What materials do you use for muppet-type puppets?

As mentioned in my short post about what materials to use when making a puppet, there’s no hard and fast rules as to what to use when building a puppet. However, there are some industry standard products out there that you can use, and for the most part, the following suggestions come from my experience after using The Foam Book. Some of the tips here though are things that aren’t given in that book, as I’ve found ways to improve on their suggestions.

For building a muppet-type mouth, many people use a thick cardboard or illustrators’ board. The good thing about it is that illustrators’ board is strong and sturdy, allowing a lot of use from the mouth. Some people may think using a paper plate is a good idea: but after some use, a paper plate will crumble, and you’ll lose the ability to manipulate the mouth well. However, after some experimentation, I’ve discovered that thick card is hard on the puppeteers’ hands and thin foam sheet covered in fabric or felt does a great job - and is more flexible, allowing more facial expression on the puppet. Check out these FREE patterns to learn step-by-step how to make the mouths! Basic round mouth here or a wide square mouth here.

Foam sheet is cut and glued together to form the puppet’s body.

The basis of the head, arms, legs and bodies, is made using foam. Everything you want to know about foam is discussed here.

Gluing your foam pieces together, you’ll want to use a non-toxic glue, and most puppet makers recommend Green Contact Cement, or Crafter’s Pick Ultimate. I’ve recently discovered a Foam Glue (literally the name of the product) on sale at Riot Art and Spotlight. It works really well for muppet-types and in fact, is better than PVC in many ways. A lot of people start off using hot glue, but that product breaks down over time, can melt in sunlight, and leaves horrible seams. A contact cement is the best glue to use. More about glues.

Next, you want to cover your muppet-type with material. Most people want the professional look used in The Muppets, etc, and for that you need to buy antron fleece.

Antron fleece, the puppet maker’s preferred skin covering for muppet-type puppets.

This type of cloth is particularly loved because it hides the seams of the material; more info about what antron fleece is can be found here. Again, for those Aussies; antron fleece is not available, but I can recommend the antipill fleeces on sale at Spotlight, which cost about $AUD 14.95 per metre. The have some great plain colours, as well as some really fab design fleeces. I used this fleece on my Human Foam Puppet Pattern example. Other fabrics usually used of course is fur. Most Australians will also find Spotlight to be the best place for it: though beware! The nicest furs can run as much as $80 AUD per metre!

For joints on your muppet-type, you can use doll or teddy bear joints, although some puppet makers use velcro or key chain-type objects to create removable limbs.

What to use for rods? Well, coathangers make a perfect cheap rod, and a short piece of dowel makes for a sturdy and comfortable handle. Insert the rod into the dowel, and the other end into the hand of the puppet.

For facial features, you can use any number of materials: eyes can be made from spoons, marbles, clay, etc. Hair can be made out of wool, wigs, dolls wigs, or any other materials you’d like. Clothes are generally handmade for the puppet, using the cloth that best suits your budget, tastes and the character of the puppet. Puppet noses are discussed in more detail here [link to be added].

These cover some of the more important materials needed for muppet-type building. If you think something is missing from this explanation, or would like to know more about the materials used for muppet-types, please leave a comment and I’ll add it to the post.

You may also want to check out my post on buying antron fleece in Australia, and learn how to make a muppet puppet here or here where materials and tools are listed in far more detail. 

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