Animation, Stop Motion Animation & Puppet Making, Cartoon and Comic Arts Courses (Undergraduate)
Making a Paper Puppet
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Transcript of Making a Paper Puppet
Making a 2D Paper Puppet
1.
1Choose a figure. Try to choose characters with an ambiguous identity or description,
so that you can reuse them in other puppet shows. You can find figures anywhere, but
the Internet has a wealth of options available at the touch of a button.
2.
2Make the figure. On a piece of paper, trace out the figure to the desired size. You may
like to reinforce the paper with card, or draw it directly on to card, so that the paper
doesn't flap around during your performance.
Think about the back side, too! Will your puppet be turning around during use? And if
you do make a back side, does it need fins or a tail?
3.
3If you'd like, consider using paper plates. If a circular shape would aid well to your
project, consider using this sturdy, textured material. It works well for fish, crabs, clams,
and other plump creatures.
If you use two, it gives ultimate volume. Cut a slit to the center and reglue them together
with a bit of overlap. Taking a section out forces the paper to bend into more of a
shallow cone shape. Place the wide sides together to form the body of your animal.
4.
4Color it in. Color is an important part of any puppet show. Make your characters bright
and interesting, so that the audience's eye is pleased.
5.
5Make the handle. Find a clear plastic straw and attach it to the back of the puppet with
cello-tape or blue tack. Be sure that it is long enough that your hand is some distance
from the actual puppet. You don't want your arm in the show!
Alternatively, get some fishing wire and attach it to your puppet so you can hold it from
the top. This, however, requires you to stand up while performing.
6.
6Add any decorations. For eyes, use the googly kind (attach with glue). If you're making
a Puffer Fish, like in the pictures, consider using straws cut down at an angle to about 2"
(5 cm) and attached all over the body.[1] Cut some small fins out of your paper or paper
plate. Tada!
Making a Sock Puppet
1.
1Choose the sock. Try and find some that would come up to your knee, so that when
you wear them as puppets it doesn't look as if half the puppet is your arm. Stay away
from ones that have stains or holes.
Choose colors that match your character's personality. Stripy socks make the character
seem bright and happy, while plain black makes them look mysterious or criminal. If
your sock is taking on an animal persona, use the color of the sock as the color of their
body.
2.
2Put the sock over your hand and arm. When you're wearing the puppet, poke some
fabric down into the hollow between your thumb and index finger. This will make a
mouth. Also hold your wrist perpendicular to your arm, so that the audience can tell
where the head ends and the body begins.
This is the quickest way to make a sock puppet. If you're looking to get a little more
creative, take a gander at wikiHow's Make a Sock Puppet for a few more intricate
varieties.
3.
3Add the eyes. You can find a variety of types of eyes at your local arts and crafts store.
Choose big 'googly' ones that will make your characters look slightly unreal. Be sure
that they suit the character as well. Attach each one with a dab of glue
Pom pom eyes are also a cute addition. They add a bit more shape to the normal sock
silhouette. They're also easier to rest glasses on!
4.
4Add any additional features. A sock puppet can be the bare minimum or it can be
dressed to the nines. Add a felt tongue, a clump of string for hair, a ribbon, a necktie, or
whatever your sock character might wear.
Method 3 of 6: Making a Finger Puppet
1.
1Trace your finger on a piece of paper. Leave 1/2" (1 cm or so) extra on all sides,
stopping just below your second knuckle. This is the template for your finger puppet.
2.
2Cut out your felt pieces. You'll need two of your template (front and back) plus any
extra bits. Wings for your butterfly? A nose for your elephant? A beak for your chicken?
Ears for your rabbit? Get as intricately detailed as possible.
If your brain isn't firing on all pistons at the moment, look up a few generic cartoons for
detailing inspiration.
3.
3Sew on the additions. Before you get to sewing the base of the puppet, sew on all the
small, finer details. While you have your thread out, sew on a grin with abackstitch.
