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Unicorn shape craft

Paper unicorn craft made from 2D shapes

Use basic 2D shapes to create a unicorn picture. It’s math meets crafts!

To say unicorns are big in our house would be an understatement.

When I said to my eldest the other day that we had to go shopping for school uniform, the reply I got was: “WE’RE GOING SHOPPING FOR A UNICORN?!!!”.

You can imagine her disappointment when she discovered we were shopping for a polo shirt and black shoes, not a magical, horse-like creature with flowing rainbow mane…

So yes, we have unicorns on the brain.

Today, we combine our enthusiasm for these mystical creatures with a bit of math (shapes to be precise).

So, without further ado, I give you: a unicorn shape craft.

Why make a shape unicorn?

Combining math and crafts is always fun!

Our aim for today’s post was to create a unicorn picture using some common 2D shapes.

As we made this unicorn shape craft, we talked about the shapes we were using. It’s a great way to recap some basic shapes, practise their names and talk a bit about their properties, whilst also creating a cool picture.

Your child will be doing some math without even realising it.

How we made our shape unicorn

We constructed our unicorn out of construction paper. We chose one colour for the body, head, legs and ear, and then a variety of colours for the mane, tail and hooves. Of course you will need some sparkly or shiny paper for the horn.

To start with, we cut a rectangle for the body and an oval for the head.

rectangle and oval to make body and head

Next, we used two triangles for the unicorn’s legs. (We had a bit of a debate about whether we should use triangles or rectangles but finally settled on triangles due to the fact they would taper in at the bottom).

unicorn paper craft - body, head and legs

Once we had the body and legs in place, we added a small triangle for an ear. Then we had fun adding the mane and the tail. For both we used a selection triangles in different colours and sizes.

For the tail, we overlapped smaller triangles into a vague tail shape. For the mane, we were a bit more strategic and used taller triangles which we glued down one at a time, overlapping each one slightly.

paper unicorn shape craft - adding mane and tail

At this stage our unicorn was looking quite a lot like a very colourful and flamboyant pony. To turn it into a unicorn we added the horn (another triangle) which we cut out of gold gift wrap.

We also introduced a new shape – a trapezium (or ‘trapezoid’ depending where in the world you are based) – to make the unicorn’s hooves.

2D shape unicorn

And finally, we drew our unicorn an eye.

2D shape unicorn paper craft

And there we have it! A unicorn picture constructed out of 2D shapes. A fun craft which incorporates some math too.

Thanks for reading today’s post about our shape unicorn. Happy crafting!

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shape unicorn paper craft for kids pin

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