mom sectionmom sectionThe holidays can be a highly anxious time for many people, especially people with insecure friends who try to judge you with unrealistic modern sensibilities. Is that cookie you just ate vegan or organic or locally made? Was it cut into a religious shape or a secular one? How many have you had and will they ruin your breath in case there’s mistletoe? Will you even submit yourself to the misogyny of standing under the mistletoe? Did your playlist just do a Christmas song at a holiday party, or were you trying to be ironic? Sometimes you wish your holiday…
Like me, this sock creature loves cold weather. Summers in the rural South where I live are awful. We have enough mosquitoes to swing a major election, and our air gets so thick and humid you have to breathe it in with a spoon. The only thing I like about a summer in the south is a homegrown tomato, and I could learn to do without them if it meant a longer winter. As soon as I feel the air start to take on that long-awaited crispness, I get to work on sock creatures.
Sock puppets are fun to make and require only simple materials you probably have around the house right now. Plus, playing with sock puppets helps children expand their imaginations.
Calling all mismatched socks--the crazier the pattern, the better. This softie is a sock drawer's dream. The assembly process is simple enough that even beginners can join the fun.
If you're looking for a simple project, sock puppets may be perfect. This reindeer makes a wonderful gift or a fun craft project for the kids during winter break.
This sock caterpillar is sure to inch its way into the heart of any child. It's a simple and cuddly way to re-purpose those adorable baby socks children seem to outgrow overnight. What a fun way to keep the memory of those tiny feet alive! And, no two caterpillars will look alike.
A lonesome sock and an outgrown pair of mittens come together for a darling bumblebee. This simple sock creature can be created in a matter of minutes.
All that is needed to complete this adorable snowman is one tube sock and one black crew sock. The one that's been in your laundry basket for the past four loads without a match might be perfect. Scraps of yarn and a few buttons give your snowman enough personality and charm to melt anyone's heart.
Why not use some of those mismatched and single socks lying in your drawers and laundry baskets to make interesting toys for a child to enjoy? It's easy and fun. You can use plain white socks, socks with colored heels and toes, or any print that works.
Making creatures out of socks is an old-fashioned craft with new popularity. Whether you purchase new socks or use a sock without a mate, these toys are fun and easy to make. This raccoon is a quick and easy project for a beginner. It requires one sock with a fairly wide stripe and another in a solid color. The socks don’t have to be the same color--finding crazy combinations is part of the fun.
An Indian sock puppet needs to be made in a very specific way for the best possible results. Learn how to make an Indian sock puppet with help from a longtime and dedicated puppeteer in this free video clip.
After the sock gremlin sneaks away with just one of your socks, thus disrupting a pair, turn that remaining sock into a whimsical hand puppet. When you slip your hand completely into the sock, placing your fingers where your toes once were, and then fold your fingers to the palm of your hand, you have in effect created a movable mouth for your puppet creature. Remember how the sock fit onto your hand before you begin fashioning your animal puppet.
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.
It's fun to dress up in costumes whether for Halloween, Cosplay, ComicCon or just because you feel like it. Every costume needs accessories to really put it over the edge. A furry hood with bunny ears is just the thing to create a variety of Cosplay characters, rabbit costumes and looks incredibly cute and cozy on a cold snowy day as a regular winter hat.
Caterpillars can often be one of the first creatures children discover. Choose a puppet style that is age appropriate for the child who is either making the puppet or for whom you're making it. Younger children have just as much fun playing with green paper chain puppets as they do with more detailed sock puppets. Sock puppets are entertaining and easy caterpillar puppets to make. Use green, yellow or orange socks that are missing their mates and begin with your vivid imagination.
While an actual raccoon will make you run for cover, you can hold this raccoon finger puppet with no problems. Fashion a raccoon finger puppet as part of a set of forest animals. Or, make half a dozen or more of these finger puppets for a gaze of raccoons. Use this finger puppet for an impromptu theatrical performance. You can also entertain a child by using the puppet as a prop while reading her a storybook.
A furry puppy puppet is a great way to entertain a small child. Sticking your arm inside and using your hand to open and close its mouth, you can make the puppy engage the child in conversation, lick her, or try to nip her fingers. You can even give the puppet to your child to play with on her own. Creating such a puppet requires only minimal sewing skills. You can make one in less than an hour.
