Discover how to construct a hand puppet and watch the fun begin. Children love puppets and they will surely enjoy this craft. Remember, not all puppets have to be serious so allow the children to have fun creating an animal puppet that provide hours of enjoyment and excitement.

Here are the materials and instructions to make an animal hand puppet.

For the animal puppet, use fur or other soft materials for the coat. Using a piece of cardboard, create the shape of the animal. Draw the shape of the animal onto the cardboard. Sketch the neck, body, arm, and legs. Point the arms in different directions to make the puppet more unique. The shape of the body and head can be exaggerated to really make a funny looking puppet. Make the size of the animal large enough to allow for the size of the child’s hand. Cut the shape of the animal out of the cardboard. This is the template for the puppet.

On a flat surface, lay a piece of plain material down. Smooth all the wrinkles from the material. Place the template on top of the material. Trace the outline of the animal onto the material. Draw lines downward from the bottom of the traced animal to allow the puppet to slip over the hands of the child. Make the additional material long enough to go past the wrists. This will help the puppet stay on the hands better. Remember to allow the areas to be sewn so if the template needs to be enlarged add a few inches to the outside of the drawn figure.

Cut the material from the template. Sew the seams of the material together on three sides. The fourth side is where the hand is inserted into the puppet, so make sure there is enough space to the hand to be inserted. Sew the material together tightly. Turn the material so the seams are on the inside of the puppet.

Now comes the fun part for the children. Allow them to add the fur or other skin pieces to the puppet with glue. Cut the fur to the shape of the puppet. Let the child glue the skin onto the puppet. The pieces do not have to be perfectly on the puppet so let them have fun applying the skin. Once the skin is glued to the body, arms, and legs, draw the face or add buttons for the eyes. Allow the glue to dry before playing with the puppet.

Once the puppet is dry, allow the children to put on a play with the puppets. Create a stage to make their puppet show a performance everyone will always remember. Have fun with creating different stories or let the children make up stories as they go. I hope this guide "How to Make a Hand Puppet" gave you some great ideas on how to bring some fun into your children's life.

Jonathan Pitts

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