Making Paper Puppets

Paper, scissors, and glue — and by the end of class, you've got a character you made with your own hands, ready to tell a story. Making Paper Puppets is a creative, hands-on art class for elementary students where every session builds a different kind of puppet: hand puppets, finger puppets, shadow puppets, and more. Students follow clear, step-by-step guidance to create characters they can name, voice, and use to put on their own puppet shows. This class combines the satisfying craft of making something tangible with the storytelling magic of bringing a character to life.

Craft + Storytelling = Puppet Magic

There's something special about a puppet you made yourself. It has your design choices on it, your character concept behind it, and it's ready to do whatever you need it to do — tell a story, make someone laugh, or just sit on your finger looking fantastic. Making Paper Puppets is a cheerful, creative class that gives elementary students a new puppet project every session, with clear enough instructions that every student finishes something they're proud of.

A Different Puppet Every Session

The variety is part of what makes this class special. Students don't make the same type of puppet week after week — they explore different formats: hand puppets that slip over the whole hand, finger puppets that fit on one or two fingers, paper bag puppets with moving mouths, shadow puppets designed to be held up against a light source, and more. Each type has its own structural logic and creative possibilities, and working through different formats gives students a wide repertoire of making techniques.

Characters with Personality

Puppets aren't just craft projects — they're characters. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to give their puppets names, backstories, and personalities, and to think about who their character is and what kind of story they'd be part of. Even very young students naturally engage with this: the moment a puppet has a voice and a name, it stops being paper and becomes something alive.

Simple Materials, Genuinely Fun Results

No fancy equipment, no special craft supplies. Just paper — cardstock, construction paper, or whatever's on hand — plus scissors, glue sticks or tape, and whatever decorating materials students have available: markers, crayons, scraps of colored paper. The instructor provides clear, step-by-step guidance so every student completes a finished puppet by the end of each session, regardless of prior art experience.