How to make simple string puppet toys:
Materials and tools needed to make string puppets by hand:
Thin thread for sewing clothes, straws or Macaroni hair strips, acrylic paint or gouache paint, paint brush, red plush ball, black marker, small wooden stick, scissors, hot melt glue gun, blue cardboard, and open-hole wooden beads.
Methods and steps for making string puppets by hand:
1. Cut a thin line as the main line of the puppet, and place 1 small wooden bead and 1 large wooden bead above the main line as the puppet. head: take 1 hair root strip and fold it in half and place it under the head as the puppet’s arms: then take another hair root strip and fold it in half and place it below as the legs; put a few pieces between the legs and arms. Make a section of macaroni for the body; put some macaroni and small wooden beads near the legs and arms for later use. Paint both the macaroni and wooden posts blue and let dry.
2. String the wooden beads and macaroni on the side of the arm onto the hair root strip. Fold the end of the hair root strip back and stuff it into the macaroni to serve as the palm. Make the legs in the same way.
Use the prepared thin thread, tie a knot at one end, then string small wooden beads and large wooden beads, then wrap it around the folded point of the arm and tie a knot, then string the macaroni as the body, and finally string it on both sides. Tie knots at the folded points of the legs.
3. From blue cardboard, cut out a round piece of chest and abdomen and stick it on the puppet’s body. Then cut out a semicircular piece and roll it into a cone shape, and stick it on the puppet’s head. Cover with small wooden beads. Decorate it with small red plush balls and draw facial features.
4. Cut 3 thin wires, tie one end to the wooden stick, and the other end to the hands and head of the puppet. Now you have a fun puppet. You can make a few more and use different colors for each puppet, maybe you can form a small puppet dance troupe.