Na he will be using materials,scripts,puppets that are legally purchased from big idea/veggie tales website. They have school and church curriculum that these organizations can use. I understand what you are saying and Thanks for the heads up. It is always good to be familiar with copyrights but do not think it is a issue here.

Veggietales Event packages

http://www.veggietales.com/church

No offence taken, Na.  I agree with Mr. Fuller, it's always good to be familar with copyright laws.  I understand that being in the recording & song-writing industry.  Thanks again.

Welcome to PandS sthomas!  Looks like Billy has got you covered on things here. I am sure others will chime in also in time.

I think you are on the right track for the mouths. Do remember though that children are much better at suspending their believe then adults. I bet they would not even notice if the mouths did not move.  

I went back and watched the videos again......... and you are correct there is black in the mouth and it appears to have whats called a sliding mouth. It slides up and down and is controlled by the puppet inside using a dowel rod or something to slide it up and down. The fabric in the front gives each time the mouth moves. Below is a simular type sliding mouth puppet.......by using this concept and adding it to any type mascot costume it should work.

http://ventdj.blogspot.com/2010/07/sliding-mouth_30.html

I think a few members have made simple sliding mouth puppets using cardboard or poster board which might be a option provided you have some artistic people. Might be a great project for the kids to work on.

Billy Fuller -  These are the products I am talking about that you have posted links to.  My kids actually have the Bob & Larry Halloween costumes.  The costumes are made out of a soft foam.

I thought about somehow closing off the holes where the childs head and arms go through, but then you run into color differences.  

The eyes and nose are actually sewn in 3-D fashion, but they are not stuffed.  The manufacturer did this so the costume would lay flat.  However, it would be easy to cut into the back side of the eyes and add stuffing so the nose and eyes bulge out to make it a true 3-D effect.

The mouth on Larry is just a piece of black cloth foam sewn on top of the green body.  Then the tooth is a piece of white cloth foam sewn on top of the black cloth mouth.  In other words, if you unstich the black cloth foam off, it is just a green background.  

The mouth on Bob is just the white teeth - white cloth foam sewn on with stiching dividing the upper and lower teeth.

When you watch Bob on the videos, his teeth show very little.  His teeth only show when he smiles, thus that is why it is like that on the costume.

Though I do not have the hand puppets, I do have the plush characters in 11" height.  Again, the mouths are made the same way.  It's just a piece of fabric sewn onto the body.  I'm sure the hand puppets are made the same way.

I think I had rather try this with the halloween costumes.  Is there a way you could draw a diagram that would explain how I could alter the mouth to make it move?

Thanks for all your help!!

Hey since you have the kids costumes, instead of the kids getting their picture taken with the character, why not let them dress up in the costumes and have a picture as the character!  I worked in a photo booth where folks dressed up in Renaissance costumes  and they seemed to love it so that is why I thought of this.

Not a bad idea.  I may consider that.

Ok let me think on this a bit   so we want to add a sliding mouth into a ready made costume.... Let me research this a bit more.Kids will not be wearing these costumes you just want to convert them into a puppet correct?
i'm thinking of a sliding mouth that works much like a window shade would go up and down  but it would need a spring or something.

That's the idea.  Let me know what you come up with, and thanks again for the help.

That's the idea.  Let me know what you come up with, and thanks again for the help.

Ok folks I need your help............ there was a member here some while back that made a sliding mouth in a poster board style puppet............. does anyone remember the puppets and stuff post. Maybe it was Lisa not for sure?