Puppet Theme

There are so many ways you can make puppets - from cardboard, paper, fabric, spools, paper plate, paper bag, tongue depressors....and so on!  Here are some great puppet ideas:

Cardboard Roll Puppet
Long faced puppets can be made on cardboard rolls.  Glue on a tongue depressor as a handle!

Folded Puppet
Fold a rectangular piece of construction paper in laternating directions for the body.  Make arms and legs in the same manner using strips of construction paper.  Add a circle for a head and tape a srtring on the back of the head so you can "make" your puppet dance!

Finger Puppet
Finger puppets can be made from styrofoam balls, potatoes, apples or anything that can be hollowed out for a finger to be inserted.  Simply hollow out the object and decorate it to look like  head!

Spool Puppet
String spools together with elastic, using large spools for the body and small spools for the arms and legs.  thread elastic through a large button at the end of each arm, leg, and head so the elastic won't slip through.  Draw a face on the top spool and ad dyard for hair if you want!

Paper Bag Puppet
You will need a paper lunch bag, crayons, consctuction paper, paint, yard, glue, buttons, scissors, etc.

Have some parts precut for younger children.  Older children can cut some parts as they assemble the puppet.  Glue on eyes, nose, mouth and whatever else is desired for each puppet.  Bag puppets can take on any form - let the children create their own!

Tongue Depressor Puppet
You will need tongue depressors, felt markers (fine line), scraps of cloth or felt, glue, scissors

Draw a face on the tongue depressor with felt marker.  Cut a piece of cloth/felt for the clothes and glue onto the puppet.  Variation:  Magazine pictures of people or faces of th eappropriate size may be cut out and glued onto tongue depressors to make puppets.

Paper Plate Puppet
You will need paper plates, tongue depressors, felt markers or crayons, construction paper, scissors, glue

Put a face on the paper plate using either felt markers, crayons, or cut pieces of construction paper.  Add construction paper hat, ears or hair!  Glue the paper plate onto a tongue depressor.

Felt Hand Puppet 

2 felt pieces, about 5"x7"
falt scraps of another color
yarn
white paper
needle & thread
pins
pencil
chalk or pencil for fabric
glue
scissors

On a sheet of paper, trace a puppet pattern around your hand (lay hand flat, spreading little finger and thumb out, keeping other fingers together so that the little finger/thumb become the puppets "arms").  Cut out.  Trace the puppet pattern on two pieces of felt with fabric chalk, then cut out the pieces.  Place yarn for hair on the bottom piece.  Pin the two pieces together and stitch together around the outside edge - making sure to "catch" the hair yarn as you go!  Leave bottom open for hand to slip in.  Cut out facial features from felt or yarn and glue on face of puppet.  Add other decorative touches as you wish!

Greeting Card Puppet
Cut out a person or an animal, from a used greeting card, and glue it to a straw or craft stick for a quick and easy puppet!

Envelope Shark Puppet
Seal a business size envelope (long).  Cut a triangle from one of the short ends to make a mouth.  Tape the triangle to the top to make a fin.  Trim off the edge of the envelope opposite the mouth, making an opening for a hand.  Decorate the shark with eyes, stripes, and of course, sharp teeth!

Dragon Sock Puppet
sock
red felt or fabric oval
fabric scraps
scissors
craft glue (try to use glue made especially for fabric)

Put one hand in the sock to find where the mouth should be.  Your thumb should be the bottom part of the dragon's jaw.  Glue on the red fabric/felt oval where the mouth is formed.  Cut out eyes, ears and scales from fabric scraps, and glue them on the puppet.

Tip:  Sew the dragon's features on so he will last longer.  Pin a piece of fabric where you want it, turn the sock inside out and sew it into place.  You can make any animal or even a person from a sock!

Craft Stick Puppets
small cardboard roll
white paper
scissors
craft stick
crayons or markers
tape 
pompoms, rickrack, construction paper or other decorative items (optional)
glue (optional)

Cover the cardboard roll with white paper, and tape it on.  Add features with crayons and/or other decorative items.  Tape a craft stick securely inside the bottom of the roll for the handle.  Works best if taped in two places!

Tip:  Wrapping krinkled aluminum foil around the cardboard roll makes a great astronaut suit!

Paint Stir Stick Puppets
wooden paint stir sticks (in paint section of the hardware store)
tempera paint
felt markers
felt pieces or construction paper
pipe cleaners
glue
other decorative items (optional)

Paint the stir stick the desired color.  Allow to dry.  Add features with felt markers, felt pieces or construction paper.  Add arms or antennae made from pipe cleaners. 

Wooden Spoon Puppets
wooden spoons
markers
tempera paint
paintbrush
construction paper or fabric scraps
yarn
glue

Paint spoons with skin color.  When paint is dry, draw or paint faces on the bowls of the spoons.  Glue on yarn hair and add features like hats with construction paper.  Wrap construction paper or fabric scraps around the handles and glue them on for the puppets' clothes.