DIY Doorway Puppet Theatre

Puppet shows can be presented through a doorway stage.

Creating and putting on puppet shows is an indoor activity that can keep children occupied and entertained for hours. For an effective puppet show, however, the puppeteer must remain hidden from his audience. Transform a simple doorway in your home into the means for concealing a puppeteer from his fans. Create a homemade stage in front of a concealed doorway for your puppeteer to put on a proper puppet show.

Things You'll Need

• Shoe boxes with lids
• Double-sided tape
• Glue
• Felt
• Scissors
• Curtains or sheet
• Tacks
• Tension rod

Instructions

1. Stack shoe boxes together to form a stage platform. The exact number of boxes varies depending on the desired height and width of the stage. The platform should ideally fit inside the doorway. Adhere the boxes together with glue or double-sided tape.

2. Stack a row of boxes vertically up from the platform on both sides. Adhere the boxes together with double-sided tape or glue.

3. Cover the boxes with pieces of felt, gluing the fabric in place to cover the platform as well as the vertical sides of the stage. Drape a piece of felt over the tops of the two vertical pillars to create a roof.

4. Place a pair of old curtains onto a tension rod and place it across the doorway. This shields the puppeteer from view while still allowing him to access the puppet stage.

5. Tack up an old sheet to cover the doorway if you do not have old curtains. Cut a slit in the middle of the sheet to enable the puppeteer to access the stage without revealing himself to the audience.

6. Position the shoebox stage in front of the covered doorway. The puppeteer can hide behind the curtain, shielding him from view and insert the puppets into the stage area through the slit in the curtains or sheet.

References

• Simple Moms: 20 Indoor Activities for Kids Besides TV
• Make and Takes: Circus-Inspired Puppet Theater