what got you started? who was your inspiration ? what is your goal ? I got started making puppets after years of making monsters after I got saved. I made my first puppet "Johny Reb" to teach school children about Civil War life. Then I got into a puppet ministry. The puppet ministry lasted a year. I am still doing puppets for the fun of it now. I am hoping to start my own Christian Muppet type show in the future. Now I am learning all I can about the industry and technique. My inspiration is Jim Henson and Mr Rogers both were incredible individuals and the world will have a hard time filling the void they both left.  I answered everything in the wrong order but there it is. So what is your story? I would love to hear it.

After a bizarre, troubled childhood the muppets were the only thing that could make me smile. I understand as a kid I announced that I was going to do that too. Now that I am a more bizarre though less troubled adult I am doing that. It is great to take a show to a hurting world and bring laughter if only for a short period of time. Jim Henson was a great man and the world is a little better because he was here. Now that I am getting older and most of my body hurts most of the time it is great to see the next generation of puppeteers coming on to their stages-Steve

I wanted a Run down, beat up, down on his luck Bunny for my magic comedy act. I found one online and was quoted $2,500...no Bull.
Then  I Started surfing the web to see how I could make my own and Shawn, Billy, Ron, Daryl, Jay, Michelle, Cher and some other wonderful people took my hand and showed me the way. I cant thank them enough here at P&S. This place, by far, is the best place to learn how to make various types of puppets and where to findthe materials.

Just remember, If you got Billy on your team, its like like having Babe Ruth teach you how to hit a homerun.

I will never forget these people that unselfishly shared and instilled techniques with me to get me up and running.

Thay gave me the ball and I havent stopped running yet.

I still have alot to give back, so if anyone needs any hints or tips on how I have developed my style, please dont be afraid to ask me.

Puppet Hugs,
Sonny

I've loved puppets ever since I was a kid but never had the opportunity to do anything but watch Seaseme Street and the muppet show.  When I was in college a friend of a friend gave me a tiny knitted mouse that would barely cover my hand and I used to use it to entertain my friends.  Then a couple of years ago I relocated to where we are now and my children became involved in our churches puppet ministry.  When it came time for their annual christmas show they asked me to say something short to get the show started and then to wrap it up at the end.  I agreed and thought to myself, "If the kids get to play with puppets I want to too."  I decided that I wanted a british bull dog and that I would do a short ventriloquist intro and wrap.  I looked for a vent bull dog and couldn't find one and then discovered that it would be about 2000 dollars to have one built.  So I started surfing the net looking for free instruction.  I discover the Ratchet Tutorial at Swazzle and it was the main thing I referred to in building Barnaby the Bull Dog.  Everybody loved him and I was hooked on puppet building.

A few months later I discovered P&S and you all have been so wonderful.  No one else in my life can understand the depth of my interest in puppetry.  And even when I don't have the time or money to build just logging on and sharing  here on the forum helps to keep me from going into complete withdrawl.

Thanks for asking...

Jon

My love for puppetry goes back to my younger days. I was a fan of Henson and Sherri Lewis. I Loved the Muppet's, Fran and Ollie, Puffin stuff, and today Between the Lions. Ten years or so ago I wanted to get started in Puppetry but found the resources on the internet far and between. I reached out to the puppet community at that time but fell short to find many that would not share there treasured secrets. I had been a collector for over 25 years of Coca Cola memorabilia......... and decided to exchange one love for another. So I sold my collection and used the monies to fund my puppet endeavors. I met a woman Jo Ann West who was the first to help me get started using her pattern " Puppets with Personality " I later joined Puppets and Stuff and found a new found friend and the Administrator Shawn Sorrell. I soon learned that other folks had just as many questions as I did so I learned a skill to search the internet to learn how to answer questions here at P&S. I used my new funds to buy as many patterns and building supplies as I could get my hands on. I made a pledge that what ever I learned I would happily share with others which is exactly what I have done over the years and continue today. I have helped many people all over the World and it gives me much pleasure. I remember one 13 year old young man that I helped and today he is the youth pastor of his church. I helped folks in Indonesia by sending puppet patterns that I had purchased. I can honestly say that I have been rewarded ten times over for any help I have given. It is rewarding to see people like Sonny who Love what they do and to think I had a little part in it. To all of you that reached out for my help, it was a pleasure and I want you to know that I am extremely proud of each and every one of you. All I expect is that you in return do the same for someone else.

