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Puppets Around the World

Fables from around the world

Puppets Around the World

Fables from around the world
 
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Puppets Around the World

Cat and Rabbit Fabric Mitt Hand Puppets

Fun for all ages! Easy-sew hand puppets.
Fabric Mitt Hand Puppets - rabbit and cat
What you will make:

In this project, sew up versatile mitt-shaped fabric hand puppets. Printable patterns are included for cat and rabbit puppets. Or, starting with the basic mitt shape, use fabric markers, embroidery and a few felt cutouts to make puppets of your own design. For a quick and easy puppet craft, make bear hand puppets by printing the bonus printable bear patterns directly on fabric sheets.

Related craft: For a simple paper version of the mitt puppet, see the Simple Mitt Hand Puppets craft project.

Sewing crafts: Beginning (or experienced) sewers will enjoy other Needle and Thread Crafts from Aunt Annie.

Here's what you need:
  • White computer paper
  • Scissors, paper and fabric
  • ¼ yard cotton muslin or print fabric
  • Felt, white and colored
  • Needle and thread
  • Optional: Sewing machine, embroidery floss, googly eyes, pom-poms, iron, ironing board, fray check, fabric glue
  • Straight pins
  • Ruler
  • Black fabric marker
  • Pencil
  • Spray starch

This project is rated EASY to do.

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Before you start
  • Make a place to work.
  • Read all of the directions.
  • Gather everything you need to do the project.
  • Think about the project. Imagine how it will look and what you will do with it.
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How to Make Fabric Mitt Hand Puppets

Read all of the steps before starting.
Step 1: Choose a Pattern and Print It

Choose the puppets that you want to make. Download the pattern and print it on white paper. The Sewing Pattern is for both the rabbit and cat hand puppets. Use the Puppet Faces Pattern as a guide for creating felt cutouts and drawing features for the cat and rabbit mitt puppets.

The printable bears are meant to be printed directly on fabric sheets, and cut out using the mitt sewing pattern. Add felt ears for a quick and easy fabric puppet!

FREE Printable pdf Patterns

Patterns for Cat and Rabbit Hand Puppets

Patterns for Bear Hand Puppets

Bonus quick and easy patterns: Print on fabric sheets, add felt ears

Patterns are Adobe PDF files. The Adobe Reader is available for free.

All of Aunt Annie's project patterns are designed to be printed on standard letter-size paper (8.5"x11" or A4). When printing from Adobe Reader, you may need to select Fit, Auto-Rotate and Center or Choose paper source by PDF page size to ensure the best fit.

Step 2: Cut Pattern Pieces
Cut out puppet pattern pieces

Cut out each pattern piece on the solid black outline. The Sewing Pattern has patterns for the puppet mitt and ears. Inside both ear patterns is a pattern for a felt ear insert.

The Puppet Faces Pattern is a guide for creating puppet faces. It can also be used as a pattern for cutting felt eyes, noses, and rabbit teeth. You can use these pattern pieces or cut your felt freehand.

Step 3: Cut
Layout pattern pieces on folded fabric and cut out

Fold the fabric in half, right sides together. Pin the pattern pieces to the fabric, placing the mitt pattern on the fold as indicated on the pattern piece, and cut.

Tip: A 9" by 18" piece of fabric is enough to make one puppet.

Step 4: Hem

Open the mitt fabric piece and lay it face-side-down. Fold up ¼" along the bottom edge, then fold a 3/8" hem. Sew the hem near the top edge using a running hand-stitch or a straight stitch on the sewing machine.

Hem bottom edge of puppet mitt

Tip: For best results, press the hem before sewing.

Step 5: Ear Insides (optional)
Cut out and stitch ear insert

Make your puppet extra special with furry-looking ears. Cut out felt ear insides, one for each ear, using the center of the ear pattern piece. Hand-stitch the felt piece to the front of the ear using a running stitch.

Step 6: Sew Ears
Sew puppet's ears

With the ear pieces' right sides together, stitch a scant ¼" seam following the line indicated on the pattern. If you are hand-stitching the seam, use a backstitch. On a sewing machine, use a straight stitch. Turn the ear right-side-out. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push the point of the ear out. Repeat for the other ear.

Tip: For best results, press the ears to sharpen the tips and smooth the fabric. You can stuff the ears with a bit of poly-fill if you like.

Step 7: Make Puppet Face
Make puppet face

Add a face to one side of the mitt piece. You can use fabric pens, embroidery or felt cutouts to make the face. Refer to the Puppet Faces Pattern for feature placement and felt cutout patterns.

Tip: To accurately center the face, turn the edge of the puppet back 3/8" to account for the seam.

Tip: You can also use googly eyes and a pom-pom for the nose. Glue these in place after the puppet has been stitched.

Step 8: Sew Puppet

Fold the mitt fabric piece in half with right sides together, matching the edges. Pin the finished ears inside the mitt with the ear tips down and the raw edge of the ears in the top seam of the mitt. Be sure that the fronts of the ears are facing the puppet's face. Pin along the seam every inch or so, or baste the seam with a long running stitch.

Stitch the side and top seams of the mitt with a 3/8" seam on the line indicated on the pattern. If you are hand-stitching the seam, use a backstitch. On a sewing machine, use a straight stitch. To avoid fraying of the woven cloth, use liquid fray check or zigzag the edges.

Sew puppet

Turn the puppet right-side-out using the eraser end of a pencil to push the seam out completely. Press the puppet.

Tip: To keep the rabbit's ears from flopping, top-stitch just below the ear on the mitt side of the seam. To help the ears stand up, apply spray starch to the back of the puppet ears and the top of the mitt. Iron the starch following the manufacturer's instructions. Apply starch a second time if needed.

That's it. Your puppets are done!
Fabric Mitt Hand Puppets - rabbit and cat

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