If you have been hanging in there with me through the last few days, you know that I have been exploring some frugal gifts for the holidays. We talked about putting together a nice puppet playhouse for nothing. Now, of course, we will need some puppets to go with the puppet playhouse.
There are several ways to make puppets for free using common items that you already have around the house.
When you make your puppets, they will have more of an impact if you choose a theme. You can choose a fantasy fairy tale theme and make a prince, princess, dragon, wizard and frog. Another idea is to make puppets representing family members. How about ninja puppets, super hero puppets, Pokemon puppets, people in your neighborhood puppets (such as a police officer, a bus driver and a school teacher), Biblical puppets or holiday puppets?
Here are some suggestions to get you started on actually crafting your puppets.
The homemade puppets that stand the test of time are the wimple sock puppets. They are easy to make, easy to use, and if you are careful about your decorations then they are machine washable (just turn them inside out).
For more elaborate puppets, take styrofoam falls for heads and use thick felt for the bodies. You can make some really nice looking puppets this way. Glitter, pipe cleaner arms, buttons and other items can make your puppets stand out.
Finally, if you are in a rush you can make some paper bags puppets. These puppets are so easy to make that you can churn out quite a few. A great idea is to create a paper bag puppet-making kit and include that with the puppet playhouse. This way, the kids can make their own puppets. Beside the bags, add all sorts of things that they can use to craft the puppets. Buttons, yarn, markers, glue, stickers, construction paper, plastic jewels and felt are good items to have.
You can read more blog posts by Mary Ann Romans here!
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