Billy D.

Hi Bludolphdolph,

In my case, I have always been in love with puppets. When I was a kid, I had two dreams, it was either become a good 2D artist like the Disney crew or make puppets. I am good at drawing, that was my main way of creating when I was a kid. But I never really went into making puppets until I had my daughter 3 and a half years ago. Each time we would go into a toy store, I would have fun with her with the very few puppets there and seeing her laugh I thought to myself: hey, why not try to make my own! So I search the net again and again, gaining a bit of info here and there until I found this place by accident. In fact, I discovered the forum after watching one of Paul Louis's video on expertvillage. He was talking about his forum at puppetsNstuff, but I wrote puppetsandstuff and ended up here instead of his forum. Anyway, eversince that day I have been reading alot on the subject of puppetry and have made a few of my own. Now, this year I plan on making puppets and selling them on the net. That is pretty much my story. But even if I do make my own, I am still learning new tricks from you all everyday. So a huge thanks for Shawn and the gang for making this forum and keeping it not only alive but exciting too.

Awesome. there are two main reasons I am into puppets. One is that it is easy to spread the Gospel to children in a way that it stays with them. Two it simply makes people laugh. I can not gain anything more precious than knowing I helped lead someone to the Lord or simply bringing joy to a sad dark world. My goal is to one day have a TV show but for now I am learning all I can. Check out my Bludolph channel on youtube if you get a chance.  I am so thankful that I have found you all. It is like family here you all are great. God bless and keep the replies coming if you haven't already replied. I love to hear your stories and what got you all into this awesome artform.

It was my children that got me started down the path to "The Foam Side".  When they were in middle school our church started a puppet team and they were both involved, then a few years later the director of the children's church portion of the puppet team left and my husband and I were asked to take over.  Even though we knew nothing it seemed like a great way to do something as a family and we were willing to learn.  For many years the four of us (my husband, myself and our two boys) were the core for the puppet team for children's church.  Then when I went back to teaching when my children were in high school I wanted a way to bring puppetry into my classroom and since I couldn't take my team I decided to start learning ventriloquism. My classroom was my testing ground for my various characters and I came up with ways to incorporate puppetry into my lessons on a regular basis.  I even had my students sing a little puppet song with puppets at graduation - it was ADORABLE!  Then I started getting asked to do programs in churches and libraries and for a while I taught and traveled until my husband told me I needed to quit one of my jobs and he said, "There are other people who can teach but not everyone can do programs for children like you do so I think you should quit your teaching job."  So I did and have been traveling full time as a children's performer since May 2008. As well as teaching teachers to use puppetry in their classrooms.  Incidentally, the older of my two sons will graduate in May with a double major in Creative Dramatics and Puppetry.  And our younger is a theatre major and art minor at his college and the puppet master for all the productions at his school where they have added puppetry elements to the production.  My husband writes all the scripts for our puppet team and is the props master as well.  We are the "Puppet Family" in our town - sometimes viewed as odd, or weird but always as a curiosity.

I got into it when studying at university. I'd never really seen any puppetry as a kid; even Sesame St or The Muppets, since it wasn't on TV at the right time of day (ie. whilst traveling home from school). My uni has a puppetry component, and I became friends with a fellow student who is a South Korean puppeteer. And it just grew from there.

I'd say mainly I got into it after uni because it was something I could do from home, and had/have better luck doing it than what I had planned as a career - being a theatre tech. My main aim was always to have my own company too. (Which me and my friends created several years ago; a puppetry company!)

Funny, because even though I 'fell' into puppetry, I'm now one of the non-committee representatives of UNIMA Australia. I never really saw myself as ever being involved to such a degree.

Like others I had loved puppets since childhood. I had seen puppets in toy stores several times and decided to maybe buy one. I looked at the price, and then suddenly my do-it-your self attitude kicked in. I got online and started searching for information on puppet building. I first came across Paul Louis's videos on expert village, and used it to make my first several puppets. With in a few weeks I found puppets and stuff, and am very grateful for all of the help and support everyone has given me.

Currently, I am simply a puppet builder, and a supplier of puppet building supplies. I am not sure were my future will take me with puppetry, but I am excited to see. Soon I will be finishing my first degree (this week woot!!), and I am considering going back to earn a degree in Puppetry from WVU.

