How to Make a Wooden Puppet

This is an instructable showing the step by step process of creating a wooden marionette puppet.

Materials you will need are as followed

• A board of wood about 20x20
• tools (jig saw, ban saw, staple gun)
• optional: paint or accessories for the head
• felt (black, whatever colour for skin, and mouth)
• baby clothes for dressing your puppet
• baby shoes for the feet
• a wig
• ribbon

Start by taking the measurements of your body (or someone else doesn't really matter). Then scale your measurements by about 1/3 but only one half for the head (i like the way it looks). Remember it does not have to be exact.
        
  Here are my measurements (Make 2 of everything but three heads)

• Torso 22 x 11 cm
• Head 15 x 12 cm (oval)
• Upper arm 10 x 4 cm
• Lower arm 8 x 3 cm
• Hand 6 x 4 cm
• Thigh 18 x 5 cm
• Calf 13 x 4 cm
• Foot 6 x 4 cm

 

Using your  measurements outline your pieces on your wood. While making the outlines it is helpful to mark the type of piece each is.

Using a ban saw (or any other saw you are able to) cut on the outlines for each of your pieces that you did earlier. (the cuts don't have to be perfect they will be covered). I recommend using the jig saw for the head because it cuts better corners.

This part is very simple all you have to do is cut 45 degree angles on each limb where ever there will be a joint. Have it so the peek of the angles touch.

For this i used about 1 inch thick ribbon and glued it onto each piece and it seems to hold quite well so there shouldn't be any problems.

Wrap the ribbon around the head and glue it on both sides, make sure to leave extra length to put between the torso. 

The legs attach to the torso by the ribbon being glued in between the 2 torso pieces also put the pieces form the head in between the torso pieces make sure to use something heavy to keep the torso together. make sure any loose pieces don't move while they are drying.

After your puppets limbs are dry and secured dress up your puppet in any clothes you want and using felt for skin and features make the face of your puppet. So the pants don't fall off make sure to staple them to the torso

The final step adding the strings is very simple make a set distance from the head that you want it to be. Using the fishing and a needle put the fishing line through the clothes were you want it to lift. Tie a knot in the end of the string then staple it to the part of the limb it belongs. Then cut you wooden trim to about 1.5 feet and drill some holes that align with the strings in the relax position.( The head string goes on the same on as the legs and the arms are on a separate pieces)

Enjoy your new wooden marionette hope you have fun leave your comments in the section below?