TURN FAVOURITE CHARACTERS INTO SIMPLE STICK PUPPETS
BRING your favourite storybook characters to life with some simple stick puppets.
They are so easy to make, you can really go to town on the costumes.
YOU WILL NEED
Wooden pea sticks (available from gardening shops) Paper balls (find them in craft shops)
Pipe cleaners Newspaper
Scraps of fabric, paper, lace, ribbon, yarn, card etc in different colours and patterns
Glue
Masking tape
Needle and thread
Thin wire
(stretch out a paper clip) Pens, pencils and paint
METHOD
Take a paper ball and push it firmly onto a pea stick. Remove the ball, put a drop of PVA glue into the hole and replace onto the stick. Allow to dry.
Wrap a pipe cleaner around the stick to make arms. Fix in place with masking tape.
Scrunch up some newspaper to make a ball. Tape it just under the head of your model to make ‘shoulders’ (See picture below).
Paint the paper ball head the desired colour and, once dry, add features in pen. You could glue on yarn for hair, and even make a small pair of wire glasses.
Use different materials to make a costume. You could use fake fur for animals, pretty, glittery fabrics for princesses… whatever you have to hand. Most costumes can be glued into place, but if you are confident sewing then give it a go. If you are not sure, ask an adult to help you.
When you’ve finished your puppets, why not put on a show?