The Makings of a Muppet, Pt. 1

In the mood for some indoor crafty ventures? Read on for a guide to making your own Muppet-style puppet and see how my own one-of-a-kind Abominable Snow Muppet emerged from a pile of fleece, fur and felt.



This first view is simply an estimation of what I planned to make; absolutely none of these pieces, from the fabrics to the eyes and nose, are actually attached yet.

Just goes to show you how simple it is to design your Muppet masterpiece from the start!

The Head: Basics



I carved the head from this 8" styrofoam sphere, shaping the cheekbones and hollowing out spaces for the eyes and a space for the jaw so that the whole piece could rest comfortably on my hand.

Be prepared for tons of styrofoam shavings on your clothes and work area!




The Nose

The nose is a small foam sphere (see first photo) that came with a hole in one end. I matched this hole to a thin wooden dowel which I inserted and then trimmed with an inch or so sticking out. The tiny hole in the styrofoam head was made by that bit of dowel.

I also cut a sliver off of the foam ball on the side with the hole to make that side flat and rest closer to the puppet's face.



I stretched a small piece of purple fleece across the foam nose, gathered the edges around the inserted dowel and trimmed off the excess. I sewed the fleece in place, hiding the stitches close to the dowel.

Two possible variations: You might like to sculpt the nose before covering it with fleece. You can also use a different color fleece for the nose than for the rest of the face.

The Fleece-Flesh

I stretched a larger sheet of purple fleece across the styrofoam head and pinned it in place at important points, like the eyes and mouth.*

*One modification I'd make in the future: since I planned to add the white fur later, I used only one third of a yard of purple fleece and did not extend the fleece past the top of the head. It would probably be simpler and more effective to use a larger sheet of fleece, cover the whole piece and make additions (like hair or fur) later.

Be sure that the fleece is tucked to the back of the hollowed jaw and that the excess hangs down at least a couple of inches past the bottom of the styrofoam head.



I poked a tiny hole in the fleece where the nose would go, inserted the dowel, and sewed the nose fleece to the face fleece. The stitches basically hid themselves. Voila: secure appendage.

Chomping at the bit to add the jaw? Check back soon!