Changing Face Toy-Peking Opera Style

In traditional Chinese opera, there’s a type of performance where performers rapidly change masks. I wanted to create a hand-cranked toy using simple materials like cardboard and thin wire to mimic this effect—a gift for my grandmother, who adores Peking Opera.

My grandmother has been bedridden for over five years, and listening to opera is one of her few remaining joys. I hope this little toy will bring her some comfort and fun as she turns the crank to see the masks change while listening to her favorite tunes.

Materials Used

1. Thick and thin cardboard
2. Steel wire
3. A cylindrical tea tin (or a toilet paper roll) for the "head"

Tools

1. Needle-nose pliers
2. Watercolor markers
3. Craft knife
4. Scissors
5. Pencil
6. Double-sided tape

Note: The kitten is neither a material nor a tool. On the contrary, she is an obstacle to my crafting.

1. Sketch the toy’s base and rotating mechanism, ensuring the head turns 90 degrees per crank (¼ rotation).

1. Cut cardboard into a base and two gears:
2. A larger gear with a 90-degree segment removed from its circumference.
3. Use steel wire as axles to connect the gears, bending one end into a hand crank

1. Wrap the "head" (tea tin) in white cardboard, dividing it into four sections.
2. Paint four different opera masks, one per quadrant.

1. Add four wire stoppers to ensure the head rotates precisely ¼ turn per crank, dropping into place for each mask.
2. Adjust until the head smoothly clears the stoppers when turning.

1. Attach a front panel with a window aligned to the masks, decorated with a traditional headdress and costume.

Success! When cranked, the toy cycles through the masks—just like a real opera performance. I hope it brings my grandmother a little joy.