How can you make a big puppet like that of Susy ( see picture )?
The project to create  jointed puppets about the story of “Susie at the store” and to teach   the children how to handle them was carried out  in collaboration with the Company “La Marotte”. Sabine Pernette, Director of the Company “La Marotte”, is a decorator and an actress.

the material

  Plastic coated wire that one finds in  garden-centers  is used to bind together the various parts of the puppet

the drilling machine: very useful to make  holes in hard plastic or hard materials (you can use  gimlets instead)

the glue gun: verry convenient; you can glue everything with it.

Wire netting: it is used as a frame  to make a big  puppet with a group of children

maché paper: it is used to cover the parts of a large puppet. To make it you have to mix glue for wallpapers  and sheets of old newspapers or books.

 
Steps to follow
You need : various recycled materials (kitchen utensils, packaging, bottles, pieces of fabric, buttons….) The dress was made out of wire netting, as well as the head and the members, that  children cover with papier  mâché. The puppet is then painted with acrylic paint. The limbs are attached by  key rings. The eyes are made with buttons and are attached with  iron wire  passed through 2 holes  bored in the  head.

How to create  small puppets like those of the preceding page ?

All  puppets  are made with the same techniques as those used for the puppet  shown here, but with different materials. You can see, by observing them, which material  was used.

You need:recycled  material . Let  children choose what they want for the body, for the head. Sometimes they will need your suggestions.

Antoine chose for the head of his puppet(shown here)an oval box of margarine, which he covered with tissue paper and painted with  acrylic paint. His teacher bore holes
into it to attach the head and the body with plastic coated wire used also to attach a button to provide a nose. For the body, he took a pot out of cardboard which he covered with baize. Legs are socks filled with handkerchiefs, arms are chenilles terminated by  buttons , hairs are colored ribbons…

To finish the puppet attach a handle (for example  a wooden spoon ) at the head of the puppet to allow the child to handle it .


You want to learn how to handle the puppets? click

here


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