Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Certain types of card stocks are absolutely perfect for making finger puppet holes. Learn how to make finger puppet holes in card stock with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
Handmade cute finger puppets are just as fun to make as they are to play with when they're done. Learn about handmade cute finger puppets with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
Making puppet props requires you to always keep a few key things in mind. Learn about puppet props with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
If you've got access to a paper sack, you've got the primary tool you'll need to create your own reindeer puppet. Learn how to make your own paper sack reindeer puppet with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
A homemade crocodile puppet is a lot easier to put together than you might think. Make a homemade crocodile puppet with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
Building your own homemade tiger puppet is a great way to pass the time in a creative way. Learn about homemade tiger puppets with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
SolidWorks provides would-be designers an opportunity to create three-dimensional designs of their ideas before they try to implement them in a real-world application. SolidWorks is a computer-aided design program that can be used to create various types of designs, including something as simple as a plush stuffed animal. Having a visual representation of the project can help designers determine if they want to move forward with a project.
Clay dolls can be taken apart and reassembled with a personal touch using other materials. Replacing a clay doll body with a soft body makes the doll more pliable and appropriate for children's play. Almost any material is suitable to use when making this type of doll, however, scrap fabric, cotton or muslin are common choices. Sewing a soft body for a doll with clay hands, feet and head is a relatively quick craft that can be completed with basic sewing materials.
The Imaginarium Glitter Dream Dollhouse is an excellent choice for girls 3 to 5 years of age. Since this dollhouse is rather large at almost 4 feet tall, the assembly instructions can be somewhat difficult and confusing. It is imperative that items such as this dollhouse are assembled properly before allowing your child to play with it.
While most children prefer three-dimensional toys, babies who are just learning how to grasp an object may find two-dimensional dolls easier to capture and hold on to. Similarly, a young child working on fine motor skills finds a two-dimensional doll easier to use when learning how to operate closures such as buttons, snaps, zippers and laces. Your two-dimensional doll can include facial and body details, bright colors and textures to make it interesting to the child and encourage him to use the doll.
Dollhouses are wonderful gifts for little girls. You can make these miniature homes from prefabricated kits, or build it from scratch. Although you can buy a staircase for your dollhouse from various suppliers, it is possible to build your own. Making a staircase for your dollhouse is not a difficult task, provided you have the necessary tools and allow the glue to cure or dry correctly.
Most children have a stuffed animal for a best friend, but that also means that the toy gets dirty and wears very quickly. Plush toys are made from a variety of materials, including natural fibers like mohair and wool to synthetic fibers like polyester. Depending on the materials used to make the stuffed animal, several options exist for cleaning, drying and fluffing it back up to a like-new condition.
Before tossing out that drawer of old nylon socks and pantyhose, consider using them to make a few doll crafts. Adults and children can make these crafts together, while enjoying quality family time. From basic dolls to doll clothes to holiday dolls, all you need are a few ideas and a creative imagination to get started. Keep the doll crafts for yourself or give them away as gifts to loved ones.
Drawing finger puppets is a great way to have a little fun in your work. Learn how to draw finger puppets with help from an artist in this free video clip.
One of the joys of childhood is playing with a Barbie dollhouse. It’s not as much fun, though, if the dollhouse is bare. Fortunately, you can make your own dollhouse accessories to provide hours of fun at a fraction of the cost, and you can customize them in any way you choose. Model your homemade accessories after your own furnishings, and scale them to Barbie’s size using the 1-to-6 playscale ratio, meaning that 1 foot in real size equals 2 inches in Barbie size.
According to Hat Shapers, the bowler is the same type of hat as the derby. "Derby" is an American term for the bowler hat, which was regularly worn by the Earl of Derby at the Epsom Derby horse race in London. However, the first bowler was made for Edward Coke, brother of the second Earl of Leicester in 1849. In the 1950s and 1960s, this hat became a city uniform for businessmen of London. You can make the historical bowler hat for a doll, using craft-store felt.
Barbie dolls are popular toys that have made their way into the home of many children as well as on the stage. If you're putting on a play where one of the characters has a lot of Barbie dolls, then a Barbie Doll case can be an excellent stage prop to include in your production. There are a number of different types of Barbie Doll cases out there; determining which kind is appropriate for your character is the first step in any case's creation. Once you've figured out that important detail, creating a case is pretty painless.
Whether your little girl wants a winter wardrobe for her collection of Barbie dolls or you would like to outfit a porcelain display doll with seasonal accessories, felt hats are an easy sewing project for beginners. Felt does not fray, so the edges don't need to be hemmed, eliminating much of the work of sewing doll accessories. By sewing these items yourself, you can make an entire wardrobe of hats for all your dolls for the price of a single store-bought accessory item.
Create an invaluable teaching tool by making a plush finger puppet. According to "Teaching Young Children," children respond, communicate and listen to puppets in puppet shows and when learning new social skills, such as conflict resolution. One simple plush finger puppet craft is a green fuzzy caterpillar made from green fun fur. It can be used to act out stories about caterpillars and butterflies, or even take on a role as a new friend.