I loved the Muppet Show as a kid. It was because of that I decided to go to school for special effects in Pittsburgh. I was in school in Pittsburgh when Jim Martin of the great space coaster (among many others) came and did a muppet workshop. I was facinated and begain building and eventualy took over the workshop at my school. After school I built puppets and mascots for the Kincaid company and toured the country with Bits-n-Peices Giant puppet Theater. Then I went out on my own building free lance and doing shows.

Soon I will be finishing my first degree (this week woot!!), and I am considering going back to earn a degree in Puppetry from WVU.

WVU is where my son will be graduating from this May!

Well, as a kid my mom had quite a few puppets (unfortunately most of them were improperly stored and were damaged beyond salvage). And of course I watched the Mpuppet Show, Sesame Street, and Mr. Rogers as a kid.
I've also made plushies, sculpted for latex masks, etc.
But it wasn't until after my dad had a stroke that I got into puppetry. One day I looked in a newsletter and it mentioned the Cup Of Cold Water at the Tri-State Fair. My parents and I have helped at it in the past and at some points someone did puppet shows. So, my dad wanted to try to use puppets. Unfortunately things didn't work out and we didn't end up doing it after all. But I did research which lead me to puppet making.
Currently I'm still trying to build up confidence in my puppet making skills. I've been doing a show on Blogtv for months due to prodding by Stiq and a few others and I'm the co-founder of the Saturday Night Puppet Block.
As for the future, I'd love to either find a church or something to work with high school or college students for doing some puppetry. Or one day even make some sort of show(I'm thinking sci fi or fantasy).

Wow puppets are cool . I enjoy them. I enjoy talking with you folks too. Keep it coming this is great stuff!

I got hooked on puppets when i was young,I grew up with howdy doody,captain kangeroo,garfield goose...puppets were a part of my everyday life .They facinated me back then and i'm still just as facinated by them today..it amazes me just how much can be expressed thru a puppet even if they don't utter a single word.

I got started much like many others did. I've had an affinity for puppets for as long as I can remember. I loved Sesame Street, Captain Kangaroo, etc.; then it was the Muppet Show, and Fraggle Rock that kept me going. Of course I also love the Muppet films as well. I remember making one when I was a kid, in 4th grade or so, out of a sock and an old shirt and other odds and ends.

I became more serious about building them for several reasons. Around Christmastime, I decided that I wanted a nice puppet and started searching the web. Unfortunately, unless you are willing to shell out hundreds (or more) for a custom puppet, there really didn't seem to be anything that I liked that was "affordable". I was drawn to the Muppet Whatnot's available at FAO dot com, but quickly realized that for one, they really aren't "Muppet extras", they are mass-produced; and two, the "customization" is still rather limited, meaning anyone could order the exact same one.

I stumbled on Project Puppet one night while doing yet another google search, and was really interested, but at the same time I wasn't sure about my needlework and crafting skills, so I kept that idea on the back burner while I continued the search for something to suit my desires.

I finally decided to go back to Project Puppet and ended up purchasing the Roly pattern (since it is very muppet-like in appearance). I also watched many tutorials I found on YouTube.

I also think I've become so engrossed in this project because I quit smoking about 3 months ago, and building puppets keeps my mind and hands busy. I have several people now asking me to make puppets for them, and they are willing to pay me for them. I'm still trying to come up with what would be a "fair" price to charge since I am definitely still a novice and my techniques aren't perfected or polished yet.

Was it nature or nurture for me (or us)?

My first ever movie was The Muppet Movie...at age 5....at that stage I was already addicted to Sesame Street and the Muppet Show.  I few more years later I started to make puppets out of everyday materials around the house.  Always getting books from both the public and school library for inspiration.  My parents tried (in vain) to get me to do sports no matter how many Nerf soccer balls and throw balls they all got turned into puppet heads with moving mouths (next stage) and I would perform for company and friends and kids of the neighbourhood.  In High School I discovered acting and started performing and theatre.....after many about 10 years I got back into it and found I still have the natural talent for performing and still developing my skills in making puppets.  I love it a lot.

Daryl H

Awesome responses keep em coming so what is your story? Puppets are the best hobby I can think of . It is so rewarding to see how they end up.

I got started when my parents enrolled me in a Saturday-morning puppetry course at a local theatre.  I learned how to carve foam rubber there.  When I was in University I discovered a book about the Bunraku puppet theatre in Osaka, Japan, and that reawakened the drive to make puppets in me.  My father got me The Dwiggins Marionettes for Christmas after that, and I've been building marionettes ever since.