WEARABLE ARTS REVIEW
How we made it...
Our costume was inspired by the festival Chinese New Year. Since the traditional creatures of Chinese New Year are the dragon and lion we decided to make a traditional dragon I think it turned out okay. Our Costume is constructed of a lot of cardboard and newspaper. The head was made out of chicken wire moulded around a bowl which then had a lot of newspaper which we moulded to make the eye sockets and a little bit of the dragon's nose. We made both of the jaws out of cardboard and newspaper and the teeth are made out of cardboard also. We then paper mached the teeth to the jaw so it looked like it had gums. We then got newspaper and made bumps on the nose so it wasn't too flat and unrealistic. After that we cut toilet rolls on an angle to make the nose. We then got used crepe paper and dangled it from the chin of the bottom jaw. We painted the head red and the jaws red. We made the cheek bits out of coloured paper and glitter glue. The tail is made out of a PVC pipe that has been bent. We then put wire through the pipe so there is something for the sheet to hang onto, We have had some ups and downs one of ups for example was when we finished the bottom jaw. We were a little bit distressed when we had to remake the top jaw. For the second time.
The Festival...
Chinese New Year is traditionally celebrated on the 23rd day of the 12th lunar moon of the chinese calendar, I know, it's a long name. The festival goes for 23 days ending on the 15th day of the next year on the chinese new year. People normally clean their house to welcome the spring festival, They put up red posters with poetic verses on the front of their doors. They also put chinese new year posters on their walls and hang red lanterns up around their house. Many people also visit their families at the time of the Festival. At the evening of the festival eve many people set off fireworks to send off any bad luck and bring forth good luck. Children often receive “luck” money. Many people wear new clothes and send New Year cards to each other. Various activities such as beating drums and striking gongs as well as dragon and lion dances are all part of the Festival
What Went Wrong...
Throughout making the costume we had many ups and downs. In this paragraph I'm talking about the downs. When the glue gun broke when we were half way through making it, when the tail kept consistently falling off on the dress rehearsal and the night and when I couldn't go down stairs.
What Went Right...
What made Ella and I really relieved was when we finally put the whole thing together on the dress rehearsal. That made Ella and I really, really happy. I really liked when I first tried on the head and it fit, it was also really comfortable.
What We Would Change...
I think that we should have started way earlier so we didn't have to rush to get everything done and maybe made the head a little bit more balanced. We also would have painted the sheet a little bit more detailed and maybe add a little bit more of a recycled effect.
Here is our wearable arts booklet and some photos
