Free puppet theatre patterns

(Not to be confused with toy theatre)

No two puppetry shows are alike. Which means you shouldn’t be looking at a paint-by-numbers tutorial of how to build your stage. You should first learn more about set design before running off to print out the instructions from one of the tutorials below.

I will be adding to this list as I find more patterns. Please note that these patterns come free courtesy of the credited people; please respect their wishes for creditation (if requested) if you publish the link elsewhere.

• My instructions on building a shadow puppet screen [link to be added]
• My instructions for making a display puppet stand, uses wood not PVC
• My instructions on how to create your own light curtain
• Doug Ledbetter’s PVC booth instructions
• Fellowship of Christian Musicians presents instructions on metal tripod stands (similar to a booth)
• Scriptone’s (user of Instructables) cardboard glove puppet stage
• Children’s Ministry PVC and metal piping booth
• Grey Seal Puppets (not a pattern, just a good insight into their staging - worth reading) describes their set
• Play, Script and Song’s PVC booth
• Play, Script and Song’s cardboard marionette stage
• Infarrantly Creative’s ingenious method of turning an old bookcase into a booth
• Love & Sugar Kisses’ curtain-in-a-dooryway ‘booth’
• Make and Takes’ curtain-in-a-doorway ‘booth’ (this one has more of a circus theme)
• Making the World Cuter’s wooden ‘booth’ (more like a ‘flat’, as it’s known in theatrical terms; aka, a wall with a window cut out in it)
• Cricut’s dinosaur-themed booth
• Storm the Castle’s fabulous folding marionette theatre using wood
• Mini Eco’s cardboard scenery
• Bosch’s fabulously detailed wooden booth/frame (pdf)
• Joy and Pete Consulting has a great shadow puppet screen tutorial using PVC piping (scroll past the photos)
• So Many Tables has an awesome PVC booth tutorial which includes adding places for backdrops

Why so few free patterns? Find the answer here. Read the article dispelling some myths about free patterns. [links to be added]

This post AKA marionette theater plans to build in wood