A puppet, or poppet as it was more usually known, played an important role in the first of the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692. The trials grew out of a fear of witchcraft prevalent in the British Massachusetts Bay Colony and showed how events could quickly escalate as neighbors accused one another of witchcraft. Encyclopedia Britannica explains how tensions already existing within the community contributed to a vicious series of accusations and counter-accusations.
If your child has a doll that is designed to drink fluids and wet diapers, you may want to teach her how to change the diaper. These types of dolls are manufactured with high-quality plastic and can usually burp, babble and cry. If you are planning on adding another child to the family, a doll like this is a great way to prepare your little one. With just a few basic guidelines, your child will be changing the diaper on her doll like a pro.
Part of what makes a tortoise a tortoise, and not just a turtle, is the shell. A tortoise has a more-textured shell with a higher dome. However, the biggest difference is in the legs. Turtle legs have webbed feet and are relatively straight, but a tortoise has longer legs that bend to allow them to walk on land and clawed feet for dry terrain. To create these distinctions in a stuffed toy, the shape of the shell and the feet are exaggerated.
Finger puppets can provide hours of fun for children as cast members in mini productions. They are also fun projects to create with your child as they provide an opportunity to encourage your child’s imagination. The supplies for a fish puppet are few and you can use items you may already have at home. Make your finger puppet fish as simple or as complex as you wish.
Dolls have been an important part of human culture since the early days of civilization. Dolls exist in every culture from Egypt to France to Russia and China. Dolls are used as toys and as collectibles, as art objects and sacred pieces often displaying classic elements of culture or society. Dolls are made from a variety of different materials; wood, porcelain, knit from yarn or plastic. Enamel is a finish for a doll, rather than a material that a doll is made of, and this technique is used by many cultures for their dolls.
Stuffed animals endear themselves to all ages, from babies and toddlers to teens and adults. Cuddling a stuffed animal comforts children in the dark and patients going through medical procedures. Stuffed animals convey a message of security and love. The stuffed toy can be used to sweeten a relationship, take it to the next step or help someone through a hard time. Adding a “sweet” item with the stuffed animal enhances the message conveyed.
Buying clay to make small doll's food for yourself or for your children can prove not only expensive, but unnecessary. With only some white bread, glue, water, food coloring, a toothpick and clear nail polish, you can make something just as effective. The only thing is that you will have to make dough yourself, but all this requires is a food bowl and a strong kneading action. Once the models have been made, you only have to leave them overnight before they're a ready for your dollhouse.
There are many people who collect dolls as a hobby. Over time, some of these dolls are likely to become damaged around the head and face area. If you are an avid doll collector who has more than a few damaged dolls lying around, don't throw them away. Bring new life to a doll and cover damage by creating a craft for a doll's head.
Every girl needs a fashionable handbag and Barbie is no different. Create a statement by making your own Barbie doll purse. One way is to craft a clutch type purse by sewing together scrap fabric. As soon as Barbie debuted in1959, she was all about fashion. Barbie's purse may not carry much, but this craft is simple enough that you can fabricate lots of different handbags to match all her outfits.
Children hear fairy tales from parents, grandparents, teachers, caregivers and media from the time they are little. Fairy tales are classic stories of derring-do with good overcoming evil. These tales often include fairy creatures. Children hear about, read or watch stories that include fairies from Sleeping Beauty and Peter Pan to the Tooth Fairy. Fairies are seemingly fragile, ethereal spirits that help others in time of need. Make a fairy dance and fly by creating a homemade fairy marionette puppet .
Design a squirrel finger puppet that only uses one finger for operation, which is ideal for younger children to play with. Use the finger puppet along with a menagerie of other finger puppets for a performance. Or, encourage your child to act out a squirrel-themed story with the puppet as you read aloud. While the typical squirrel has gray fur, you can create the squirrel in any color of the rainbow as a way to develop your child’s imaginative processes.
Entertain your child for hours with a finger puppet that looks like a bird, complete with its fluffy plumage. Construct a flock of bird puppets for your child to use during her first theatrical performance. Design each bird using nature for inspiration, such as a blue jay, red cardinal or the more tropical toucan. Or create bird puppets after going on a bird-watching expedition, using the birds you find as the models for your design.
The kangaroo is a marsupial native to Australia. It is loved by adults and kids alike for its unique features like its long tail, pouch and large hind legs and short forelegs. Finger puppets made to look like kangaroos provide hours of imaginative fun for creative children, but they are also useful in other ways and are easy to construct using low cost materials.
Whether in the classroom or at home, making finger puppets is a fun and creative way to pass the time with children. These finger puppets are typically made out of fabric, such as felt, because it is inexpensive and easy to work with. You can make all kinds of finger puppets, from animal designs to various objects. You can even add beads to enhance the look of the puppet.
Puppets are made of paper, wood, plastic or cloth. The image of the monkey is as an agile, rather mischievous creature of the jungle whose antics provide entertainment and fun. In the wild, the monkey swings from vine to branch with ease and grace. Creating a simple monkey puppet from cloth gives the user a puppet with a flexibility that paper, wood and plastic don’t have and a durability that paper doesn’t offer either.
