OK I'm having this debate with a friend of mine......Is there a "rule" on how large a puppet mouth should form one corner of the mouth to the next?  And what's the best thing to use to help control the mouth, elastic, finger tubes, that grip thingee  (sorry I don't know the exact name for it).  I made my friend a puppet and she requestedd elastic in the top and a finger tube on the bottom and wanted the mouth a certain size, but later found out the the mouth was not as comfortable to use (not enough length for her fingers to stretch out) and that it felt like her upper fingers were slipping out of the elastic.  Are all mouths created equal?

Angel

I don't think there are any "rules" for puppets.  There might be things to "consider" as you are building a puppet....such as the puppeteer is comfortable when using the puppet (easily manipulated), eyes focus and balance to the features.  Either than that it is open season to what you want to do with the puppet as far as making it.  We have learned ways to make things better and more professional but that doesn't make it a "rule" it is an art form. 

Rules are for school children. 

Daryl H

I make my puppet mouths 6" wide from corner to corner and 3.5" at the deepest part.  Other puppets I've bought have had a 6.5" mouth and 3.25" at the deepest part. 

As Daryl says though I don't think there are any rules - I've just settled on a particular design that I like.

What I have learned from experience is that if I change the design I have to try it out in a live performance or get someone else to use it and give me feed back.

Slipping fingers is a nightmare during a performance!  :'(

Helen 

Some of my puppets I use a CD to trace the mouthboard. Like Daryl said,...there is no rule. Just make sure its big enuff for the puppeteers hand

Hi Angel,

Like you, i am starting out in the puppet making field, but so far, what i have noticed is that there is not rule per say. I have seen tiny puppets just like i have seen huge ones (menagerieofpuppets.blogspot.com).

Well, not exactly, the only rule i can really think about is comfort. If you are not comfortable using the puppet, you should rethink of its design. But what doest fit you could fit somebody else. I have very small hands and the puppets i could do could fit me, but not another puppeteer. So always take into account the comfort of the person that will use it.

If your friend wants an elastic and a finger tube to hold on the mouthplate, and if your friend is comfortable using that, its ok.

Just my two cents.
Puppet hug,
SHould

I found that elastic doesn't hold up over the long haul. The elastic tends to lose its' memory and you end up with a very sloppy hand grip, that doesn't work as it should. I have a couple of alternative methods I use but with each one I use a "bump" to help the fingers grip the top mouthplate.

Sue

Sue,
You have to explain "bump" a bit more if you can. I think I know what you are talking about but not sure that others well.   It makes a lot of sense if I understand what you are talking about.

Would a bump be a piece of styrofoam glued to the mouthplate and  used under the elastic strap to help support the hand like the picture attached in this post.

Billy D.