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Do any of these puppets look familiar to you?
Do any of these puppets look familiar to you?
Jim Henson, 1936-1990, was an extraordinary artist and visionary who created many famous puppets, such as Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Ernie and Bert, Oscar the Grouch, Grover, Cookie Monster, and Big Bird. Not only did Jim Henson imagine and design what these puppets would look like, but he also imagined and created their personalities.
Jim Henson and the Muppets from Sesame Street, the Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock.
https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Jim_Henson
What, exactly, is a puppet?
What, exactly, is a puppet?
My favorite book about puppet making is The Muppets make Puppets by Cheryl Henson and the Muppet Workshop. This book explains everything you need to know about making puppets and is full of creative ideas and illustrated directions.
Cheryl Henson inherited her father’s creativity and love of puppetry. According to her book, a puppet can be any object or objects that appear to be alive when manipulated by human hands. Puppets teach and entertain and can be found in almost all cultures.
Are you wondering how to make a puppet?
Are you wondering how to make a puppet?
First gather some supplies from around your house. There are so may things that can be used to make puppets. Be Creative!
Recycled items like plastic bottles, boxes, plastic lids and bottle caps, paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls, egg cartons, paper cups, small paper bags, straws
Wire scraps
old socks, gloves (puppet bodies)
scraps of fabric
yarn, ribbon, string, fish line
buttons, beads
cardboard scraps
craft sticks, wooden spoons, old pencils
paper scraps
tape
dried pasta
old kitchen gloves
pencils, markers, crayons, scissors, glue, low temperature glue gun (with parent permission)
Look at the supplies that you have.
Look at the supplies that you have.
Look at these puppet ideas.
Look at these puppet ideas.
Create some puppets!!
Create some puppets!!
Stick puppets
Stick puppets
You can make a stick puppet with a pencil, wooden spoon, wooden fork, ruler, paint brush, paper tube, or anything long and relatively thin that you can hold in your hand and add facial features to the other end.
Look at these stick puppets from the book, Muppets Make Puppets. See how Cheryl Henson and the Muppet Workshop made these puppets from a wide variety of materials, such as objects from the kitchen.
Here are more stick puppets made with craft sticks, spoons, forks, and empty paper towel rolls.
Finger Puppets
Finger Puppets
Puppets you work with your fingers, can be made with a variety of materials and designed many different ways.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FFinger_puppet&psig=AOvVaw2IKIvQ53c15FpTdHkIrYYP&ust=1588779038972000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCMjEhr6FnekCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP
These finger puppets are made with a square piece of paper or a square post-it note, and a marker or pencil.
https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/origami-finger-puppets/
Step by Step Instructions:
Take your square piece of paper and fold one side approximately one third of the way towards the middle. If using sticky notes, keep the sticky side up, and fold the non-sticky edge first.
Fold the other side down to match. You should now have a small, flat tube. Do not worry if you are using paper that doesn’t stick, you do not need to use tape to secure.
Fold the top part of the tube down. This will make the head of the puppet, so make it as large or as small as desired.
To make a human puppet, fold the top corners and the bottom corners of the head towards the back. Now you have a blank face!
To make animals, fold the top corners of the head forward to create “floppy” ears. Fold the bottom corners of the head towards the back to make the face.
Using a pencil or marker, draw a face and any details you choose.
Make as many as you want. Put on a show, tell a story and have fun!
TIP: Place the puppets on the end of pencils and use as stick puppets.
https://www.whatdowedoallday.com/origami-finger-puppets/Here are some videos demonstrating other ways to make finger puppets.
Here are some videos demonstrating other ways to make finger puppets.
Kitchen glove finger puppets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iInt61sktNk
How to make felt finger puppets (No Sewing)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_PTSn-jDcg
Paper Bag Puppets
Paper Bag Puppets
https://cdn.craftymorning.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/paper-bag-puppet-bear-craft-for-kids.png
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tS_KyWRv0IQ/Twuwpc06JkI/AAAAAAAACf8/vxR9eccLLnI/s1600/IMG_8185.JPG
Check out this video on how to make a paper bag puppet with The Friday Zone!
Check out this video on how to make a paper bag puppet with The Friday Zone!
If you don’t have a paper bag, here is a video that shows how to make a pocket puppet with paper. Remember, you are the artist, so watch the video to get ideas and then design your own pocket puppet.
Watch:
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n4A_rabcwg
Sock puppets
Sock puppets
If you have an old sock, you can create a sock puppet! Look at the sock puppets by Cheryl Hanson and the Muppet Workshop.
There are many ways to make sock puppets. Be creative and use the materials you have and create your puppet YOUR way!
I recommend regular white glue, like Elmers’s glue, or a low temperature glue gun to attach features to your puppet, rather than the contact glue shown in the video.
How to Make Sock Puppets
How to Make Sock Puppets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yn_pzsdhAY
How to Make Simple Sock Puppet | DIY
How to Make Simple Sock Puppet | DIY
Shadow puppets
Shadow puppets
If you have ever held your hand in front of a light and moved your hand to make shadows that look like an animal or creature, then you have made shadow puppets. A shadow puppet is a puppet made with a shadow.
How to make hand shadow puppets
How to make hand shadow puppets
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kz8wP2RYy64
https://www.etsy.com/listing/77396412/vintage-illustration-shadow-puppets
You can also make shadow puppets with paper and sticks.
Watch:
Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OsdMqNIcrls
https://en.smallable.com/phosphorescent-scary-shadow-puppets-moulin-roty-107902.html
Marionette Puppets
Marionette Puppets
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/478155685408661910/
A marionette is a puppet with strings. Marionettes can be simple or complex and made with any materials that are available to you. Be creative and create your puppet YOUR way!
How to make a marionette (human body parts)
How to make a marionette (human body parts)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLa2-zOr-Fg
How to make a dragon marionette
How to make a dragon marionette
Puppet personality and Character
Puppet personality and Character
https://muppet.fandom.com/wiki/Was_Kermit_named_after_a_childhood_friend_of_Jim_Henson%3F
Who is your puppet?
Remember Jim Hanson’s Kermit the frog, who was happy and friendly, and Oscar the Grouch, who was angry and very grouchy?Creating the personality and character of a puppet is almost as important as actually making the puppet. What personality will your puppet have……..friendly, happy, grouchy, angry, sad, quiet, loud, silly, serious, scholarly, athletic, ferocious, scared, timid, messy, neat? You might create a puppet that looks scary and mean but behaves in a very kind, thoughtful way. As you speak for your puppet, experiment with different voices that express the puppets personality.
Writing a story for a puppet show
Writing a story for a puppet show
After you have created your puppet, you can write a puppet show for your puppet to perform. You could perform a story you already know, such as your favorite book. You could use your imagination and write a new story with the puppets you have created.
https://thewritelife.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/write-a-memoir.jpg
You could perform a puppet show that your family will enjoy.
You could perform a puppet show that your family will enjoy.
Simple puppet theaters can be made with a medium or large size box and help from an adult.
If you want to learn more about Jim Henson, here is a link:
Biography
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