How to Cut a Snout on a Sock Puppet

The snout of a puppet is the largest part of its face. You can employ contrasting colors for this part of the face to build your sock puppet's personality and increase its visual interest. The puffiness of the snout is an ideal trait for animal puppets like dogs or monkeys. This stage of puppet preparation takes less than five minutes to complete.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sock
• Scissors

1. Select an appropriate adult-sized sock to create a generous snout area. A new sock with a contrasting heel works best, because it has no visible wear and tear and the contrasting color provides a more precise cutting guide.

2. Measure one-quarter to one-half inch around the colored portion of the heel. Use chalk or a felt-tip pen to mark the lines on both sides. The extra fabric serves as your seam allowance when you sew on the snout.

3. Cut through both layers of the sock along the line you just created. Flip the sock over after every snip or two to confirm that you have a straight, even cut on the top and bottom layers. Sharpened or extra-sharp scissors make cutting heavier sock fabric easier and neater.

Tips & Warnings

• If your sock piece has excessive raveling when you cut it, use a fray-preventative spray to hold it together until you begin sewin, or incorporate a loose basting stitch.
• Don't rush through the cutting. An uneven cut may result in your sock puppet coming out with a lopsided face.