How to Make a Felt Tongue for a Puppet
Hand puppets have two common shapes: one that fits over your hand without any extruding parts and one that also fits over your hand but has a mouth that opens and closes when you pinch your fingers and thumb together. The Sesame Street puppets are examples of puppets that have opening and closing mouths, which enhance the puppets’ lifelike characteristics. Adding a felt tongue inside the mouth further creates the illusion of a talking character.
Things You'll Need
- Red or pink felt
- Construction paper
- Scissors
- Straight pins
- Need
- Thread
- Cotton
- Craft glue
Instructions
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1
Select a piece of red felt from a craft supply store. Consider an alternative color such as pink if the mouth inside the puppet is already red. A felt section that is large enough to accommodate two, two-dimensional tongues in the size appropriate for the puppet is sufficient because the two pieces are sewn together to create a three-dimensional tongue.
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2
Create a two-dimensional tongue pattern out of construction paper.
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3
Place the paper tongue cutout over the felt and cut around the edge of the paper tongue template. Placing the first template as close to the edge of the felt as possible leaves you with enough room to cut out a second tongue on the remainder felt. Use pins to hold the construction paper template to the felt while you cut, if necessary.
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4
Put one felt shape on top of the other so the edges align. Do not worry about imperfect edges because they will be hidden inside the tongue.
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5
Secure the felt tongues together with straight pins along the edges. Place them in a manner that allows you to sew or hand-stitch over them.
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6
Sew the edges together on all sides using a straight or hand stitch, leaving a small opening approximately a quarter to a half-inch long. Removing the pins as you reach them while sewing or all at once when the sewing is complete.
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7
Invert the felt tongue by pulling the inward facing sides through the opening so they become the outward facing sides. The sewn seams will no longer be present after inverting.
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8
Fill the tongue with cotton through the opening. The tongue’s thickness is based on how much cotton you add.
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9
Fold the felt edges that are currently outside the hole into the hole and sew the opening closed. A hidden stitch or hand stitch are two quick, sturdy options.
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10
Sew the underside of the tongue to the bottom of the puppet’s mouth. Strong fabric glue is a second option for securing the tongue in place.
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References
- Photo Credit Comstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
