Simple Folded Paper Puppets

By: Debbie Chapman, excerpted from Low-Mess Crafts for Kids

By: Debbie Chapman, excerpted from Low-Mess Crafts for Kids

SLIDE YOUR FINGERS AND THUMB into the little pockets at the top and bottom of these folded paper puppets to bring them to life! My 2-year-old son picked up one of these puppets and shocked us with his amazing monster voice. And then he burst out laughing that we were laughing. And pretty soon everyone in the house was laughing!

IT’S AMAZING WHAT YOU CAN CREATE from just a few simple sheets of brightly colored paper. Keep the scraps under control by cutting over the top of a large placemat or baking sheet. It makes it so easy to gather up all the little pieces and makes cleaning up simple!

Easy

Materials List

2 pieces of paper (1 light green and 1 dark green)
4 scraps of construction paper (white, pink, black and red)
Scissors
Washable marker (black)
Glue stick

Instructions

Take the long edge of the light green paper and fold it approximately to the middle.
Take the other long edge and fold it so it just overlaps the other edge that’s been folded in.
Flip the folded paper over so that the overlapping edges are on the bottom. Fold the rectangular piece in half to make a shorter rectangle.
Take the top piece of the folded paper and fold it in half so the edge lines up with the middle fold.
Flip it over and do the same to the other side. When you let go, the paper should look like a folded “W” shape.
Your fingers will go into the opening at the top of the “W” and your thumb will go into the opening at the bottom of the “W”.
Cut out eyes, eyebrows, a nose, a tongue and teeth from construction paper. Draw around the edge of each piece with the black washable marker.
Cut out a rectangle of red construction paper to fit between the middle 2 folds in the folded paper puppet shape. Fold the red rectangle in half, then attach it to the folded paper puppet shape using a glue stick.
Attach the tongue and the teeth to the bottom part of the red rectangle using a glue stick.
Cut out a head for the puppet from the darker green paper. Give it rounded, curved or zigzag edges. Attach it at the top of the puppet using a glue stick.
Glue the eyes, eyebrows and nose into position on the head using a glue stick.
Your simple folded paper puppet is complete!

HINT: Running low on paper colors? No problem! Instead of cutting out all the shapes, use markers to draw and color the face and mouth of your puppet!