Hand puppets are a wonderful way for children to learn about the world around them and how to act appropriately. They also help to develop language skills and can be used in a variety of ways, from storytime to communication lessons.
Making a hand puppet is an excellent activity for young learners to try out their design and technology skills, while getting them to use a range of materials. It is also a great opportunity to encourage pupils to make practical choices and evaluate whether their puppets meet certain criteria at the start of the project.
To begin, make sure that the materials you choose are strong and durable enough to hold up to the wear and tear that the project will take. Ideally, you should look for wooden or wood-like materials that are resistant to water and insects. Alternatively, you could also consider using papier-mache or rubber material.
The first step in making a hand puppet is to create a template for the head and arms. This will ensure that when you cut the fabric it is not going to be too wide or too long and you won’t have any issues with your hand fitting inside.
You can use a pencil to draw the outline of the head and arms on the fabric. If you don’t want to draw on the fabric, you can cut out a template from a paper or card and then trace it onto the fabric. You can then follow the pattern to cut out both the front and back pieces of the puppet.
Once you have cut out both the front and back pieces of your hand puppet, sew them together to make the body of your puppet. Once you have done this, you can paint your puppet any color that you wish!
Carving a hand puppet is a complex process that requires a good knowledge of woodcarving techniques. In general, you should start with the global shape of the hand and head – it is important to approach the details in two different directions, so that the structure of the carving can be seen clearly.
Depending on the style of the design, you should approach the details with the higher number of chisels, as this will allow for a more realistic look. When you are carving the hands, it is especially important to keep the structure of the design visible as this will make for a more authentic puppet.
Now you have carved the head and the hands, you can start tackling the rest of the puppet. If you want to carve the mouth of the puppet, you should start by drawing out the head and then carve it out with a chisel. Generally, you should not sand the mouth until after the carving is complete – if you do, the small pieces of sand left in the wood will completely destroy your chisels!
This project is best suited to those who are intermediate or expert woodcarvers, as the complexity of the project means that it can take some time before the final product is finished. However, if you have an experienced and capable carver on your hands, it is well worth the effort to produce a puppet that looks great and will stand up to many years of play.