Familiar Face Puppets
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When her children were toddlers, researcher Elizabeth Bachrach Tan created a bit of family drama -- the happy kind, of course -- with a cluster of freestanding puppets sporting the faces of favorite relations. As toddlers, Jeremy and Harrison, now ages 10 and 6, used the puppets to connect with faraway family. Or they invited puppets to dinner to speak such famous lines as Grandma's "Tofu? Sushi? Whatever happened to pot roast and potatoes?" or Auntie Poi Yoong's "When you visit us in Malaysia, you can have curry noodles for breakfast instead of Cheerios."
Download Familiar Face Puppets TemplateWhat you'll need
- Pencil
- 9- by 12-inch sheet of extra-thick craft foam (we used Foamies)
- Scissors
- Decorative paper, such as scrapbooking paper, for clothing
- Photograph of a relative
- Tacky glue
- Permanent marker or crayons
How to make it
Draw a body and support stand on the foam (or download our ready-made templates). Cut out the shapes.
To make clothing, trace the puppet onto the papers that best suit your relative's style. Cut out the clothing and glue it to the puppet.
Cut the face from the photo and glue it to the head. Glue on paper shoes or color the feet with permanent marker. Draw or color on hands.
Slide the puppet onto the support stand. For extra durability, glue the puppet's legs to the stand.
