How to Make a String Puppet

String puppets are designed in a similar fashion as a marionette puppet, but can be created by both children and adults in a short amount of time. String puppets can be used to put on a puppet show for a class or for friends, and make a great summertime activity for children. You can find all of the supplies needed at any craft store or art supply store.

Things You'll Need

• Colorful medium gauge yarn
• Scissors
• Cardboard
• Craft glue
• Googly eyes
• 2 wooden dowels, 1/4 inch wide and 6 inches long
• Tack nail
• Hammer

Instructions

1. Construct two pompoms. Cut four circles out of cardboard, two that are 4 inches wide, and two that are 2 inches wide. Cut out a circle from the middle of each circle. Place the 4-inch circles together and wind yarn around it, going through the center of the yarn. Continue to wrap the yarn until the cardboard circles are completely covered and so thick with yarn that you cannot fit any more yarn through the hole in the center. Cut the ball of yarn from the circle. Carefully cut in between the two circles, making sure that you do not disturb the yarn while you cut. Once you have cut all the way around the yarn, wrap a 3-inch string of yarn around the center of the circles and tie it very tight; this will bring the pompom together and will create a pompom ball. This 4-inch pompom will be the body of your puppet. Using the 2-inch circles, make one more pompom in the same manner as the first pompom.

2. Connect the body parts. Glue a piece of 3-inch string of yarn connecting the small pompom to the body pompom. Place a dollop of glue onto the body pompom and press the string onto the pompom. Hold it in place until you can feel that the glue is holding. The small pompom will be the head of the puppet.

3. Cut the feet and the beak out of cardboard. You can design the feet and the beak however you like, or you can create them to look like duck feet and a duck beak. Once you have cut the pieces out, glue the beak to the small pompom where you want the face to be. Hold the beak in place until the glue is holding the piece securely. Glue a 3-inch piece of yarn string connecting one of the feet to the bottom of the body pompom. Hold the string in place until the glue is secure. Repeat this step with the other foot. Glue the googly eyes in place on the small pompom head piece.

4. Connect your dowels together with a tack nail and a hammer. Place the dowels so that they are perpendicular to each other, in a cross fashion. Carefully hammer the tack nail into the center of the dowels, securing them together.

5. Connect the puppet to the dowels. Tie a piece of yarn string 12 inches long to the top of the small head pompom. Glue the other end of the string to the tip of one of the dowels. Glue an 18-inch yarn string to the top of each foot, and glue the other ends of the strings to the ends of the dowels. Press down on the glued areas until the glue is holding the yarn securely. Let the entire puppet dry before playing with it.