A whip stitch will probably be best for adding your eyes/nose/beak/wings/general
details. If sewing isn't your forte, you may be able to get around most of it with hot glue.
But take care -- glue and felt isn't always pretty, especially if too much glue is used.
4.
4Place the top and bottom of the body on top of each other and sew together.Do
a blanket stitch around the entire body; if you've added a piece that doesn't allow for
this, switch to a running stitch.
Now all you've got to do is put 'em on and get to creating. Unless you want to give your
puppet 9 more friends, of course!
Method 4 of 6: Making a Muppet-Like Puppet
1.
1Get a hold of a large styrofoam ball and start sculpting. Soft foam works, too, but
styrofoam is easier to carve out. The tough part about this is that you have to sculpt a
face. The easy part is that puppets come in all shapes and sizes and you
can'treally mess it up.
The major points to cover are indentations for the eye sockets, a bulge for a nose, and
removing the lower jaw (if you want it to talk).
If you do want it to talk, leave a space for your hand to go into!
2.
2Cover your puppet head with fleece. Start at the middle of the face and work your
way out, hot gluing as you go along. Spray adhesive also works, but it's a bit harder to
work with. Readjust and stretch as you glue, keeping the fleece tight against the
styrofoam. Get deep into the indentations (like the eye sockets) and keep it secure, like
skin would naturally be.
You can either have the nose be part of same material as the head, stick it onto the
styrofoam ball, or cover it in fleece and then add it to the face. One way is not better
than any other.
3.
3Add on the facial features. Bottle caps can be used for eyes, but so can beads, puff
balls, or anything you can find wandering through your local craft supply store. As far as
the lower jaw goes, if you removed it, cover it in fleece and hot glue just the very edges
to the head. The styrofoam jaw should still be able to move -- just the fleece should be
hot glued and attached.
Depending on the size of your puppet, it could be donning a full-fledged wig or hat on its
head. Neither of those available? Throw on a hoodie! Problem solved.
Add felt eyebrows and ears, if desired. Every puppet is different, so if yours doesn't
have something, it won't be cause for alarm.
4.
4
Give it some clothes. A naked puppet is, for some reason, sufficiently awkward. Grab
something you never want to wear again and glue the top to the "neck" of your puppet
(for this reason, you may want to employ a scarf or turtleneck).
To give the puppet a body, simply stuff the shirt with newspaper or some type of foam
or quilt batting. Stay away from short sleeves so you don't have to deal with making
arms.
5.
5
Make a hand for your puppet. Since one is probably operating the face, make at least
one hand moveable to give your puppet even more life. All you need to do is trace your
hand on a piece of felt, cut it out twice, and sew them together (inside out, to hide the
seam).
Leave just short of an inch (2 cm) around all sides of your hand to give yourself some
wiggle room. To have a four-fingered puppet (including the thumb), just keep your index
finger and ring finger together as you trace.
Place your hand in it and through the sleeve of your puppet. Now your puppet talks and
can gesture! Move over Achmed.
Method 5 of 6: Making a Paper Bag Puppet
1.
1Gather your materials. Get a paper bag, googly eyes, construction paper, wool,
markers, and glue or tape.
2.
2Glue the eyes onto the bag. If you don't have googly eyes, you can cut out eyes from
the construction paper, making tiny black pupils and gluing them onto larger white
circles. Regular glue will work just fine for this -- you don't need to use the stronger stuff.
3.
3Glue the mouth onto the bag. Cut a little red mouth out of the construction paper and
glue it in place.
4.
4Glue the hair onto the bag. Now, either use strips of construction paper or wool onto
the top of the paper bag. Wait for it to dry.
5.
5Draw the nose. Use a black marker to draw a nose on the paper bag in between the
eyes and the mouth.
6.
6Play with your puppet. Once you've made face and everything is ready to go, you can
play with your puppet!