Envelope+Puppets



Envelope puppets are an inexpensive and effective way to create puppet shows. Because of how quickly they can be made, they are a great spontaneous puppet project when students are enthusiastic about a story and you want to allow them to live in the story world a little longer as a result.

Another good characteristic of envelope puppets is that they can be made without glue, which means they can be created without a lot of mess. You can use markers, crayons, and stickers to create puppet characters. Yet despite their simplicity, envelope puppets can be the foundation of more complex puppets.

To create these puppets, take a letter-sized envelope and seal it shut. Then cut the long edge of one side open. Turn the envelope on its end so the long sides are straight up and down. Open it and place your thumb in the bottom inside corner and your middle and ring fingers in the top inside corner. Place your index finger of your other hand on the side of the envelope about half way between your thumb and your other fingers. Apply slow pressure so the paper bends and you get essentially a big mouth that can be decorated.