Socks that Talk...Hand Puppet Style

I am participating in the SITS Back To Blogging Event (see below for more details) and thus the reason for the re-post. So if you thought you saw this before, you did! This project was a great memory maker in my mind. Not only did the entire family have fun, but it was one of the first projects that we did on this blog that Dad was home for and was really able to be a part of it. Between work and school we love the time we get with Dad, or as my son is insisting on calling him lately, Papa! 

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FUN FACT: The first Kermit the Frog that Jim Henson created was made from a green ladies' coat that Henson's mother had thrown away and two ping pong balls for eyes.

We had a lot of fun making these Sock Puppets together. In fact, I had a really hard time getting a good picture of them because my 2 little monkeys were so excited that they could not hold still!

Supplies needed:

• Any sock - make sure it fits well, not too small
• Scissors
• Hot glue gun (make sure there is parent supervision with this)
• Marker
• Felt or random fabric
• Pipe cleaners
• Yarn
• Cotton pom-poms
• Googly eyes
• Buttons
• Any other fun accessories that you have on hand

Directions:

I do suggest that if you are making these puppets with young kids that you have another adult to help. I would not have been able to do these with both my kids at the same time if my husband was not there to help me.

First, put the sock on your child's hand and make sure you make space between their fingers and thumb so that the puppet has a mouth. Having them grasp something, like a marker, can help the process a little easier with younger children.

Now mark the general area, with a marker, where the mouth will go as well as the eyes. Then cut some felt for the mouth and hot glue it onto the sock. I didn't have any felt so we used some plain fabric. We made a mouth with a tongue (see below). You can make lips, tongue, buck teeth. Get creative!

                   

Add the eyes, hair and accessories. And don't be afraid to let your child help.

The puppet can be an alien, witch, cow, whatever your child can think of. It is a lot of fun to see what they come up with!

And the Final Product...

Too excited to stand still!

My daughter's puppet has long red hair and has a sequined fabric and my son's puppet has big blue fuzzy hair, a red mustache and a super hero cape also from the sequined material (that random fabric was a hit).

We had a lot of fun and I can definitely see us making more in the future!


Enjoy!


**I am participating in the SITS Girls Back to Blogging Event with their sponsors Standards of Excellence, Westar Kitchen and Bath, and Florida Builder Appliances. I put my reason for posting this at the top of this post (in case you missed it! =D)