Sock Puppets: Make Yourself Some Friends!

Are you bored? Lonely? ... Or just a little bit nuts? Maybe your all of that and more? Well this Instructable is for YOU!

In a few easy steps, I will show you how to transform your otherwise boring socks into animated friendly individuals who want to keep you company! Take them to the movies, take them to the shops, everyone will point and admire your handy... or should that be foot work?

hehe So, okay, for those who don't need a friend, and just want to make a KICK ASS sock puppet I suppose I will let you read this too. I was asked to make some sock puppets for the show, and so I decided to jazz them up abit since I had the stuff laying around... so... ENJOY!

So, what you need to make a friend!

* Socks : Clean ones preferably
* googlie eyes
* If you can't get eyes get some Felt, White black and  a colour (eg blue)
* Pipe cleaners
* Sewing thread and Needle
* Glue if you don't want to sew

Time: Anything from 30 seconds to 30minutes

GREAT activity for Beavers, Cubs, Rainbows, Brownies, School Kids, Students

So, once you have chosen your sock, and tried it on for size (on your wrist... not your foot!!) Its time to put on the eyes!
I will do this in two steps as I have two ways to do this, the first way is to use the eyes that you can buy from any sewing shop, and the other is to cut them yourself using felt

There are many different things you could use for eyes, but since I am making these for part of a stage production I will be using the Stud type of eyes...Now when it comes to eyes you could use anything, from buttons to stickers, to paint, but Its your decision. The OTHER way to add on the eyes, is you can buy stick on ooglie eyes... But they don't stick particularly well to material, it's your call though!


SO... EYES!

~*~ NB: Stud eyes may not be suitable for very young children as they pose a choking risk, use at your disgression, for children under 6 I would suggest using either stick on eyes or ones made from felt~*~

Toy makers eyes come as either a Button, or a stud, I am using the stud type, first decide where you want the eyes to sit, play around with the positioning until your happy with the placement.

When using the stud type, poke the stud through the sock material, depending on what material your sock is made from, you MAY have to make a small hole, I was lucky as mine just poked through.

NOW turn your sock inside out WITHOUT your eyes falling off.

With Stud eyes you will get a bracket that fits over the stud (Kinda like a rivet, or an earring), just pop this over the stud, until it is locked into position, Do this with both eyes, and give them a little tug to make sure the eyes/sockets are secure

SO Felt eyes, I didn't make these, so I have included a diagram so as to better explain what I mean

Your going to need three circles, or oval shapes...

A white one, which will be the biggest shape, a coloured one ( I have blue here, but any colour will do) which is the middle bit, and finally a small black shape

Basically cut out your shapes, and glue them to one an other... Or Sew them

Then as with the Stud eyes, choose where you want them to be placed, and either glue them in situe, or stitch them... Easy as chips :)

Now is the time, to turn your generic lifeless sock in to a beautiful friend.

Don't make your new pal tooo Beautiful... It's always better to keep an ugly friend around, that way you will 1. look GREAT, and 2. are less likely to have to share your new friend with anyone else!

What I did here was to take a handful of pipe cleaners and sew them in place, Glue would work equally as well. To make curly hair, I just twisted the pipe cleaner around my finger.

So, this is the end readers, go have fun, make friends and enjoy my other Instructables... Please find attached some pictures of some of my new friends, we're having a great time...!

haha

All the best

Biggsy and the sockpeople