Peter the peanut puppet

Peter the peanut puppet

Materials

• glue (white)

• ice-cream sticks (three)

• needle (darner)

• peanuts (in the shell)

• tempera paint

• thread (heavy)

• yarn

• For Peter’s head and body, string three long peanuts on a long piece
  of thread. Poke the needle through the shells the long way and pull
  the thread through. You may have to twist the needle to get it
  through the shell.

Tie big knots at the top and bottom so the peanuts won’t slip off the
thread. Leave a long tail of thread above Peter’s head.

1. To make hands and arms and legs and feet, string small and long
   peanuts to Peter’s body, as shown. Tie a big knot so the hands and
   feet won’t slip off the string.

2. Paint Peter’s face and clothes with tempera paints (see tempera
   paint, page 66). Let the paint dry.

3. For hair, glue on small pieces of yarn. Do not glue over the thread
   on Peter’s head. Let the glue dry.

1. Make a control stick by gluing three ice-cream sticks together.

2. Attach control threads to Peter, as shown. Tie a knot at the end of
   each thread so the peanuts won’t slip off. Tie Peter’s hand strings
   to the front crosspiece. Tie his legs to the back crosspiece. Tie
   the thread on Peter’s head to the center control stick.

Dab a little glue on the control stick where the threads are tied. This
will keep the threads from slipping off the control stick.

1. To make Peter move, hold the control stick with one hand and pull
   the control strings with your other hand.

On your own

Here are more things you can do with nuts and cones.