How to Create Potter Puppet Pals

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Things You'll Need

  • Source image

  • Paper

  • Pencil

  • Scissors

  • Fabric (various flesh colors)

  • Felt (various colors)

  • Needle

  • Thread

  • Stuffing

  • Fabric paint

  • Paint brush

  • Dowel

  • Craft stick

  • Craft glue

The Potter Puppet Pals, or PPP, are a parody series of animations and puppet theater created by Neil Cicierega based on the "Harry Potter" book series written by J.K. Rowling. Based on millions of views per video, the PPP are extremely popular with the public. You can create your own PPP with minimal sewing and pattern-making skills. These puppets are basic stick puppets with painted-on facial features. To operate these puppets, hold the stick under the puppet's cloak and twist the rod back and forth to make the arms flail around.

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Step 1

Create a puppet pattern by referring to the source image for the PPP you wish to recreate. See the Potter Puppet Pals website for image ideas. Draw out the shapes on paper using a pencil. You will need separate patterns for head, ears, arms, hands and cloak. Cut out the patterns.

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Step 2

Place patterns on fabric. Cut out the patterns from the fabric. Use the fabric for the head, ears and hands. Use the black felt for the cloak. Use the appropriate felt color for the hair of the chosen puppet. For example, Harry would have black felt hair, whereas Ron would have orange felt hair.

Step 3

Sew the head together using the needle and thread. Sew all the way around the head, but leave the neck area open. Cut the craft stick to be slightly smaller than the width of the head. Glue the craft stick on top of the dowel using the craft glue to form a "T" shape. Allow the glue to dry for the amount of time specified on the label.

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Step 4

Stuff the head half full with stuffing by inserting it from the neck opening. Insert the dowel into the head so the craft stick sits in the middle of the head with the dowel coming out of the neck to form the operation rod. Stuff the rest of the head full with stuffing to secure the rod in the head. Sew the neck closed around the dowel.

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Step 5

Sew each ear, but leave a small opening before sewing completely closed. Insert a small amount of stuffing in each ear to help it keep its shape. Sew the ears closed, and then sew the ears to the sides of the head. Sew on the felt cloak to the neck of the puppet. Sew and stuff arms out of black felt. Sew hands out of flesh-colored fabric and stuff with stuffing. Sew hands to the ends of the arms. Sew arms to the sides of the cloak in the appropriate arm placement position.

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Step 6

Sew hair to the top of the puppet's head. Paint on facial features using the fabric paint and paintbrush. Facial features for Harry include glasses, lightning bolt scar and smiley mouth. Facial features for Ron include black dots for eyes, orange freckles and smiley mouth. Facial feature for Hermione include black dot eyes with white highlights, straight line mouth and rosy cheeks. Paint the Gryffindor emblem on the left breast of the cloak. Refer to source image for emblem details.

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