Supplies:
- Paper towel, wrapping paper, or toilet paper roll
- Paper to cover tube (optional) – Can use construction paper, brown bags, or wrapping paper
- Markers and/or crayons
- Elmer’s Glue or glue stick
- Scissors (Adult supervision needed.)
- Hole punch (You can use scissors if you don’t have a hole punch.)
- Scotch tape
- String, yarn, or ribbon
- Pipe cleaners, popsicle sticks, pencils, or rulers for marionette handle
- Miscellaneous items around the house (twist ties, buttons, etc.) to use for decorating
Directions:
- If you are using a paper towel roll, cut it in half.
- Take the half tube and cut it again about ¾ of the way down. The smaller part will be the head.
- Decorate the tube using paper, colors, paint, and/or stickers.
- Starting with the longer part of the tube, have an adult cut or punch holes on one side for legs. Cut/punch holes for the number of legs your creature will have. It can have as many or as few legs as you want.
- Make legs for your creature, using items around your house (twist ties, pipe cleaners, yarn, etc.). Once the legs are inserted in the holes, tape them in place.
- Create the head (small piece of paper towel tube). Add whatever details you want.
- Now you are ready to connect the head to the body. Punch or cut two holes on the opposite side of the legs. Then punch or cut two holes on the small tube – one on top and one directly underneath it.
- Cut 2 pieces of yarn, string, or ribbon the same length – at least 18 inches. Tie one piece of yarn to the front and one to the back of the long tube. Secure inside with a knot and tape.
- Take the yarn on the front side and slide the head on it. Make a knot inside the small tube to secure the head in place.
- To make the marionette cross bar, take to pencils (or rulers or craft sticks) and cross them to make an “X”. Tie the two pencils together using pipe cleaners, twist ties, or tape.
- Add the two strings attached to the puppet across from each other on one pencil. Secure with tape.
- Put on a play with your puppet and entertain your family!