Maleficent Dragon backdrop you will need cardboard boxes, pencil, scissors, paint, and a bit of creativity! Let’s make something beautiful!
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Tools
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- Pencil and Eraser
- Pair of scissors
- Hot glue gun with glue
- 3 Paint brushes one medium size with a course bristle; one medium size with a smooth bristle, and one small brush with a smooth bristle
- Spool of fishing wire
- Hole punch
Materials
- Maleficent dragon image for inspiration
- 3 – 4 boxes Cardboard boxes fairly large boxes, size to your liking
- 1 bottle Green acrylic paint 2 ounces
- 1 bottle White acrylic paint 2 ounces
- 1 bottle Purple acrylic paint 3 ounces
- 1 bottle Black acrylic paint 6 ounces
- 1 bottle Lime Green Glitter
Maleficent Dragon Backdrop
Equipment
- 1 Pencil and Eraser
- 1 Pair of scissors
- 1 Hot glue gun with glue
- 3 Paint brushes one medium size with a course bristle; one medium size with a smooth bristle, and one small brush with a smooth bristle
- 1 Spool fishing wire
- 1 Hole punch
Ingredients
- 1 image Maleficent dragon image for inspiration
- 3 – 4 boxes Cardboard boxes fairly large boxes, size to your liking
- 1 bottle Green acrylic paint 2 ounces
- 1 bottle White acrylic paint 2 ounces
- 1 bottle Purple acrylic paint 3 ounces
- 1 bottle Black acrylic paint 6 ounces
- 1 bottle Glitter lime color
Instructions
Sketch Maleficent Dragon Backdrop
- Find an image of Maleficent's dragon that you would like to pull inspiration from for your design.
- Deconstruct the cardboard boxes lengthwise. Plot which piece of cardboard you want to use for the dragon's head (24 inch x 28 inch), body with little wing (30 inch x 66 inch), neck (25 inch x 48 inch), and big wing (28 inch x 44 inch). NOTE: these dimensions are after cutting out the pieces.
- With the pencil and eraser start sketching based off your inspirational image. I started with the dragon's neck. Work around any cuts/flaps in the cardboard. You may have to sketch a couple times until you find the right proportional size.
- Next sketch is the main body with the little wing. Keep your inspirational image close for reference. Line up the neck sketch with the main body to continue the image.
- Sketch out the dragon's head.
- Finally sketch the big wing.
Cut Out Maleficent Dragon Backdrop
- Get out your scissors and start cutting around the outline of the dragon.
- Arrange the neck cutout to be in line with the main body cardboard. Trace around the neck and cut out.
- Arrange the big wing with the main body. Trace out any access cardboard to cut off.
- Line up all your pieces to ensure the fit and look of your dragon is like your inspirational dragon image.
Time to Paint!
- Using a course bristle brush paint the neck, belly and flaps of the wings and head with purple paint. I enjoyed the project coming out with a rough paint job; it gives it character. However, if you would like a more through paint job use a smooth bristle brush for more coverage.
- Mix the purple and white paint until you get a lilac color. With the coarse bristle brush paint the interior parts of the wing flaps with the lilac paint. Also paint the imaginary center line of the dragon's belly making a bulging belly. And paint the flaps of the head lilac purple.
- Let's paint the rest of the body black! With the smooth paint brush paint everything except the eyes, and mouth black. The smooth paint brush will allow for fuller coverage of the paint.
- You're almost there! Mix green and white paint together until you get a lime green color. With the small smooth bristle brush paint the interior mouth of the dragon lime green. Allow the paint to dry before painting the tongue.
- Paint the eyes lime green with the small smooth bristle brush. Before the paint dries sprinkle on lime green glitter.
- Time to go back and paint the tongue and nostrils lime green and sprinkle on lime green glitter.
Finishing Touches
- Hot glue the neck on top of the body.
- Hot glue the big wing behind the body.
- Use the small bristle brush and paint the neck and chest stripes black across the purple underbelly. As you paint the stripe curve it like an elongated "U" shape with the bottom of the "U" in the middle of the lilac center line of the dragon's belly.
- Hot glue the dragon's head to the neck.
- Time to hang it up! Plot out where you want to hang the Maleficent Dragon. I used three points of the dragon to hang from; both wings and the head. Cut three pieces and fishing wire to your desired length. Punch three holes with the hole punch in your desired hanging locations and tie the fishing wire through the holes.
- Admire your work! Great Job!
What Can Be Composted From This Maleficent Dragon Backdrop?
All your leftover cardboard can be recycled. The painted cardboard unfortunately cannot be recycled. Reuse your Maleficent Dragon Backdrop as decor in a kid’s room, craft room or somewhere you would like it. Share it with others for their special gathering. Or gift it to another who would love it or have use for it (like a school play or classroom??? just throwing it out there!).
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