A FEW cents will be sufficient to buy enough tissue-paper to model good-sized elephants, too large to stuff into the Christmas stocking, for they measure six or seven inches in length and stand four or five inches high; and you can make chickens nearly life-size, and the queer little turkeys, too.
You must select paper of the necessary color, and fold, roll, fold, squeeze, fold, tie, with here a little pull and there a little pat, a spreading out, a pinching in; that is all. There is no sewing, no pasting, no pinning, merely modelling and tying, using only tissue-paper and string.
These animals are very substantial and unique. They are not at all thin or flat, but well rounded out and lifelike, with character and independence enough to stand alone—just the kind your little brother and sister will be delighted with, for they may play with the toys free from all danger of hurts or bruises. To
Make the Chicken
select a sheet of tissue-paper of a soft yellow color, cut it through the centre, fold into two pieces. Take one of the halves and gather up the long edge where it has been cut ([Fig. 92]), then gather the opposite edge ([Fig. 93]). Crease the paper as it is folded by holding one end with the right hand ([Fig. 92]), and drawing the paper several times through the partially closed left hand. This will cause it to retain the creases, as seen in [Fig. 93].
Fig. [92].—The beginning of the paper chicken.
Fig. [93]—Second step in modelling chicken.