How to Make People Puppets Out of Paper Bags

Turn an old paper bag into a fairy tale crone.

The next time the kids cry that they're bored, reach into the pantry for lunch bags and make some people puppets. With a few scraps of cloth and yarn, button eyes and a drawn-on mouth, ordinary paper lunch bags are transformed into characters full of personality. You can make puppets to represent your favorite story--a wrinkled, used bag is perfect for making the witch in Snow White--or make up your own. You can even make puppets to represent your family, then put on a puppet show and let your loved ones see themselves on stage.

Things You'll Need

• Paper lunch bags
• Buttons or small circles cut from construction paper
• Craft or all-purpose glue
• Markers or crayons
• Yarn, cut into various lengths
• Assorted fabric scraps, wider than the bag
• Scissors

Instructions

1. Fold the bag flat along the fold lines if it is open. Lay the bag on the table so that the place where the bottom is folded over faces up. The opening of the bag should be pointed toward you. The crease between the bottom of the bag and the front of the bag will be the mouth of your puppet.

2. Glue two buttons or circles of paper or cloth in place for the eyes.

3. Draw a nose on your puppet.

4. Glue lengths of yarn around the top and sides of your puppet for hair.

5. Draw the top lip of your puppet's mouth along the fold where the bottom of the bag meets the front. Do this with the bag still folded, and finish the mouth by drawing the bottom lip on the front of the bag just below the fold. When your hand is inside the bag, you'll be able to open and close your hand and make it look like the puppet is talking as the mouth opens and closes.

6. Glue scraps of fabric to the front of the puppet for clothing. Attach buttons to enhance the outfit, if you like.

7. Give your puppet personality by adding button earrings, a hat made of fabric or construction paper, or facial hair made of small bits of yarn.

Tips & Warnings

• If you're in a hurry to start your puppet show, simply draw the facial features, clothing and hair.

• Always supervise very young children with scissors, glue, and small items such as buttons.

References

• DLTK Kids: Paper bag puppets