Puppets provide an interactive way to entertain young children or allow your children to entertain you. With these simple props, kids can put on skits and engage with a willing audience. Professional puppeteers use elaborately designed pieces in their performances. Amateur puppeteers can convert household items into characters to star in shows at home among family and friends.
If you are going to be covering a lesson on turtles with young children or have a child who loves turtles, you are going to get extensive use out of this sock puppet. Use it to demonstrate a turtle hiding his head in his shell, as a story time prop when reading "Yertle the Turtle" or place it in a costume bin for pretend play. Use him to help settle a class by pulling the turtle's head in his shell when the children are too noisy and only pushing his head out of his shell when the children are quiet.
Recycle old socks into sock puppets. Consider making giraffe and chicken puppets for children to play with. The sock puppets can be made for story time or a puppet show. Children can help cut out the pieces and assemble the puppets. Once they learn how simple and fun sock puppets are to make, children can recycle old socks into a variety of sock puppet people or animals.
Look at the place on a map where a river empties into the ocean. The mouth of the river often fans out into a rough triangle shape near the coastline. This shape is called a delta because it resembles the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. Deltas form important areas for farming and diverse wildlife habitat, but human activities can threaten to these unusual ecosystems.
Sock puppets are a fun way to get some additional use from old socks or those without mates. You can make a sock puppet even if you do not know how to sew. Once you make a sock puppet, you and your children can use it to sing songs like "Mary Had a Little Lamb" or "Ba Ba Black Sheep." You can also use your sock sheep puppet to tell funny stories or act out a play.
Sock cupcakes are not real cupcakes that look like socks, but rather socks that look like cupcakes. A sock cupcake is an artful way of folding the socks so that they look like the delicious dessert. Folding socks into a cupcake shape is not difficult and only takes a few minutes. Use cupcake socks to decorate baby gifts, tables at a baby shower, a kid's birthday party or any other place that could benefit from cupcake decorations.
Design and craft elephant and chicken sock puppets to engage imagination and creativity during a rainy day, on a day home from school or as a sleepover activity. Easy to craft with the aide of an adult, children can tell stories and act out theatrical style plays while showing off their newly crafted elephant and chicken sock puppets.
Ventriloquism is the art of speaking without moving the mouth giving the illusion that the voice comes from another place. Also referred to as "voice throwing" and "vent," ventriloquism is popular in stage shows where performers manipulate a dummy to create the illusion that the puppet is talking. Ventriloquists must learn how to control their voice, their mouth and their dummy, however since no formal schools are in existence, most "vent" performers must develop these skills on their own.
Sock puppets are creative ways to recycle old socks. Making them is enjoyable and easy for people of all ages, especially young children. Funny sock puppets are inexpensive toys and provide hours of entertainment when animated creatively. You can design funny sock puppet faces with simple materials and little effort. The basic puppet outline lends itself to improvisation and creative inspiration. Feel free to add any other limbs, features or designs you like to make the puppet special and unique.
Many people find painting to be challenging. Still, it shouldn't be. All you need to do is to break down the painting process into easy-to-complete tasks. The same is true about painting animals, including a moose. Painting a moose is similar to painting a cow or a bull. In fact, a moose is their distant relative. It belongs to the deer family.
The art of puppet-making encompasses many different styles from shadow puppets to larger than life parade puppets. Puppets seem to come to life when used to tell a story and are often included in both elementary school events and comedy shows. Several comedians have centered their entire career around puppets and Jim Henson's Muppets and Sesame Street characters continue to entertain children and adults throughout the world. Since puppets can be customized to represent any character, consider designing one to give as a gift too someone that has everything.
Making sock creatures has been a popular crafting activity for many years because of its traditional simplicity. With a few common household items and a little bit of concentration, you can create a homemade stuffed animal, custom to your preferences. This is a simple activity for day care programs, birthday parties and art classes. Many families enjoy making sock creatures because they can spend time together while doing an easy activity and have stuffed animals to play with when the activity is over.
A craft moose highlights the robust features seen on animals in the wild. Teach the children a lesson about these animals and their habitat in the wild before making your moose craft. This can encourage excitement about making a paper moose. Show the kids pictures of a real moose so that they can draw inspiration and get ideas from the photo. These animals have large distinctive, odd features that make them stand out in nature. Moose antlers are wide and often fuzzy and a moose has a very large nose.
