A marionette (mare-ee-un-et) is a puppet that you control with strings and a stick. You hold the stick with your arm level and wiggle the stick around in a special way so that the marionette moves around.

Last summer, I created two marionettes named Little Joe and Molly Sue. I entered them in our county fair and won a blue ribbon for them. 

Little Joe

Molly Sue

I have included the instructions for Little Joe and Molly Sue in this entry below:

Supplies

Two cardboard lemonade cans (the ones with the metal bottoms)

Two Six oz. Dixie cups

Construction paper

Yarn

Two paper clips

Papertowel tube

Hole punch

Scissors

Tape

Glue stick

Stapler

Instructions

Cut one of the cans in half and cut the other can's bottom off. Throw away the sections with the metel bottoms. Cover the half-can with yellow construction paper and draw a face on it. Glue construction paper hair to the top of the head. Cut out construction paper two ovals and fold in half. Glue one half of one ear to one side of the head and the other to the other side. Punch a hole above each ear, about a 1/4 of an inch from the top and punch a hole below each ear, this time about a 1/4 of an inch from the bottom. Set aside.

Cover the big lemonade can section with construction paper. This construction paper is going to be your puppet's clothing, so make it whatever color you want and as complicated as you want. Set aside.

Make two construction paper chains (about six links long each) and staple them to the sides of the body. Punch a hole above each chain, about a 1/4 of an inch from the top, and another hole beneath each chain about a 1/4 of an inch from the bottom.  Glue construction paper hands onto the ends of the chains. Punch a hole in the palm of each of the hands.

Punch a hole in the middle of the bottom of each of the Dixie cups. Cut two six inch pieces of yarn and tie a paperclip to the end of each string. Insert the ends of the strings that do not have paper clips attached through the top of the cups, coming out of the holes in the bottom. Tie the ends of the stings in the holes that are in the body and under the arms.

Cut two strings that are two inches long each and tie one end of each string in the holes that are above the arms. Then tie them to the holes that are under the ears. The head and body should now be connected and should be about 1/2 an inch away from each other. 

Make two strings that are three feet long and one string that is 3 1/2 feet long. Tie the three foot long strings in the holes in the hands and then to the ends of the papertowel tube. Thread the three and a half foot long string through the holes above the ears and tie a granny knot above the head. Cut one of the ends off at the granny knot and tie the other end to the middle of the papertowel tube. Your puppet is now complete. 

I have also found some other great websites showing you how to make a few different types of marionettes. You can make a penguin, a ballerina, and a sea turtle.

                                                              Your Brother in Christ,

                                                                                 HRTF