What are sock puppets?

Usually used in children’s theatre, sock puppets are… well, socks… Duh! Sock puppets are made by removing part of the toes of a sock, and inserting and attaching a mouth piece (usually made out of a stiff cardboard) to the inside of the toe area. Then the outside of the sock is decorated with facial features, hair, and so on.

Sock puppet, seen from the side.

These puppets are best used in small theatres, and are not really appropriate for outdoors, unless you use a puppet booth like what is used for glove puppetry.

Sock puppets can be lots of fun, but because they are usually made with socks, they can become very generic looking. Sock puppets are also limited in what they can do, but with the addition of arms, or with some good manipulation, those limitations can widen. Bending at the ‘neck’ (puppeteer’s wrist), the sock puppet can pick things up. Changing the angle of the arm allows for different movements too, like swimming, lying down, and so forth.

Once you get beyond these basics, it’s probably better to start using a rod puppet or muppet-type puppet.

But sock puppets can be an excellent place for new puppet makers to start, as well as a good activity for young children and families.

Learn how to make one of these puppets here. Find out what materials to use, or get some free patterns. [Links to be added]