How to Make Puppets With Cardboard Tubes
Whether you want an entertaining craft for a rainy day or your plans include launching a full-scale homemade puppet show, cardboard tubes provide an excellent base for creating a puppet. Cardboard tube puppet making can be as simple or as creative as you like. It all depends on the craft materials you incorporate into the project.
Things You'll Need
- Cardboard tubes (any size)
- Scissors
- Colors
- Markers
- Tempera paint
- Paint brush
- Construction Paper
- Tacky glue
- 20 mm wiggle eyes
- Jumbo craft sticks
Instructions
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1
Gather cardboard tubes. You can use toilet paper, paper towel, or gift wrap tubes.
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2
Make vertical cuts in the top of the cardboard tube approximately 1/4 inch wide and 4 inches deep. These will form the puppet's hair.
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3
Bend the cut strips downward and cut off as you desire to fashion hair for your puppet. Paint the hair or color it with markers.
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4
Attach a pair of 20 mm wiggle eyes to the cardboard tube with a drop of tacky glue under each eye. Draw a nose and mouth with markers or crayons.
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5
Draw the puppet's arms and legs on a piece of construction paper and cut them out. Attach each arm and leg to the cardboard tube with a drop of tacky glue.
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6
Draw clothes or fur on the cardboard tube or make clothes out of construction paper. Adhere the clothes to the cardboard tube with tacky glue.
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7
Glue a jumbo craft stick on the inside of the cardboard tube with tacky glue. This will make a holder for your puppet.
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Tips & Warnings
If making vertical cuts for hair is too complicated, you can also fashion hair out of strips of construction paper and glue it to the cardboard tube.
Children under 6 should use blunt tipped scissors only, according to Crayola.com.
Avoid using small parts such as buttons or long pieces of string with children who are under 3 years of age. Children under 3 may swallow small objects or tie string around their necks.
References
- Photo Credit changing rolls of toilet paper image by Lena Grönwall from Fotolia.com
