Ok, here's an odd question. I need to make some gloves which will have objects attached to them, and the wearers will try to throw away - but can't because the items are attached. I was thinking of attaching the objects to the gloves via some elastic, so that they can be 'thrown' - but I want the items to spring back to the hand almost immediately after they're thrown. I know to do this with elastic would require a good length of the stuff, but want to avoid having trails and trails of visible elastic leading from the object to the gloves.

Any suggestions on what kind of elastic might be ideal... or should I be looking at a different mechanism altogether?

Also, anyone know a good way to attach wires/rods to shoes?

Real shoes or puppet ones?

I think that elastic is going to be your best bet.  Can you find the round elastic?  It is what is used on the kids toy with a paddle and ball (Can't remember what they are called).  That would be the least noticeable. 

There is a clear elastic whether it's available commercially is another story.There are clear pony tail elastics.Try a fabric shop,or ask a tailor or seamstress!
Brenda

I'm talking about real shoes... actually my ideas of what I was going to do have changed slightly, and won't need to add rods to shoes. Now I'm hunting for some stretchy material - something that will be both strong and extra stretchy. More so than tshirt material... perhaps lycra?

As for the elastic, yes I can get 'hat' elastic (the round stuff) quite easily. I might even be able to find clear elastic, but at this stage don't know yet. My main concern is the length of elastic. I kind of want to hide the elastic as much as possible when the item is in the hand of the puppeteer; sort of 'retractable' in its own way, like a bungee. Maybe there's no way to avoid having lengths of elastic visible...

... I know, I know, it would help if you knew what I was making....
At this stage I don't want to mention anything, because it's yet another possible commission.

Suffice to say I've got some ideas forming in my head, and the person who contacted me has some rather unusual puppet ideas.

You could try "housing" the elastic in the item before it is thrown. If the elastic is too long I don't think the item well retract to the hand actually. Attaching the elastic to the glove may not work either. It could be you well need to attach it to a ring that slips on a finger.

I thought of housing the elastic, but am concerned that it won't actually be able to 'retract' into the glove. I was thinking of just adding the elastic to the tips of the finger (sewing it to the tips).

I hadn't thought of adding it to rings, but I'm not 100% sure of that either; mainly because it won't fit in with the costume design I've been given. Gloves on the other hand, work perfectly for the costume; it's for a street theatre piece, the costumes are business suits, and it's winter here...

A ring does not have to be visible.   It can be a simple band of plastic or could even be a loop in the elastic. There is no way you are going to be able to get the elastic to "retract" once you have thrown the item. It is simply going to dangle so to speak. 

Keeping something simple is normally the best advice but you might want to explore the mechanism of a retractable tape measure. They also have this mechanism in key chains you wear on your belt. In fact that may be the better device to look at. You might be able to sew something like that into the palm of a glove.

... Retractable key chains... oh, that is a good idea, I hadn't thought of it, but it's exactly the kind of thing I want. That should work.
Thanks Shawn!!

(On a side note... I'm so worried these objects are going to smack people in the face or body... Sigh, the odd things that people ask for  :P  )

Shawn's right that would work or you could really but a "spin"on it and use a yo-yo.That wiuld work as long as the person using the puppet can work a puppet!
Brenda

Aha, great minds think alike! I had thought of yo-yos yesterday. Problem is, I don't know what skills the performers have, and I could imagine the strings getting very tangled very easily.

This is something that has to be made in the next week and a half... so there's no time for even rehearsal (performance is on the 25th Aug!).