Most kids love to do craft projects, and making paper finger puppets is an enjoyable way for them to pass the time. They will have fun making and decorating these little mice puppets. And by having these cute puppet friends to play with, your children may never complain of getting bored again. Have them create a family of mice puppets and act out an impromptu play or game. If the finger puppets come apart, it takes only minutes to make duplicates.
Sock puppets are popular on children's televisions shows and in classrooms. Teachers often have the children make sock puppets and perform for the class. You can make a duck sock puppet in less than an hour with many items you already have at home. Children can create one with minimal help from an adult. The children will have a toy that will entertain them for hours. This duck is only the head an neck of the duck. Your arm works as the neck of the duck. Since a duck has such a long neck, there is no need to add…
A child can make a sock puppet with minimal adult supervision. A pig sock puppet can be created with items found in most homes. There are only a few items that may need to be purchased. A child may enjoy making this craft because it can be used as a toy when finished. The puppet can also be used for a puppet show.
Perfect for a rainy day, sock puppet projects are ideal for children of all ages. If you have a sock that is missing its partner or just feel like creating a simple craft, sock puppets create virtually no mess and take up little time. Along with traditional sock puppets, you can also make talking puppets and sock animals.
If you need a child-friendly project about sea otters for a class or club, consider making sea otter sock puppets. Sock puppets are an easy, inexpensive way to connect children with the animal in question. They are also a quick way to make characters for a classroom play. On top of that, the long, sleek form of a sea otter lends itself very well to sock puppetry. All you need are a few simple materials.
Sock puppets are a simple idea that can provide hours of entertainment. Round up your spare, partnerless socks and gear up for an afternoon of crafting that is suitable for crafters of all ages. To make a frog sock puppet, you will need basic craft supplies and simple gluing skills. Use your frog sock puppet to act out songs and nursery rhymes or make up your own dramatic play for any time of the day.
Turtles have inhabited the planet for nearly 230 million years and can be found everywhere except the Arctic and the Antarctic. Turtles are also long-lived with some turtles living more than 200 years. Children enjoy learning about turtles and this can be accomplished through reading activities, aquarium visits, games and crafts. A turtle sock puppet is an easy craft for children to make and will provide little ones with hours of imaginative play.
Depending on the embellishments used and individual creativity, an ordinary sock can morph into an entirely new identity as a sock puppet. Building sock puppets is a fun craft project for a rainy day, or simply as a new project anytime. The great thing about sock puppets is you can make them all your own--each one is different based upon how you design it. There is no wrong way to make a sock puppet.
With its distinctive black-and-white bandit's mask and bushy ringed tail, the nocturnal raccoon is easy to spot and has a reputation for nighttime mischief, scavenging through trash cans and gardens for food. Teach your child about the raccoon and its habits with a raccoon sock puppet. More than just educational, your child can use the raccoon puppet to represent a mischievous character in a play or sleep with it as a soft toy. Although the raccoon may be mischievous by nature, you can easily customize your puppet to make it more kid-friendly.
Animal sock puppets are one of the most common types of sock puppet because of their popularity with children. An interesting, kid-friendly animal that is easy to replicate, the kangaroo sock puppet needs only distinguishing features such as floppy ears, a long tail and a pouch. Once you have finished personalizing your kangaroo sock puppet, you can recreate an adventure in the Australian outback or make baby kangaroos for the puppet's pouch.
Sock puppets are not only fun to make, but also keep old, worn socks out of the landfill. Creating a sock puppet that resembles an animal, such as an ox, can allow you to use the puppet to tell stories relating to farm life, nursery rhymes, fairy tales or even to teach children about mammals. These lessons can include learning about life cycles, animal classification or raising animals.The materials needed to create an ox sock puppet can be found around your house or at any craft supply store.
Making sock puppets can be a fun activity for children and adults. Whether you are putting on a puppet show or simply using the sock puppets as toys, there are several ways to use your puppets. Many of the most popular sock puppets are animals, and one of the most common sock animals is the sock bear. With a bit of time and effort, you can easily create your own sock bear puppet.
Sock puppets are an easy and fun project for kids. Not only do the kids get to use their creativity making the puppets, but they can also put on a puppet show afterward. The sock puppet lends itself to any type of character from aliens to animals. One simple and popular sock puppet animal to make is a dog. Using simple supplies (many of which you probably have at home) you and your kids can make a cute sock puppet dog in no time.
