Skip the intro, head to the instructions and FREE pattern

As with many other topics out there, this is one of those ‘not really as clear cut as you might think it is’ questions. What most people are more likely asking is “how to make a mouth for a muppet?” In actuality, there are a zillion different ways to make a mouth for a puppet: carving one out of wood for marionettes; papier mache marionettes; shadow puppet mouths… etc. There are cable-control methods, and ones that don’t move at all (ie. just painted on)… Even with muppet-type puppets there are a good five or six methods that I’m aware of: and each puppet maker has their own particular modifications too!

You see, it’s not about methodology so much as it is about functionality. Need the puppet to move its mouth? Then the ‘how to build’ changes compared to a non-moving mouth. Need the puppet to be lip-synching with a human actor? Then you’ll need a different ‘how to’ compared to a puppet that eats another puppet. … See where I’m going here?

In terms of designing and building a puppet’s mouth, you must of course think of the guidelines of puppet design. Once you have thought of what the puppet must do and look like, you should then consider the mechanics of how the mouth will move, and then design the rest of the puppet accordingly. The reason you should design the mouth first, is because when you are making the puppet, it is easier to build up from the mouth, than to build the head first and then insert a mouth.

Generally speaking, if a mouth needs to move, then it should include the following: the mouth will need to have a moving bottom jaw, which is either hinged or attached to the head; the bottom jaw has the ability to open and close; when the mouth is not being used, its default position should be ‘open’.

My previous attempts at explaning three different puppet mouth methods (here, here and here) seem to be confusing people so here’s a simpler way of looking at things:

• How to make a muppet-type puppet’s mouth (explained below this list)
• How to make a rod puppet (cable-control) style mouth
• [More how to’s to be added]

How to make a muppet-type puppet’s mouth

There are many many different ways of doing this. I’m using something I modified from what I learned from The Foam Book. Most puppet makers use a similar method, but use different materials. Basically, I get a piece of very thin foam (Foamies or craft foam), then ‘wrap’ it in felt - usually black felt, though you can use any colour you like. I then add ‘finger tubes’ (some prefer a ‘finger bump’; that is, a piece of foam, shaped like a speed bump), by which the puppeteer can grip the mouth. The image at the top of this post is exactly what you make. Another example of the mouth itself can be found here.

That’s the summary of how to do it: but I’ve been nice enough to release Part One of the Round Head Foam Puppet Pattern for FREE. DOWNLOAD THE FREE PATTERN FOR THE MOUTH HERE. All instructions, materials, tools, and pics come with the pattern. (Please note: this is ONLY for the mouth. You want to make the head, or the rest of the puppet, you’ll have to get it from here.) I’ve used this pattern a lot, for ‘Amy’, for the Round Head pattern, for ‘Sheep’… it’s a really basic mouth. I’ve even done my own resized version, making ‘mini’ puppets out of it. You can see these puppets in the slideshow below:

[flickr]66356835@N00:72157623326707746:500x500:72157623326707746[/flickr]

This post AKA how to make a muppet puppet mouth, AKA muppet puppet mouth control grip