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Kids’ Summer Craft: No-Sew Nautical Puppets

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Go Under the Sea with Summer Crafts for Kids!

This post brought to you by Lady Lucas

 

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These adorable felt finger puppets are the perfect afternoon craft for summer days. I’ve created a whale and jellyfish for you below, but you could continue the concept into almost any sea creature you can imagine, from a shark to an octopus or even a mermaid!

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Materials:

Instructions:

Whale Finger Puppet

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1. Fold a piece of bright blue felt in half and use scissors to cut out two identical whale shapes. You can create your own shape or print and cut out the template.

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2. Place fabric glue around the perimeter of one of the whale shapes and leave about an inch of space at the bottom. Carefully place the other whale shape on top so that they match up and press down firmly. You can leave the handle of a paintbrush in the opening of your puppet while it dries to ensure it does not seal shut.

3. When your puppet is dry, draw an eye, mouth, and any other details you wish with a black fabric marker. A tiny pink circle of felt can be glued on for a cheek. Repeat this face on the other side if you wish.

4. Once your puppet dries, have fun playing with him or her, or display it on a bamboo skewer for a great summer decoration!

Jellyfish Finger Puppet

Jellyfish Finger Puppet

1. Fold a piece of bright pink felt in half and use scissors to cut out two identical semi-circle shapes. Use the template if you’d like.

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2. Cut 5 pieces of red ribbon for tentacles. Three pieces should be approximately 10 inches, while the other two should be around 5 inches. Glue these towards the bottom of one of your cut shapes like so:

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3. Place fabric glue around the rounded part of one of jellyfish shapes {the one with the ribbon pieces} leaving the flat bottom part without glue. Carefully place the identical jellyfish on top and firmly press down. You can leave the handle of a paintbrush in the opening of your puppet while it dries to ensure it does not seal shut.

4. Glue two tiny yellow felt circles for eyes and add pupils with a black fabric marker. Use your marker to add a mouth as well.

5. Once your puppet dries, have fun playing with him or her, or display it on a bamboo skewer for a great summer decoration!

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Check out Lady Lucas’ Etsy shop here!

Do you prefer the beach or the pool in hot weather?

 

Hi Diddle Dee Dee! DIY Puppet Crafts

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A little wooden puppet skipped his way into the movies on February 23, 1940, when Walt Disney’s animated movie Pinocchio was released in theaters. In celebration of the event, today is Pinocchio Day–the best day for puppet crafts!  There are plenty of puppets you can make at home including hand puppets, finger puppets, and sock puppets.

wormWhen it comes to puppet materials, everyone has their own preferences. Personally I like to use felt because it reminds me of  my favorite puppets, Jim Henson’s Muppets. CutRateCrafts has several puppet kits and plenty of felt and wiggly eyes. And take it from a girl who knows a thing or two about puppets, it’s all in the eyes. Whether you use wiggly eyes, buttons, or felt pieces, a puppet’s look and personality can all be linked back to the placement of those eyes.

 

DIY Puppet Craft Tutorials

Finger puppets are pint-sized and work well for the tiny fingers of kids. Make some bunny finger puppets to give away as gifts or knit Oscar the Grouch’s buddy Smiley the Worm from the show Sesame Street. But if you want to include the kids in making a puppet, have them work on paper bag or sock puppets. Use a sock or paper bag as the creature’s body and attach different craft materials to create the features. It’s the perfect opportunity for them to use their imagination and create something wild.

Fun-Bath-FriendsHand puppets can be made out of tons of different materials. These Bath Friends are crocheted out of yarn. What kid wouldn’t want to take a bath when given the option to take one of these fun toys in with them? Or make stick puppets using foam balls, some paint, and wooden rods.

At the end of the day, finish off your puppet crafts by making an old-fashioned puppet theater. It’s easy to put on a puppet show by having kids hide under a table or behind a couch and popping up their puppet above. If you really want to add some scenery, check out this Medieval Puppet Theater that you can build out of Styrofoam blocks, some paint, and material.

 

Kermit the Frog will always be my favorite puppet. Who’s your all-time favorite puppet character?

When Creativity Knocks FAVEulous Find of the Week: All Kinds Of Felt Critters

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The fall brings me thoughts of sweaters, cooler days, and rich and warm textures. Felt is one of those great textures that never frays and has a whole host of project that you can create. Today we are going to focus on All Kinds on Felt Critters. From bookmarks to finger puppets. So, gather some felt squares, pom pom, wiggle eyes, Glue Dots, ribbon, pipe cleaners, Fabri-Tac and the kids to make some very cute and easy projects!
Check out this project from FaveCrafts: Furry Friends Bookmarks

Don’t stop there! When Creativity Knocks episode this week: SQUID RO. is a finger puppet that is made from “felt”. What is SQUID RO. you ask? It is the brain child from Claire Chambers who creates in the land of the small: Chickenpants Absolutely Small. Claire joined Megan and myself to share how to make this fun and crazy finger puppet in front of “WCK’s Craft Studio on Wheels” at the Makers Faire 2009.

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Sit back and enjoy!
www.WhenCreativityKnocks.com

“Teaching the world to craft one door at a time!”
Ana Araujo, WCK Creative Designer

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