Paper Plate Sesame Street: Count von Count

When I design kids crafts, my goal is to create something that fills a gap. For example, it is easy to find craft tutorials for certain Sesame Street characters, while others are completely missing. At Fun Family Crafts, we have 16 Cookie Monster crafts, 9 Elmo projects, 5 ideas for Big Bird, 3 for Oscar the Grouch, and 3 for Bert and Ernie, but none for the Count. He's #6 on my list of the Top Ten Sesame Street Characters, so he definitely deserves at least one project tutorial. ("ONE craft tutorial! Ah-Ah-Ah!") 

Presenting, the paper plate version of Count von Count! Affiliate links below. 

Paper Plate Count von Count

Materials: 

• paper plates
• scissors
• white cardstock
• acrylic paint (Wisteria, black, and red)
• craft glue
• black Sharpie
• silver cardstock
• black faux fur

Steps: 

Start by cutting the shapes you will need from the white cardstock. These include two round outer eyes, two half-circle inner eyes, two leaf-shaped bat ears, two rounded fangs, and a long nose, as shown below. Cut a notch from the bottom of the paper plate to make the Count's cleft chin. 

Paint the paper plate, outer eyes, ears, and nose with Wisteria paint. The color is perfect right out of the bottle. When the paint is dry, use black paint to paint the Count's hair and his mouth. Paint a red tongue in the mouth. 

Glue the ears, inner and outer eyes, nose, and fangs to the Count's head. Use a black Sharpie to give him eyeliner along his top lids, extending down slightly onto the plate. Add pupils to the eyes. Then draw pointy eyebrows and color them in. 

Cut or punch a circle from the silver cardstock, then cut out the center to leave a very narrow ring.  

Glue the monocle onto the Count's left eye, tucking it underneath his nose. Cut a triangle of faux fur for his beard, then glue it in place. 

The Count seems like a natural choice for a young child's birthday party. It would be a really fun cake to make, although I did enjoy making Cookie Monster back in the day. Maybe I'll make the Count for Trevor's 17th birthday next June.