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Make a fabric puppet

Make a fabric puppet
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Make a simple fabric puppet using felt, basic sewing or glue, stuffing, and decorations to practice sewing skills, creativity, and storytelling.

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Step-by-step guide to make a fabric puppet

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Easy DIY Bear and Cat Hand Puppets | Felt Puppets | OCC Shoebox Craft | Kids Craft

What you need
Adult supervision required, decorations (buttons pom-poms googly eyes), fabric glue, fabric marker, felt sheets, scissors, sewing needle, stuffing, thread

Step 1

Pick a fun character and choose one or two felt colors for the puppet's body.

Step 2

Ask an adult to help set up the needle and thread or the fabric glue before you begin.

Step 3

Draw a simple puppet shape like a mitten or oval on a felt sheet with the fabric marker.

Step 4

Cut out two matching copies of your puppet shape from the felt with scissors.

Step 5

Cut small felt shapes for the eyes mouth hair and other decorations.

Step 6

Attach the decorations to one felt body piece using stitches or fabric glue.

Step 7

Place the decorated felt piece on top of the plain felt piece and line up all the edges.

Step 8

Sew or glue around the sides and top of the puppet while leaving the bottom open for a hand hole.

Step 9

Stuff the puppet gently through the bottom opening until it feels plush and cozy.

Step 10

Close the bottom opening with stitches or a strip of glue and press to seal.

Step 11

Add final details by drawing with the fabric marker or gluing on tiny felt pieces.

Step 12

Trim any loose threads carefully with scissors.

Step 13

Let any glue dry completely before you play with the puppet.

Step 14

Share your finished puppet on DIY.org

Final steps

You're almost there! Complete all the steps, bring your creation to life, post it, and conquer the challenge!

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Help!?

What can we use if we don't have felt or fabric glue?

If you don't have felt, use a clean old sock or t-shirt cut into the mitten/oval puppet shape and use a hot glue gun (with adult help) or strong craft glue instead of fabric glue to attach decorations and seal seams.

My seams keep coming apart—how do we fix them?

If stitches are coming loose, tie secure knots at the start and end, use small even stitches as you sew around the sides and top while leaving the bottom open for the hand hole, or switch to fabric glue and press edges together until fully dry.

How can the activity be changed for younger or older kids?

For toddlers, have an adult pre-cut the two matching felt pieces and let them stick pre-cut decorations with fabric glue, while older kids can draw and cut the puppet shape, sew the edges themselves, stuff the puppet through the bottom opening, and add stitched details.

How can we personalize or upgrade our puppet after making it?

Personalize and extend the puppet by sewing or gluing on a removable felt costume or tiny pockets, using the fabric marker to add patterns or a name, and attaching yarn hair or a tiny bell (with adult help) before sharing it on DIY.org.

Watch videos on how to make a fabric puppet

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How to make cloth puppets DIY

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Facts about sewing and fabric crafts for kids

🔘 Buttons were originally decorative items made from shells and bone long before they became fasteners.

🧶 Felt is one of the oldest textiles—it's made by matting fibers together so you don't need to weave or knit.

🧸 Modern polyester fiberfill is lightweight, washable, and hypoallergenic, making it a kid-friendly stuffing choice.

🎭 Puppets have been used for storytelling worldwide for thousands of years—from shadow puppets in Asia to marionettes in Europe.

🪡 The running stitch is one of the first hand-sewing stitches taught and works great for simple puppet seams.

How do I make a simple fabric puppet?

Cut two identical felt shapes for the puppet’s body (head and torso). Place them together and either sew around three sides with a running stitch or use fabric glue, leaving the bottom or neck opening. Turn the puppet right side out, stuff lightly with polyester filling, and close the opening by sewing or gluing. Add a felt mouth, glue or sew on eyes and yarn hair, and decorate with fabric markers or small felt pieces. Encourage child-led design and supervise any sewing or hot-glue steps.

What materials do I need to make a fabric puppet?

You’ll need felt or soft fabric, embroidery needle and thread (or fabric glue), scissors, polyester stuffing, and fabric markers. Optional extras: buttons or googly eyes (use with supervision), yarn for hair, small scraps for clothing, and a craft stick for finger control. For young children choose fabric glue and pre-cut pieces; for older kids provide embroidery floss and a plastic sewing needle to practice simple stitches safely.

What ages is this fabric puppet activity suitable for?

This activity can be adapted for many ages: 3–5 year olds can design, glue, and decorate with adult help; 6–8 year olds can try simple hand-sewing with supervision; 9+ can handle more detailed stitching and pattern cutting independently. Always supervise needle use and small decorations to avoid choking hazards. Adjust tools and complexity to match each child’s fine-motor skills and attention span.

What are the benefits of making fabric puppets?

Making fabric puppets builds fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, and basic sewing techniques while encouraging creativity and storytelling. Puppets promote language development, social play, and emotional expression as children act out scenarios. The craft also boosts confidence with a tangible finished toy and offers calming, focused activity time. It’s an affordable, reusable project that supports imagination and cooperative play between siblings or caregivers and children.
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Make a fabric puppet. Activities for Kids.