Stuffed animals make excellent inanimate companions, especially for small children. One common way of claiming ownership over a small, fluffy friend is having initials embroidered into the fabric of the animal. This is known as a monogram, and can be performed easily by someone with the proper skills and experience in embroidering.
Puppets do more than entertain children; they are a useful teaching tool for elementary school classrooms. Puppets help keep children interested what they are learning. Plus, when given to the children, the puppets help them develop creativity and dexterity skills. Sewing a simple puppet requires a few specialized stitches, and it can be done by hand. Start with a sock as the base for the puppet, and sew the facial features and any accessories that give the puppet character.
Creating groundhog finger puppets is a great way to celebrate Groundhog Day. You can use finger puppet craft projects in conjunction with a lesson on the history of the holiday and current celebrations. You can also use the puppets as a craft project any time of the year. These entertaining projects are perfect for animal-loving children.
Kids are naturally curious and crafty, drawing on just about anything and everything. On bad-weather days, one way to keep them engaged indoors is by showing them how to make dog finger puppets like “Spot,” “Fido” or “Rover.” They get to draw and be as expressive as they want by making different dog sounds, such as growls and barks. You can wash off the felt tip markings with soap and water. You can also make the experience a learning event by talking about different breeds of dogs from big, like Labradors, to small, like terriers.
The Black Wings are a secret organization in the massively multiplayer online role-playing game, “MapleStory.” The game has a quest that allows you to become a temporary member of the Black Wings. Joining the Black Wings requires a character who is at least at level 49, and it can allow you to purchase special equipment for your character.
If your little one can't get enough when it comes to learning about dinosaurs, help her to create a puppet mini-version of these cold blooded beasts. From simple paper bag crafts to more elaborate options such as marionettes, dinosaur-puppet making projects can ignite your child's imagination and inspire hours of creative play.
Making a button eyed doll is a creative way to introduce a child to the world of sewing crafts. A standard dolls requires only a handful of household materials -- many of which are available through recycled materials. Use an odd sock to craft the doll's head, for example, or an old sheet to create the material out of which you will make the body. Give the child her doll as a bedside companion to cuddle up with at night.
Published in 1879, "A Doll's House" by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen remains an enduring theatrical classic. The exploration of gender, power and economics plays out in the awakening of Nora Helmer, who comes to realize that her frivolous and passive existence is no longer enough to sustain her soul. This powerful work of drama can be explored through many diverse projects.
Finger puppets can help to fire a child's imagination. They can create whole worlds of fun for your child, and they are quite simple to make yourself. You will use an old glove for the body, and add clothing, a hat and a face to turn it into a boy finger puppet. Enjoy this craft with your children on a rainy day and watch complaints turn into cheers.
Stuffed animals are charming, tactile toys, but when they are not actively being played with, they should be stored in a deliberate fashion. Whether you want a place to store toys when your children aren’t playing with them, or you simply want to display some of the favorite stuffed animals from your childhood, look for methods that allow you get your toys off the ground.
The Navajo tribe used natural materials, such as clay and leather, to make household objects. Modern day Navajo descendants or Native American enthusiasts can replicate the techniques of Navajo craftsmen to make Navajo clay dolls. While the original Navajo process of making clay requires soil native to the Navajo homeland and hours of work just to mix the clay, you can create a Navajo clay doll replica with just a few minutes of work.
A handmade doll is made with love, not in a distant factory by machines. Adding the face to the stuffed doll or animal is key to creating the toy’s identity. Embroidering a stuffed toy takes a little more attention than embroidering a flat piece of material. However, embroidering a stuffed toy allows you to ensure proper and even placement of facial features.
Reborn dolls are extremely realistic, almost lifelike-appearing dolls; most are even the same size as a newborn baby. The dolls are popular among both adults and children, and as their popularity has increased, many craftspeople have begun making their own from polymer clay. Many collectors seek realistic displays for their reborn dolls. When displaying these dolls, remember that they are frequently mistaken for real babies; therefore, do not display your reborn doll in a manner or location that may elicit concern if someone mistakes the doll for a real baby.
Finger puppets are among the easiest puppets to make and control. Finger puppets are most often made to resemble simplistic characters or animals. A penguin is an example of an animal with a simple shape and basic features that can be depicted relatively realistically in finger puppet form. Penguin finger puppets can be made simply with a pair of old gloves and a few craft items.
Armed with creativity and what materials they could find, children in colonial America created their own amusements. Without ready access to retailers, toys were of their own creation. While stuffed toys were limited during the period, boys and girls still enjoyed the use of such toys as balls and dolls created by family members or with their own hands.
Whether your doll house is a beloved family hand-down or a prized antique you found in a shop, refurbishing older doll houses allows you to protect your piece and bring it back to its original luster. Dollhouse refurbishing is a fun craft project you can complete at home, rebuilding damaged pieces, repainting worn surfaces and protecting your dollhouse from future wear and tear. Your refurbished dollhouse can add a colorful, delicate, decorative element to any room.
