Now that I have your attention....lol...

Would it look okay to use a "Borsa" type puppet with only one puppeteer....leave the other arm hanging or maybe not even add the other arm? 

I woke up thinking about that...scary isn't it?!

Dennis

Just stuff the other arm and string it up to the puppets head the way they have Big Birds arm strung up.   You don't have to string it up really but gives the arm some extra life. I think you could leave the arm off if you wanted to also.  The design of a Borsa pattern is such that you have the impression that you are looking at the shoulders of the puppet and if you left it off it would look like the other hand was behind the play board.  Cookie Monster is this style of puppet and I am sure you have seen him in shots where only his one arm is being operated.

This puppet from one way street uses only arm and leaves the other off completely, I have one like this and I like it.
http://www.onewaystreet.com/product/967/human-arm_puppets

but now that i think about it more, you could make it with both arms and let the other one hang if you puppeteer alone. This way you have it there if the option of another puppeteer helping you opens up. I don't think it would be a problem to have it hang lifeless as long as it stays below the puppet stage and out of sight.

i used to use a safty pin to pin one arm to the body with rod arm puppets, u can do the same thing but stuff the arm at least thats what my old puppet teacher would do.

I'm sure Daryl must have done a video on this somewhere... check his BlogTV or Youtube page.

Borsa with both arms but only one getting used works fine.  I love my Borsa puppets...this one is probably my favorite.

Here's a picture of one with me operating just one arm and his head.

Thanks!

Love Yeti Sr....

While I wait for my Project Puppet order can you tell me how many yards of material I need?  Going to hit Joann Fabrics tomorrow I hope.

Thanks again.

Dennis

Pattern calls for one yard of 60" wide material.  I've done Borsa puppets with the faux fur (like Yeti, Sr) and with fleece, and both turned out great.  If you're doing it with something other than faux fur, I would suggest making your own pattern for hands by tracing your own fingers.  I found the pattern worked great with the faux fur, but with fleece it looked a bit off, so I made the fingers longer and it worked out better.

Don't know if you already have it or not, but the pattern also calls for some foam core.  They sell it at JoAnn, so if you don't have any you should get some.  It's like two pieces of posterboard that are connected to each other with some foam in the center.  It's in the art area. 

Thanks for the compliments.  Yeti, Sr is probably my favorite puppet that I have made.  The Borsa pattern kind of makes the puppets have a natural "What is going on?" type of look, and I really like that they look confused.  Makes for some cool characters. 

Thanks gimp!

Glad you replied...lol...I was going to buy 3 yards! Thanks for the extra info...I have a stack of foam core from the dollar store...just in case buy...lol
Off to joann's
Dennis