How to Make A Puppet's Eyes, Hair & Nose

Puppets are loved by people of all ages.

Having the right eyes, hair and nose for your puppet makes the difference between an average puppet and a lively looking one. According to the U.S. Department of Education, "Puppets are fascinating to children. They know that puppets are not alive, yet they often listen to and talk with them as if they were real." You can create this effect on children with easy-to-do, puppet facial crafts.

Things You'll Need

• Black embroidery thread
• Embroidery needle
• Yarn (any color)
• Glue
• Scissors
• Brown felt
• Blue pen
• Small cap

Instructions

Embroidered Eyes

1. 

   Thread the needle with embroidery thread.

   Thread embroidery needle with embroidery thread. An easy way to do this is to bend the thread over the needle, slide the needle away, and gently squeeze the bent section together. Place this bent section of thread through the eye of the needle and pull through.

2. 

   Plan the location of the eyes using the shape of a triangle.

   Diagram where the eyes will be placed. Imagine an upside-down triangle on the nose of the puppet. Plan to place the eyes above the end points of the upper part of the triangle.

3. 

   Sew the eyes on to your puppet's face.

   Pierce the material through on the puppet's face where one eye will be placed. Pull up from the bottom of the material back to the top. Pierce again through the material near the first hole that was made. Pull up from the bottom of the material back to the top through a second hole near the first. Repeat these steps in a left-to-right pattern until you have made a shape of a square. Repeat this process for the second eye.

Yarn Hair

1. 

   Use yarn for the hair on a puppet.

   Unwind a string of yarn. Wrap it over the puppet's head to the desired length and cut. Cut 19 more strands of the same length. Cut 15 more strands half the size of the first and set aside.

2. 

   Use glue to hold the hair in place on your puppet.

   Place horizontal lines of glue running across the top of the puppet's head. Stick strands of yarn on the glue. Begin with the brow and end at the top of the back of the head. Keep the hair symmetrical across the puppet's head.

3. 

   Place yarn on the back of the puppet's head.

   Glue the 15 strands that you set aside to the back of the head. Place the glue in vertical lines so the hair falls straight down.

Felt Nose

1. 

   Use a bottle cap for a perfectly round circle.

   Draw a circle on a piece of brown felt. Take a small bottle cap and use it as a tool to trace a perfect circle.

2. 

   Cut a small circle for the nose of the puppet.

   Cut the circle out and lay aside. Keep the edges of the circle smooth and rounded.

3. 

   Use glue to hold your puppet's nose in place.

   Place a small amount of glue where the nose is to be placed on the puppet. Carefully place the felt circle on the glue and hold for 20 seconds.

Tips & Warnings

• A hat can be placed on top of the head to give your puppet a polished look.

• When making eyes for your puppet, it is not necessary to identify the pupil or iris. The life of the puppet is in the puppeteer's motions and vocal story.

References

• U.S. Department of Education; Helping Your Preschool Child; August 2005

Resources

• Disney Family Fun; Mini Puppet Theater; Shoshana Marchand