“Don’t throw that in the trash, please” I said to my young daugther. “It can be used to create a puppet.”
These were common words at our house when my children were young. My family was used to hearing them. Even at age five, my son gathered boxes and scraps to be used in my creations.
Since a puppet is any object that is completely controlled by a person and used to give an illusion of life, just about anything can be a puppet. Ive confiscated everything from cereal boxes to mops and brooms to create figures that communicate my ideas. And Ive learned a lot from others who do the same.
You can easily transform socks into puppets by placing them on your hand, then moving your thumb and fingers in a yakking motion. For more ease of movement, cut a slit in the toe of the sock for the mouth and sew in an oval-shaped piece of felt. Add some eyes and hair and your new friend is complete.
For most types of puppets, buttons, sequins, or felt cut in shapes can be used for eyes. Wiggle eyes may be purchased from a craft supplier. Thread, cord, fake fur, felt, or yarn is useful for hair. Ribbons and scraps of lace and cloth will add the finishing touches.
You can even make a puppet from two washcloths sewn together. They’ll be similar to a mitten. Glue or sew some items on the one side to make a face and use your hand inside.
Finger puppets are easy and fun. Take an empty paper towel roll or toilet paper roll, cut in in smaller sections, and use crayons or markers to draw a face. You can even glue on items for the face if you’d like.
Stick puppets are easily created by using a simple white handkerchief. Stuff the center with cotton balls or batting and tie it lollipop fashion on a stick or a pencil. Or, choose several large pictures of people or animals from a magazine. Cut them out and mount them on cardboard and trim. Attach a stick to the back of the cardboard for a handle.
What about that wooden spoon in the kitchen? By drawing a face on the bowl of the spoon, adding hair and a ribbon or bow tie, another puppet has been created.
Need a simple stage to hide behind while using your puppets? You can use a small table laid on its side, a chair, even a large piece of cardboard. It’s easy to find a suitable stage, just look around for objects that you can sit behind.
If you’re interested in using puppets with children, take a walk through you house and look for some old items that you can use creatively. There is no limit to what you can make! Very soon you will have a few puppets and you’ll be able to put on your first puppet show.
Ann Shorb is a counselor, speaker, and writer. Her website includes several free Christian puppet scripts that can be downloaded for your own use, plus a book of scripts that can be purchased.