Cat Hand Puppet - For Artsy Craftsy Challenge Mar 2010

I love puppets and puppet shows. I remember enjoying them so much when I was a kid. I do have two cute ready made hand puppets at home which I play with even now. :)

But I guess this is the first time I have made one by myself and I was happy with the outcome even thought it was in a total hurry. When this cute challenge was open by Mindful Meanderings(Shruti), I was just wondering if I could really make one and was actually too lazy to think of it too.

But you know, participation matters and winning the last challenge gave me enough motivation to go ahead with it in the last minute.

Here is my 'Kitty' the cat - hand puppet made with just few items and few minutes in hand. :)

Its absolutely easy and can be made and played by kids from the age of 1- n ;) Yup I enjoyed playing. :)

Was trying to dub for cat's voice and was talking to mom through Kitty. :) That was FUNNNN :)

Things you need - A square sheet of paper, a cat face drawn on a sheet or just a printout of a cat face, scissors and some glue.

How to do? - You all would have come across a paper folding called "4 cups" otherwise know as the "Fortune teller". Its a simple folding technique that results in a mouth like opening in the front and cute 4 cups connected to each other on the reverse.

If you know it, just make one with a square sheet. Else just follow the instructions in the below picture to make the folding. I bet its damn simple to make and any kid from the age of 4 could understand the folding technique easily.

Now stick the top two cups together with some glue and also stick the bottom two cups together. Now you will be able to see a mouth like opening in the front and 4 cups to insert your fingers at the back.

Once done, draw a cat face on a plain sheet of paper or just take a print of a cat face on a paper. Now cut out the face cleanly using a scissors, removing all the white portions of the paper.

The tricky part comes here. Slowly cut out the lower jaw of the cat out separately. Now your cat face would be in two halves with the major face portion on top and the bottom portion would have just the lower jaw.

Now stick the top portion of the face on the top 2 cups and the jaw portion in the bottom two cups.

Your puppet is almost done. Just cut off the remaining white portions of the cups leaving just the cat face.

Now you will be able to open the mouth of the cat by just holding your fingers in the 4 cups at the back.

Finally draw and color the tongue and mouth portion.

Your cat hand puppet is done :)

'Kitty' the cat (Front view)

(Back View)

I am really happy to send this as an entry to the Artsy Craftsy Challenge conducted by Mindful Meanderings. There is a lot to entertain your kid in her site. Do visit and have fun. :)