ok i wanna make a puppet and i saw the vids on expertvillage and thats the type of puppet i wanna make but
 you need laods of stuff where can i buy all the stuff i need to make my puppets.
 and well ive got a list of stuff that is needed for makin the puppet in about a week ill go look for the items i need  but im 17 so i probly wont be able to buy a sewing machine or hot glue gun so could i just get a needle and the string and then just do that instead of using a saweing machine

 i realy wanna start makin puppets and i plan to make a serous of the puppets myself and sell my puppets butfirst i have to make em
 
 so where can i get all the items needed then i can start my puppet makin it will be fun i normally do visual effects,pivot,3d , and game making but i thought ill stop all that to make puppet work and also check my work here

 www.youtube.com/jordondavey161

Jordan, welcome to Puppet and Stuff.  Last Novemeber I was just where you are looking at making my first puppet.  P&S is a great place to get great advise and encouragement.

Did you watch the Paul Louis videos?  If you did they're a fun and simple puppet to get started with.  And really you don't need a lot of tools and equipment.  What you need is two pairs of sissors, one pair dedicated for fabric and another pair for everything else.  You need some straight pins. some needles (get a package of sharps)  Get some contact cement (DAP is a good brand - you can find contact cement in the paint department of Lowes or home depot.)  I've made four puppets and have yet to use a hot glue gun but I know that you can find them for under $10 so they are not a costly investment.

And yes you can hand sew insted of machine sewing.  (I hand stitched every seam in my first puppet.)  It will take longer but you can produce a quality puppet.  People sewed everything by hand before sewing machines were invented.  Just keep your stitches small and be patient.  you can find descriptions of the basic hand stitches on the web.

Fabric stores like Joanns and others will have a lot of the material your puppet can be made from.  Walmart also carries some of what you may need.  And don't forget hardware stores.  No one produces products specifically for puppets we use doll parts, clothing products and any other kind of product that does what we need it to do so be imaginative and creatively use what you have around you.

It's important to have a very clear idea of what you want your puppet to look like before you begin construction.  Draw sketches or find pictures that clearly depict what you want your puppet to look like.  then get to work.

THe little caveman you see <---- was my first puppet.  Materials were from Joanne Fabrics, as mentioned by Jon.

I drew my own pattern...even though with a good search you can find free ones.

I was luck though...my wife has a sewing machine she never uses, glad I bought her that...lol.

Good Luck...check this site with search...there is a ton of information to help you along.

Dennis

Welcome to Puppets and Stuff. It not as hard as you may think and just a few supplies and as Jon said a needle and thread, some patience and a creative mind. The sky is the limit. I see you are already in good hands here but if I can help let me know.

Billy D.

Hello,
Making puppets can be as simple as you want it to be and when you get into the routine of making your creations you will soon learn your own individual way of creating a puppet.

Making puppets with a pattern is great and can seem like alot of the work is done, however often it can make it more complicated to stick to the instructions + their not cheap.

I would really urge you to have an attempt at your own pattern: take a size of foam (cheap upholstery foam is fine when your just starting out) draw a simply profile shape of the head such as an oval + a wide opening like a triangle for the puppets mouth [does that make sense?]. Cut two of these out and use contact cement to glue them together. You can then snip and stick triangles along the seam until you get your desired shape. Some may think I'm mad for even suggesting this, but pattern making is FAR much easier than people think.

Fabrication is a different topic, but with 1/2 a yard or so of fabric, a pair of scissors & some thread it can be rather simple.

I know it sounds rather complex ! Id be happy to offer any guidance if you PM me.

Cheers Dan