How to Turn Stuffed Critters into Puppets

(Recycled Puppets)

Materials needed:

Stuffed animal

Old stockings or nylons

Shoulder pads or quilt batting or stuffing (can re-use stuffing from stuffed animal)

Large needle

Thread

Heavy cardboard or plastic from a plastic jug

Pieces of dowel for stick puppets

Take a look at that cute little stuffed critter to determine what kind of puppet it might become.

Back Opening – suitable for critters with arms that you can put your fingers into once the stuffing is removed.

1. Cut a slit in the back, remove stuffing from front paws and body.
2. Poke your fingers into the head and front paws.
3. Cut the toe off a stocking and stuff it into the head. Sew sock to neck to create a finger pocket.
4. Sew a piece of stocking or nylon across any exposed stuffing in the lower body. (Or insert old shoulder pad or piece of stocking with stuffing inside and tack inside the body to “fill” it out appropriately.

Cloth body – This solution works if the body of the critter is too small for your hand to fit into it or if the arms are sewn into the side seam of the critter.

1. Remove the head from your critter. Poke a hole into the stuffing.
2. Cut the toe off of a stocking, stuff it into the head. Sew the stocking to the neck to keep stuffing in and form a finger pocket.
3. Cut off the ends of the front paws.
4. Sew a fabric dress with long sleeves.
5. Sew paws inside the end of the sleeves.
6. Sew dress to bottom of head.

Moveable Mouth: This works with critters with big noses such as hippos or frogs. The nose needs to be big enough for your fingers to fit inside it.

1. Cut slit across nose.

2. Fold a piece of felt and insert in mouth opening and sew mouth in place.

3. If bottom lip of mouth sags, you will need to add an insert. Cut a piece the right size from the side of a plastic milk jug or a heavy piece of cardboard.

4. Cover the insert piece with stuffing and a piece of nylon. Sew insert into position in lower lip.

5. Use shoulder pads or stuffing tucked into a piece of stocking to keep the head shape of the stuffed animal. Tack into place with needle and thread.

Stick Puppet – This works well with small stuffed animals.

1. Cut a small hole in the bottom of the animal.
2. Insert a stick through the stuffing and into the head.
3. Use a needle and thread to gather the fabric around the stick.
4. If the stick slides in and out, drill a hole in the stick and sew the fabric to that hole or put a blob of hot glue on the stick by the animal fabric.

Rose Owens

2007

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