The Makings of a Muppet, Pt. 2

This is Part 2/3 toward making a Muppet-style puppet. See the previous post for more information about making the head and nose. Today we're tackling the all-important jaw, and next time I'll finish off with the eyes, arms and body.

The Moveable Jaw

Here's where things got interesting and extra improvisational.



I had a jaw-like piece of foam left over from what I had cropped out of the original styrofoam ball, so I used that as a base. I cut enough space in it to allow for my thumb to rest there.



And although the piece fits neatly on the head, I also made sure that my whole hand could fit inside the puppet's mouth to operate it hand-puppet style. This will simply take a little trial and error. You could surely fashion a jaw without the extra foam, but I found that it gave it good shape and support.

Then I situated that piece of foam on a sheet of fleece - just enough to cover it, making sure that it was loose enough to keep that thumb-niche. I stitched the fleece in place.

(Note: In that step, you can substitute just about any fabric for the fleece. It need not match the rest of your puppet, because it won't be visible in a minute. Likewise for the stitches/thread. The main purposes of the fabric are simply protection for the foam jaw, ease of attaching things, and comfort for the puppeteer's hand.)

Next, I cut two equal pieces of cardboard to fit comfortably on top of this jaw insert and in the roof of the puppet's mouth. When these cardboard pieces are LATER connected at one end to form a joint, they will be the part of the mouth which the puppeteer operates directly - the visible inside of the mouth.



Cover one cardboard piece with black felt on both sides: Use one piece of felt, folded in half over the rounded edge of the cardboard, to minimize and hide stitches. Use black thread to sew all 3 open sides. Leave a bit of extra felt hanging over on the straight edge of the cardboard, but stitch the felt together along the cardboard edge so that it is not loose.



Smooth out a sheet of fleece on your work surface. This fabric should be several inches longer than your puppet's body will be (excluding the head, including the neck).

Place the second cardboard piece on top of the fabric. Fold the fabric over the straight edge of the cardboard to cover both sides of the piece.



Stitch firmly in place.



Take your fleece-covered "thumb niche" piece and position it upside-down on your fleece-covered cardboard. If you hold it there temporarily and turn the whole thing right-side-up, as though to operate the puppet, you should see that your thumb fits neatly into the niche with the cardboard above it, and the straight edge of the cardboard rests against the palm of your hand.

When I did this, I noticed that what would become the lower lip area would be a little flat. I had some soft green foam at my disposal, so I cut off a slender length of it and sewed it to the "thumb niche" part of the jaw so that the fleece would hang in front of it.

I sewed these pieces together to form the lower portion of the mouth.

First view:



When folded toward me:



Remember that extra piece of black felt that was never attached to anything? I sewed it in place on top of the purple fleece, with that extra bit on the straight edge hanging off the back where the puppeteer's palm rests.

Then I took the felt-covered cardboard piece, lined it up (literally lay it on top of the matching black felt) and sewed it ONLY along that straight edge to form a hinge effect.

And here it is:



If I were to insert this whole piece into the puppet head without connecting it yet, it would look like the first picture in this post. But before I attach it, I want to do one more thing.

See those jowls - the extra purple fleece hanging down to the left and right of the jaw? I pulled those back in such a way that did not create obvious folds and sewed them in place at the back of the jaw. I cut off the excess only where they extended past the jaw piece itself so that they wouldn't interfere with the puppeteer's hand, which will be trying to find its place without any visual guidance once the puppet is all closed up.

So as you secure this portion of your puppet's neck and jaw, mainly keep in mind the functionality for the puppeteer and what will be visible from the front of your puppet. If necessary, look at the whole jaw while it is resting in the head, unattached, and take note of how much of it will be conveniently hidden once it is all connected. That's where you'll want to sew.

Optionally, you may like to add a tongue, teeth, or other mouthy adornments. I imagine now would be a good time to do that, but since the jaw is not yet attached to the puppet head, be sure that whatever you add (such as big fangs) do not prevent the puppet's mouth from closing or moving properly.

Once you're done with the jaw, you can attach it to your puppet's head. Position it in the mouth, being sure that there is enough space for the puppeteer's hand to grasp the cardboard pieces from the inside.

With black thread, stitch the felt-covered cardboard roof of the mouth to the fleece along the cardboard's front edge (where one's top front teeth would be). This will hold it in place, but check back as you work on the next step to be sure of the placement on the fleece.

Loosen the fleece from your puppet head - only below the nose. Sew along the two sides of the roof of the mouth (felt-covered cardboard) to secure it to the fleece. Leave the cardboard's straight edge (at the hinge) unattached. Again, test along the way that the puppeteer's hand will fit into this contraption.

Once you've formed this "pocket" for the puppeteer's four fingers, you'll need to secure the fleece to the puppet's foam head so that the whole jaw doesn't just flop out. Do so with a couple of dabs of Super Glue along the foam, but avoid letting it glob as the glue does go through the fleece. When it dries it could be mildly uncomfortable for a puppeteer. (When it's wet it will be immensely inconvenient for a stuck puppeteer.) Globbed glue is visible on the fleece, but obviously won't be visible on this section of the puppet, in the dark recesses of its throat. Just keep it off of all visible fleece bits.

So, that's all she wrote. Next time, onward and upward - to the eyes - and back down again to the arms and body!

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!

For Brian: Prayers for a Mourning Traveler

As you may have noticed, I've been on a blogging hiatus during my travels. I'm pleased to report that I'm back, safe and sound, and ready to return to writing - and even strangely excited for classes to begin again.

I would just like to take this moment to ask you to keep a man named Brian Miller in your thoughts and prayers.



I met him in the airport on my way home. My scheduled flight had been cancelled due to the winter wonderland that hit 49 out of 50 states (all but the Sunshine State where we were), and I found myself at the boarding gate the following day, talking to Standby #1 for the new flight.

While I had been waiting for weeks in anticipation of my trip, Brian's had been a spontaneous and somber one. His mother had become ill and died, and he was clearly returning home after an especially trying week. I offered my condolences and a listening ear, feeling inadequate and nonetheless like God was nudging me simply to be there for him.

When the airline staff called Brian over to tell him his seat, he excused himself and headed up to the counter.

I had the sudden feeling that perhaps I had somehow fallen short of what comfort and healing I could have offered to him. I prayed hastily: "God, if there is more that I should say or hear, let him sit by me."

Brian returned in somber triumph, resting again with boarding pass in hand. "I made it. I'm in Row 12. You?"

"Row 32," I read from my own. For a moment I thought, 'Well, he's not next to me.' As though to believe that meant my work here was done.

But inwardly I heard the words, He's sitting next to you now.

And I realized the mistake I'd made. Perhaps my heart was in the right place, and I was all geared up and ready for God to use me in whatever way my inexperienced ministering spirit would manage. But even as I prayed for God's will, I'd already had a preconceived idea of what it would look like.

Sometimes we pray for God to let us touch the lives of other people when we'll find them later. Sometimes they are already there beside us.

And sometimes we pray for God to let us touch the lives of other people. Then they touch ours.

Brian and I talked until it neared the end of the line of passengers and specific rows were being summoned. As I left, I asked if he would like me to put his name on our prayer chain, and he agreed.

Please keep Brian and his loved ones in your prayers, and perhaps say a prayer for all those who are mourning and those who are weary from traveling this season.