Paper puppets
Finger puppet
Here are some puppets you can make using just paper and paste. Use your
arm for a stage or make a puppet stage (see page 268). And don\’t forget
about the paper-bag puppets on page 28.
Play with a puppet on your finger. Cut a strip of paper and tape it
around your finger. Then slip the paper tube off and press it flat, with
the tape on the bottom. Draw a face and color the clothes. Glue on
feathers to make an Indian. To make a scary witch, use bits of yarn for
crazy hair. Or add ears, whiskers, and a tail to make an animal.
Peppy puppet
Here’s a puppet that will dance on your fingers. Draw a picture of a
person on stiff cardboard. Draw two big circles instead of legs. Cut out
the puppet. Cut out the insides of the circles (see inside cuts,
page 37). Color the puppet. Put your first and second fingers through
the circles. Use your fingers as legs to make your puppet run and play.
Stick puppet
These stick puppets might make you think of lollipops. Draw a picture of
a person or an animal on stiff cardboard. Cut out the shape. Glue on, or
draw, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, hat, and clothes. Tape a pencil, a
plastic drinking straw, or a stick to the back of the puppet to use as a
handle. If you want arms and legs that move, cut them out separately and
tape them on. Or, punch holes and attach the arms and legs with yarn.
Tie on cardboard hands and feet.
Stick-puppet cutout
Cut a strip of cardboard at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide and 12 inches (30
cm) long. Score the cardboard three times at each end of the strip (see
scoring, page 36). Fold on the scores to form a triangle and glue in
place. Cut out a magazine picture of a person or animal. It’s best if
the person or animal is standing. Glue the picture to a stiff piece of
cardboard. When the glue is dry, cut out the figure and glue it to the
triangle at one end of the strip.
