Building Professional Puppet Stages

Using inexpensive craft supplies, socks can easily be made into simple hand puppets.

Nearly anyone with some basic construction skills can successfully build a professional quality puppet theater at home using simple tools and inexpensive materials. Puppet theater is an excellent way for children to express their creativity, and can also be utilized for education purposes. Historical events, religious stories, and life lessons can be related effectively to children young and old using puppet performance. A 4-foot tall theater provides the perfect puppet performance venue for children and adults utilizing hand puppets.

Things You'll Need

• 6 10' sections of 1" PVC pipe
• 8 1" PVC "T" joints
• 8 1" PVC right angle joints
• Hand Saw
• 4 3' by 4.5' fabric panels or curtains
• Cable ties
• PVC glue (optional)

Instructions

1. Cut your PVC into 15 3-foot long sections and eight 1-foot long sections using your hand saw. Line up your cut pieces along with your connectors on a flat surface to begin construction.

2. Build a PVC square using four 3-foot sections. Place right angle joints at the top two corners, and "T" joints at the bottom two, with the open end of the connector pointed downwards. Insert 1-foot segments of PVC into the bottom "T" connectors to create two legs. Repeat this process until you have four 3-foot by 3-foot PVC panels with one foot legs at the base.

3. Place your four panels side by side, and using cable ties, secure them together at the top, middle and bottom. With assistance, stand your connected panels up onto their legs. Rotate the two panels on either end slightly back to provide stability for your puppet stage.

4. Attach your fabric panels or curtains to the puppet stage. If using fabric panels, you may use a sewing machine to create a "tube" at the top of the panel by sewing the top six inches of the fabric over itself. This will allow you to simply slide the curtain onto the top PVC segment of each panel. Another option is to purchase pre-made curtains that already include this "tube."

5. Perform your show, using homemade sock puppets, or hand/rod puppets purchased from a professional manufacturer. When finished, your puppet theater can be stored by folding the four panels onto each other to lie flat or disassembled entirely and kept in a large plastic tub.

Tips & Warnings

• Get creative with your fabric choices, you may use the traditional plain black or red fabric, select a fabric that reflects the show you are planning to put on, or even use canvas and paint your own scenery.

• For extra stability, consider using PVC glue to secure the joints. This fast setting glue is simple to use, and is ideal for more permanent construction.

• Always take great care when working with a hand saw, use saw horses if available, or a flat, stable surface.

References

• Children's Ministry: Create a Collapsible Puppet Stage