Wire dragonfly
You will need:
- wire – we used garden wire cut to 1m lengths for this demonstration, but you can vary the lengths used to make a smaller or larger dragonfly
- wire cutters and pliers
- goggles or glasses to protect your eyes
Instructions
Watch the video below to find out how to make your wire dragonfly. You can pause or repeat the video to follow the steps. Scroll down the page for the written instructions.
- Cut a length of wire and fold it in half. Make a loop for the head by twisting the wire around
- Make a second twist in the wire to make the body. The body is the length of two heads. Make a final twist to create the tail. The tail is three times as long as the head.
- Working back towards the head, take one of the wire ends and wind it around the tail and body.
- Repeat step 3 with the other section of wire. Make the ends safe by using pliers to bend them, tucking them into the body.
- Cut another length of wire and fold it in half. Attach it next to the head by taking one half of the wire and tightly wrapping it around the body twice and repeating with the other half.
- To make a wing, fold one length back towards the body to make a long oval shape. Wrap the end of the wire tightly around the body to secure it and use pliers to tuck the end in.
- Repeat step 6 to make the second wing.
- Cut another length of wire for the second pair of wings. Fold it in half.
- Attach it between the body and head by wrapping each half of the wire around the body twice.
- Repeat step 6 to make another two wing shapes on either side of the body, tucking the ends in with pliers.
- Shape your final dragonfly.
Other tips and ideas
- You can use coloured wire or add string or ribbon to colour the body
- You can recycle the wire from old notebooks for making your dragonfly
- You can recycle the wire from coat hangers if your fingers are strong
