Don’t Throw That In The Trash!

“Please don’t put that in the trash,” I called out to my daughter. “I can make a puppet with it.”

These words were commonly heard at our house when the children were small. I said them all the time, and used just about anything to make puppets. At the age of five, our son held on to things like boxes and scraps to give to me so I could make puppets.

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.

Socks are commonly used as puppets. You can do so by placing your hand inside and using your thumb and fingers to simulate a mouth motion. You can even cut a slit in the sock and use a round piece of felt sewn in to create the mouth. Buttons can be used as eyes, yarn as hair, and so on.

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.

If you have washcloths around your house that you are not using, sew two of them together (on three sides with one side open) to create a puppet. Then give it a face by sewing (or gluing) some items to the one side.

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.

Find a small table which can be tipped on its side, a chair or flannel board large enough to hide behind, or a large piece of cardboard folded into three sections, and you’ve got a handy stage.

Take a walk through your house and let your imagination wander with you. You’ll find many things that can be turned into puppets to communicate your ideas to the children you teach. With just a few puppets, youre ready to perform.