DIY Dog Puppet

This is a tutorial on how to create a dog puppet. The one pictured is a Labradoodle, but it would easily be modified to look like other breeds. You could do this completely with glue, or with a combination of gluing and very basic sewing. I created this through trial/error so the tutorial isn't highly specific (ex. no measurements/pattern). It would be better used as inspiration rather than exact instructions.

• 3/4" foam
• Faux fur
• Sock
• Felt
• Stuffing
• Glue (I used hot glue and a spray adhesive) or sewing kit
• Eyes and nose
• Thin pink foam sheet
• Scissors
• Collar (optional)

My puppet was inspired loosely by a Prairie Dog puppet. If you are looking to make something using an exact pattern, it is offered for free here, along with a step-by-step video tutorial.

I am a child therapist and when I got my boss for a secret santa I decided to make her a puppet of her therapy dog :)

1. Take a sock and turn it inside out
2. Trace the outline of the sock on a piece of fabric and cut it out.
3. Sew the fabric along the edges of the sock, leaving an opening at the back for stuffing.
4. Turn the sock right-side-in and add stuffing to the top section to create the snout. I used a piece of foam, topped with some fur scraps. The stuffing goes in the top section of the sock and a puppeteer's hand goes underneath.

1. Cut out a long oblong mouth out of thin foam or felt.
2. Then glue to underside of the snout to create the top part of the mouth.
3. Cut a piece of 3/4" foam for the bottom jaw and glue on the other part piece of pink foam or fabric
4. Attach the back edge of the jaw to the sock. I also glued thin foam around the bottom jaw's edge to create a place for the puppeteer's thumb.

1. You can add shape to the head a number of ways. The simplest way may be to sew some stuffing or a styrofoam ball into the fur fabric. I used this patten, along with this video tutorial to create a round head out of foam (I cut the jaw off the pattern after it was glued)
2. Sew or glue on the head.
3. Create a body by rolling 3/4" foam and glue on the head.

• I sprayed adhesive onto the foam and glued on the fur. I used hot glue to make sure edges were secure (ex. Jawline).
• Glue on eyes and a nose. Depending on the kind your get, you may need to do this step when attaching the fabric.
• Cut out ears with pink foam and glue on fur. Glue or sew ears to head.
• I also added a dog collar as a finishing touch.

Here is what it ended up looking like. I also made a puppy finger puppet using a simplified version of similar techniques.