Socks seem to disappear mysteriously while doing laundry. Like many people, you probably have a few mismatched pairs in your sock drawer. If you are feeling a bit creative, put those socks to use by making sock puppets with your kids or just for fun. There are loads of socket puppet ideas to choose from if you need a little inspiration.
A sock can be transformed into many creatures, people or animals---as a puppet perfect for kids. Making a sock puppet into a farm animal, such as a cow, can present the opportunity to teach children about nature, animals and farm life. Cow sock puppets are fun to play with and easy to make. Even a small child can help create a cow sock puppet easily. Everything needed to make a cow sock puppet can be found at any craft supply store.
One way to turn socks that have lost their mate into an inexpensive toy that inspires children to use their imagination is by making a sock puppet snake. A simple craft to put together, the sock puppet snakes can be used as party decorations for a reptile-themed party or as favors. You can also make this craft as a follow-up art project for a science lesson on snakes. Make snakes of all colors and sizes and let your child's imagination run wild.
Sock puppets can be fun to make and fun to play with for all ages. While sock puppets can take on the forms of people, exotic animals, and fairy tale characters, you can also create farm animals for simple play. To make a cow sock puppet, you’ll need to create a basic sock puppet and then add the specific details that will transform your basic puppet into an unmistakable cow.
Sock puppets are amusing toys for young children. They are comfortable, versatile and easy to make. A mouse sock puppet can be used for free play, acting out a nursery rhyme, teaching a lesson or telling a story. Since mice have a distinct look, it may seem difficult to make a mouse sock puppet. However, with an old sock, common craft supplies and help from an adult, any child can make his own mouse sock puppet.
Sock puppets are an easy way to create characters for playing pretend and entertaining children. Another feature of sock puppets is you can make them as plain or as intricate as you want. Re-create the characters from virtually any story with fairy tale sock puppets. Make the puppets for the children in your life ahead of time or involve them in the creative process.
A sock puppet is an easy and inexpensive craft that is tons of fun, too. You can add a feminine touch when you turn that plain puppet into a glamorous gal. If you have simple sewing skills, you can use a needle and thread to beautify your sock puppet. But don't worry if you're all thumbs. A glue gun can get the job done quickly when it comes to your girl sock puppet's marvelous makeover.
Making sock puppets is one of the easiest recreational activities you can do with your child. It can be even more enjoyable if you depict a specific character, hero or political figure to stimulate your child's creativity. Be sure to involve your children with the making process as much as with the playing process.
Give a kid an old sock, and the sock will probably end up on his hand. Socks lend themselves naturally to puppets. If you put your mind to work, you can dream up any number of embellishments to make a sock puppet come alive with creativity and imagination. Having mouths can give your puppets even more personality.
A type of hand puppet, sock puppets are easy and inexpensive to make. Sock puppets can be stylized to be anything you want them to be--from a person who tells jokes to an animal that sings. Singing sock puppets are one type of sock puppet. You only need to make a traditional sock puppet with a mouth. After that, you can stylize and accessorize your sock puppet to give your singing sock puppet that extra oomph.
Sock puppets are popular arts and crafts projects because they're very easy to make, requiring just a few basic supplies, along with an old sock. A moose sock puppet requires a little more work than other sock puppets, but only a little. You can complete it in just a few hours, and the materials are simple enough so that kids can work on it too. Use the project as a rainy-day activity or as part of making a whole batch of puppets to play with.
Puppets are fun to play with and fun to make. One easy puppet to make is one made from a sock. Sock puppets can be made into many different animals, including dogs, pigs and even sheep. There are different ways you can make a sock puppet for yourself or your children. All you need is some socks, felt and buttons.
Sock puppets are a fun way to entertain children and make a useful teaching aid. Use sock puppets as a visual aid when teaching a class, homeschooling or working with a group of children to capture their attention. Puppets make learning fun, whether you're telling a story with them or letting the puppet "lead" a discussion. Sock puppet crafts are also an inexpensive and easy creative project for most school-aged children.
Puppets are a great way to entertain the children if you are a babysitter, mom or dad. Communicating is key in your child's life and is a part of learning. Why not read them books with sock puppets. Or even more fun is teaching them new words with sock puppets.
The next time your kids are searching for something to do, head to the laundry room. Gather all your lonesome socks--the ones whose mates were eaten by the dryer--and put them to good use. Kids can let their imaginations run wild as they put some personality into sock puppets. They can create clowns, princesses or maybe even sock versions of themselves.
