How to Make a Cowgirl Puppet out of Felt

Turn scraps of felt into cowgirl finger puppets.

Felt is a great fabric for making finger puppets. Soft and easy to work with, it is also strong and able to deal with wear and tear. Make felt puppets for your children to play with, for puppet shows or for using while reading story books. Felt puppets are especially good for younger children for whom more complex puppets with parts may pose a choking hazard. The crafts are simple to construct, so older crafters can make their own cowgirl felt puppets.

Things You'll Need

• 2 pieces of felt 1 5/8 inches-by-3-inches (any color for the body of the cowgirl)
• Needle and thread
• Scissors
• Yellow, brown or black yarn for the puppet's hair
• Light colored felt for the puppet's face
• 2 googly eyes
• Glue gun
• Markers (assorted colors)
• Brown felt for the hat

Instructions

1. Lay the two rectangles on top of each other and align the corners. Use the scissors to round the top corners so that they are shaped to fit your finger.

2. Thread the needle and tie it off. Sew around the edges of the felt so that the rectangles are joined together. Sew up the long left-hand side, around the top and down the long right hand side, leaving the bottom open so that you can stick your finger in. Turn the puppet inside out so that the seam is hidden.

3. Cut a round piece from the light colored felt for your cowgirl's face. The piece about 1 inch wide. Use the glue gun to glue it to the front of the puppet, at the top, rounded edge. Leave the glue to dry.

4. Paste the two googly eyes on the front of the face. Use the markers to draw in a nose and mouth.

5. Cut lengths of yarn for your cowgirl puppet's hair. The hair can be as long or as short as you like. Glue the hair to the top, rounded part of the felt puppet so that it hangs down the back and on the sides of the face.

6. Use the markers to draw a cowgirl hat shape onto the brown fabric. Make the hat big enough to fit over the top of the cowgirl's head. Cut out the shape. Use your felt cowgirl hat as a template to cut out a second cowgirl hat shape.

7. Smear glue on one side of the hat shapes. Glue one of the shapes to the front of the puppet, and one to the back to hide the top of the hair. Press the top of the hats shapes together to glue them to each other.

Tips & Warnings

• You can cut a small felt nose and mouth if you prefer.

• You can braid the yarn before sticking it to your finger puppet so that your cowgirl is sporting two braids.

• The cowgirl hair and hat can be any color you like. You can also add beads, sequins, buttons and other decorations to embellish your cowgirl puppet.

• Take an old wardrobe cardboard box and turn it over. Cut out a square that is about 1/3 the size of your box. You young crafters can get into the box and use the holes as a theater stage to give puppet shows.

• Supervise younger crafters who are using needles or scissors.