How to fit a puppet mouth into a puppet?
This was the question asked of Google that led someone to my site. I immediately thought "What a great topic for a post!"
There are three things that will help you decide what to do:
- Are you making a puppet out of a carved foam head? If not:
- Are you making a puppet from foam sheet, a la muppet-type puppets? If not:
- Are you making another kind of puppet?
If you’re using carved foam, you probably will need to fit the mouth into the head at a later stage. Many builders carve out one or two (or more depending on the design of the puppet) pieces of foam, and glue them directly to the outside of the mouth; one piece as the top of the head, and one for the lower jaw. Others carve a hole into one piece of foam, which allows them to insert the mouth, again gluing it to the foam.
Recently, I started making a carved foam puppet, and instead of making a separate mouth piece to attach, I instead created something else. I carved two pieces of foam, one for the top of the head, one for the lower jaw. As I was going to cover the foam with fleece, I made two fleece coverings in the shape of each foam piece, and inserted the foam (think of the coverings like pillow cases). I closed up the holes; but left enough of a hole to allow me to insert my thumb into the bottom jaw’s covering, and a hole large enough for the top fingers on the other foam piece. (I don’t have photos of this yet, so bare with me on the explanation). For some added security, inside the fleece covers are a couple of strong elastic straps, which fit right around my fingers when inserted into the gaps in the covers. (Some great examples of carved foam heads and mouths can be found at Puppets and Stuff)
… For question two, if you’re using foam sheet, I always find it best to create the mouth first, and build the foam head around it. Other people prefer to build both as they go, or to build the foam head first, which is good for experienced builders, but not for novices. If you make a mistake building the mouth after the head, you’ll find yourself trying to fit the two pieces together; if you do it the other way around, you already know the mouth will fit the head, because you’ve been using the mouth as a basis for measurements. The head can’t be too narrow or too wide to fit properly onto the mouth. Of course, making detailed measurements and sketches will allow you to build the mouth and head in whichever order you want… so long as you make sure the measurements are correct later! As for attaching the mouth to the head, again, gluing is probably your best solution. Learn step-by-step how to make a foam puppet head and mouth here and here.
… Now for question three: if you’re needing to make a moving mouth for a marionette, or any other kind of puppet, it’s always best to build the head first, and then the mouth. This is because usually you will be carving wood, moulding clay, or using other building methods to create the entire puppet, and then making smaller parts or definitions separately. However, sometimes this will need to be reversed: again, it’s all about working your way out from the measurements of the mouth. If, on the other hand, you don’t need a moving mouth at all, you will probably just build it in to your materials (carve some lips on your wooden puppet, or add more clay for them on a mould). As for attaching the mouth to the head… well, that’s going to depend on what materials you’re using, what kind of puppet you’re making, and how you’re making it.
Really, if you’re looking for more detailed info on other puppet types, I can’t give it. Without knowing the specifics of your puppet build - that isn’t a foam muppet-type - or your designs, or your needs, this is all that I can offer.
Perhaps you have some suggestions or tips? Or questions? Leave a comment!
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