Making a sock puppet simply involves manipulating and embellishing a sock to have eyes, a mouth and any other characteristics. Create a simple sock puppet with helpful tips from a professional puppeteer in this free video on making puppets.
Sock puppets are a fantastic way to express creativity through both the creation of the puppet and a performance. Sock puppets can be created simply by sticking your hand into a sock. But to create a truly amazing sock puppet there are a few basic guidelines that will get you started. Adding eyes, hair and clothes can establish a sock puppet as a real character.
Puppets are one of those crafting activities that can expand to fit big imaginations. Begin by creating the puppets themselves. A great place to start is the sock drawer. Find all of the lonely socks without matches and put them to use making sock puppets. There is no limit to the interesting and imaginative puppets that can be made. After the sock puppets are made, plan and produce a puppet show with the new puppets.
Making a sock puppet offers adults a chance to interact, play and teach children. Thomas Edison invented the phonograph and the longest-lasting electrical light bulb. This activity allows children to learn about Edison and spark their interest in science.
Sock puppets are fun and easy to make. Whether you are entertaining your friends or running a day-care program, a sock puppet stage is an inspiring addition to your sock puppet collection. A stage is easy to make; make more than one if you expect it to get lots of use by children. These puppet stages will become a popular toy.
Sock puppets are toys created by using a simple sock and adorned to simulate a specific identity (usually an animal). Sock puppets are mostly made for fun and to be used with or around children, rather than being considered worthy of professional presentation, such as it is the case of other types of puppets.
Orphaned socks are a phenomenon common to most every home. With a few simple materials, the sock that has lost its mate can find new life as a pony puppet.
How a ventriloquist dummy works depends on the materials it's made from and the features it has. Traditional ventriloquist dummies have wooden or sculpted heads, jaws that drop, necks that may rotate, and eyes that may open and close. Edgar Bergen's Charlie McCarthy is a famous example of this type of ventriloquist dummy. However, soft bodied puppets may also be used for ventriloquism, such as Shari Lewis' sock style puppets, Lamb Chop and friends.
Nearly everyone has lost just one sock from a pair of socks. Sock puppets are perfect for recycling those single socks. Put your hand all the way inside a sock. Turn it so that the heel is on the bottom so that your thumb fits inside it easily. Your four fingers fit into the toe. When you close your four fingers over your thumb, you can imagine that the opening between them is the mouth of a person, animal, robot or any other puppet creature. Sock puppets talk because the puppeteer opens and shuts this mouth. The audience watches the…
After sewing on the monkey's snout, you can screw in craft eyes or sew on button eyes to complete the face of your sock puppet. You can vary the look of your sock monkey by placing the eyes in different spots.
You can stuffed and then sewn together a sock puppet, or you can make a simpler version by drawing a face on your sock and sticking it on your hand. These steps detail how to stuff both types of sock puppets.
Making sock puppets is a great homestyle craft to do with children. Many kids feel a sense of accomplishment when they make something with their own hands. Learn how to sew the arms and tail on your own sock monkey puppet.
Learn how to securely attach the ears to a handmade sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn the different types of socks used for monkey sock puppets with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to cut the arms when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to attach the bottom snout on a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn different accessories that can be added to a handmade sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to cut out the ears when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to stuff various items in a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to make a monkey snout on a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to align the colors of the sock when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to make the leg cuts when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to cut the monkey tail when making a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to stuff a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to make the whipping stitch on a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to make a top snout attachment on a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to stuff the body of a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to stitch the body of a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
See a demonstration of how to sew the arms of a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn the basics on how to make a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Get an overview of how to sew the arms of a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to cut the snout when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn the anatomy of a sock when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to flip the arms when making a monkey sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to make a monkey eyes on a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
Learn how to stuff the snout of a sock puppet with expert crafting tips in this free video clip on arts and crafts for children.
All of us have many extra socks that are missing partners. Instead of throwing them out, save them. Once you've amassed enough to make a sock puppet family, gather all those loose socks and spend the day with your kids turning the socks into puppets. You can use art supplies you have around the house, or get special stuff to help make your puppets unique.
If the mysterious "Sock Eater" has left you a pile of single socks, then let everyone make puppets one day. Puppets are a good way for children to talk about their world to adults without feeling pressure or embarrassment.
