Home > Arts and Crafts Projects for Kids > Puppets > Hand Puppets with Ice Cream Containers or Oatmeal Boxes
These puppets turn out amazingly with mouths that can actually move up and down as if they were talking. They are so easy to use and not so difficult to make. Find out how to make this arts and crafts project with the illustrated steps below.
Making Hand Puppets with Ice Cream Containers or Round Oatmeal Boxes
Read The Instructions Below.
You will need some of the following materials
Round half-gallon ice cream carton or round oatmeal (rolled oats) box with lid
felt or construction paper (red, flesh, white, blue)
three paper fasteners
¼” elastic 8½” long
facial tissue
red poster paint
heavy yarn (red, brown, black or yellow)
brown crayon
scissors
white glue
paint brush
sock with an elastic top
Instructions for Making These Hand Puppets
To make this puppet, you first need to wash both lid and carton of the ice cream carton thoroughly and allow it to dry. If a cereal box is used, cut about 3" or 4" off the top and replace the lid, Cover the entire carton with flesh-colored felt or construction paper. To make the mouth, ask an adult to cut the edges of lid (sketch a) and fold it in half. (To make fold neat, have an adult score lid with dull knife.) Paint the edges of the lid red for the lips. Line the inside of the mouth with red felt or construction paper. Glue the folded lid to the open end of the carton (sketch b). Insert paper fasteners on each side for strength. Cut the ears and nose from the flesh colored felt or construction paper following patterns in sketches c, d. Bend the tabs on the ears back and glue to sides of carton. The ears should curve and stand out from the carton. Fold the nose into a pyramid shape (sketch d) and glue to the front of the carton. To help the nose hold its shape, you need to stuff it with facial tissue. Cut the eyes from white and blue construction paper or felt, following patterns in sketch f. Glue the white pieces in place first. Then add the blue pieces (sketch g). Cut the short lengths of yarn for the eyebrows, and glue in place above the eyes. Add brown crayon freckles across the cheeks and nose (sketch h). Glue yarn hair to carton beginning at back of head and working upward and forward. Start with short pieces and increase length. Attach 8 1/2" elastic wristband at the bottom of the back of the carton with paper fastener (sketch i). Cut the foot out of sock to make a turtle-neck sweater. Put the sock on the arm as cuff, slip a hand through the elastic band, grip jaws between thumb and fingers and make puppet talk (sketch j).To make a girl puppet, omit the ears and add bangs and yarn braids. Push a thin wire through braids so they stand out from head. Add bright bows to the ends of the braids (sketch k). For puppets from other lands, change the color of skin, shape of eyes and hair color and style (sketches 1 and m).
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