How to Make Pom-pom Marionettes
Pom-pom marionettes are a fun and simple craft for young kids. While pom-poms can be used to create a variety of marionettes, a bird puppet is one of the easiest for small fingers to put together. With a few pom-poms, pipe cleaners, pieces of felt and some glue, you and your child can make a delightful toy in an afternoon. Materials you don't already have at home are readily available at your local craft store.
Things You'll Need
- Paper
- Scissors
- Felt
- Fabric chalk
- Wiggle eyes
- Tacky glue
- 2 large pom-poms
- 2 pipe cleaners
- Pencil
- 2 small pom-poms
- Yarn
- Craft stick
Instructions
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1
Draw two triangles on the paper, one larger than the other. Make sure they're not bigger than your pom-poms, because these will become the patterns for the wings, tail, beak, etc.
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2
Cut out the paper triangles with scissors, and trace three outlines of the larger triangle and two of the smaller triangle onto the felt using the fabric chalk.
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3
Cut out the felt triangles and set them aside.
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4
Glue the wiggle eyes onto one of the large pom-poms, and let the glue dry according to the instructions on the bottle. This will be the bird's head.
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5
Fold one of the pipe cleaners in half, and curl it around a pencil.
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6
Place a dab of glue at the folded end of the pipe cleaner, and stick it into the other big pom-pom. This pom-pom will be the body, and the protruding pipe cleaner ends will be the legs.
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7
Let the glue dry, and spread the two pipe cleaner ends apart, forming an upside down "V."
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8
Make the bird's feet by dropping a dot of glue onto both ends of the pipe cleaner and attaching the two smaller pom-poms to them.
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9
Glue two of the large felt triangles onto the body of the bird to form the wings. They should be parallel and across from one another. Let the glue dry.
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10
Glue the last large triangle to one end of the pom-pom body to make the tail.
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11
Curl the other pipe cleaner around the pencil, and cut it in half. Bend a piece so that it's shaped like a bird's neck. Save the other half for another project.
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12
Glue a small piece of felt below the eyes on the pom-pom head to form the beak.
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13
Glue the other piece of small felt between the eyes as a cockscomb.
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14
Drop a dab of glue on one end of the pipe cleaner you just twisted for the neck, and stick it into the pom-pom body. Let the glue dry.
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15
Place some glue on the other end of the pipe cleaner, and stick the pom-pom head onto it.
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16
Cut two pieces of yarn, each 16 inches long, and tie a piece to each end of the craft stick.
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17
Attach the other two loose ends to the bird, one to the neck and one where the legs meet the body.
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