Clown Puppet

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Here’s how to make a gay little clown hand puppet equipped with jingle bells to tinkle merrily when he is put in action.

You will need a rubber ball for head, a heavy white cotton sock for head covering, ¼- ½ yard quilted cotton print, felt or heavy denim, in the color of your choice for costume and hat, small pieces of felt in black, red, gree and yellow for features and trimming, ball fringe in a contrasting color for 5 or 6 small yarn pom-pons, 3 metal jingle bells and some lightweight cardboard for reinforcement.

Cover rubber ball with toe of white sock, pull fabric tightly and wind thread around the lower neck section several times. Fasten off and cut away remainder of sock, leaving a length of 2-3 inches for attaching to a body-neck section of costume.

To cut features, make eyes of black felt, cutting strips approximately ¾- inch long and ¼ inch wide. Sew in place on head with strips arching downward. Make nose of black felt too, a half circle approximately ¾-inch at straight edge and ½-inch deep at center. Sew in place below eyes at center of face with rounded section of half circle facing upward. Make mouth of red felt. Cut a strip about 2 inches long and ½ inch wide. Sew in place with the ends curving upward for smiling effect. On chart each square equals 1 inch. The ears can be made of yellow felt. These are 2 oval shaled pieces 1 ¼ inch x 1 inch, sew in place pn each side of head. The fringed bangs are also 3 x 1 inches, cut fringe along one edge. Sew in place on forehead.

The costume body is made of a simple kimono-style shirt shape. Following pattern, cut 2 pieces from costime fabric and stitch across top sleeve and shoulder section (on wrong side), leaving an opening at center for attaching head. Next, stitch side seams and then make a narrow hem at bottom of costume. Turn back to right side and press. Three pom-pons are sewn on costume for buttons. Two mitten shaped hands are cut from green felt – 2 pieces for each hand. Over cast pieces together and insert wrist edges of hands into sleeves of costume. When sewing hands to sleeves, leave mitten shapes open around edges on inside so fingers can be inserted to manipulate puppet. Attach the head to costume at neck edge. Run length of sock material inside the neck opening and sew in place on inside of costume. Catch material at neck of costume (on right side) to lower part of haed through sock material and tack in place around neck to hold head securely to body. A neck ruffle can be made of green felt gathere along one edge and sewn in place on costume. Ruffle should measure 12-14 inches in length and 1 ½ to 2 inches in width.

Cut clown hat from pattern given on chart. Fold into a cone shape and sew seam at back on wrong side. Turn to right side, turn under lower edge for narrow hem and sew in place. Sew 2 pom-pons in place front of hat. Add 3 bells at peak of hat and finish off with narrow strip of felt tied in a bow. Cut a piece of cardboard to fit inside cap. Roll into cone shape and place inside cap to hold in shape. Place finished hat on doll haed and sew in place.

The puppet is manipulated by placing the hand inside body section of clown and running fingers into sleeves to put clown in action through movements of hands and fingers.

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