A friend and I started to work on a new bird hand-puppet. This character will be an anthropomorphic version of a bird - more toon than a realistic bird.
I 3d-printed the head in PLA, installed the movable eyelids and build the basic shape of the body using a foam mat.



We did not have the right colour of fur to finish it.

I love this so much. It's going to be amazing!

Nicely done! Can't wait to see him covered and finished.

Very cool!

Wow

That is a gorgeous puppet build! Looking forward to seeing the end result!

Here's a short film how I made the main part of the puppets body:


The pattern for the foam-body:

This is my basic pattern for a foam puppet-body. Most of my puppets were made with this pattern. I print it normally 47cm high, 52cm wide - cut the foam out of a cheap camping mat (closed cell foam, 0.8-1.2cm thick).

Check the dimensions of the puppeteer's arm before you build the body - the pattern doesn't fit everyone - adjust it if needed.

The puppet is still not finished - I haven't found fur in all the colours that I want to use.

Great pattern and video how to!  Thanks you for sharing both with us.

That was very interesting. I've never seen a body constructed quite that way, using the softer foam for flexibility and firmer foam for structure. What is the tape-like material you are using for reinforcement?

What is the tape-like material you are using for reinforcement?

That's a ribbon for gift-parcel decorations - it's strong and durable, easy to glue on with hotglue.
I bought a lot of it from a decorations store - it was really cheap (about 5 cents a meter). Normally I use a cotton band.