Introduction: Cheap Entertainment - Sock-Muppet
With prices going astronomical at the theater and a bucket of popcorn and soda will cost more than a tank of gas, home entertainment is the last resort.
Similar in nature to taking an old soccer ball and naming it Wilson or something, making your own sock-muppet will give hours of enjoyment seeking refuge from the dread of the slow economy.
When you drop your cable TV service and ultimately high speed access to the internet, your best bet is to hunker down with the family and do what they did in the good old days. Converse and entertain each other in the parlor.
Rock and roll. The kids are alright...
Step 1: Get a Pair...
What you will need:
- A holey or non-holey pair of socks. (preferably clean ones, long style like crew or tube socks)
- A bit of fabric, different colors of felt
- Minimal sewing skills with needle and thread
Can't sew? Try this how to sew instructable. I did this by hand because the utility company will cut your power if you get behind in paying your bills because of the recession.
- Optional: Two pencils or pieces of stiff wire like from a metal clothes hanger if you plan on making hands and arms.
- Scraps of cloth or polyester fiberfill for the stuffing
- Magic marker for drawing on details.
- A bit of cardboard for add-on details.
So take a run-down sock and turn it into a polished actor.
Step 2: Mouth Off...
Shape the sock by flattening out and smoothing the part of the sock that will be used for the mouth.
If you have a crew style sock, this will be the preformed heel part that you push in.
Cut a piece of material in the shape of a circle that is the width of your sock. When folded in half, this will form the inside of the mouth.
Attach a small piece of contrasting material to be the tongue. Sew that in place. It can also just be glued in to the bottom half of the mouth if you do not want it to flap around.
Cut a slit in the sock a little less than the width of the sock at the halfway point where the mouth would fold up. This is an access hole for your fingers to move the mouth. When the mouthpiece is sewn on to the sock, it will form two little pockets for your fingers to grip.
Crease around the edge of the piece that you will use for the mouth to create a stronger hem. Sew this to the sock. It is a good idea to mark the circle of the mouth so you know where to sew when all the fabric is moving around. You could pin it in place but that was too much trouble.
Step 3: Off With 'is Head...
If you like the shape of the top of the head on the sock as is, please go on to the next step.
If there is a logo or hole that you would like to excise, continue below.
Turn the sock inside out.
Mark an arc or any shape you would like the head to be shaped. It can be pointy or even have a Batman shaped silhouette with two ears.
Sew it across to seal the top part. Flip it inside out.
Step 4: Accessorize, Accessorize, Accessorize...
Stuff the sock-muppet with extra socks, old T-shirts, or polyester fiberfill batting.
Adjust the shape as desired.
Sew on some strands of yarn for hair. You can also use bits of faux fur to make a toupee for the sock-muppet.
Use a marker to add eyes or use bits of felt or plastic googly eyes.
Create accessories for your sock-muppet using bits of cardboard and extra material. Attach to sock-muppet by gluing, tie-wrapping or sewing on.
You can also create a set of slender arms and ears to attach to the sock-muppet. Use pencils or coat-hanger wire attached to the hands as action rods to animate the puppet arms.
And use found items, like those cool pencils you get from that giant furniture store with the Ligonberry sauce.
Step 5: On With the Show...
Place hand in sock-muppet with fingers in the mouthpiece pockets.
Let the fingers do the walking and the mouth do the talking.
If you are American, use your sock-muppet to practice your fake British accent.
If you are British, use your sock-muppet to practice your fake cowboy accent.
Dang, I now have the urge to make me crumpets. Haha.
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25 Comments
11 years ago on Introduction
Dang it caitlinsdad when will you stop being so entertaining? I should be doing school work!
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
only when someone makes an fn complaint...
Reply 11 years ago on Introduction
Sorry, finished my schoolwork. Feel free to carry on.
11 years ago on Introduction
ummmmm whats up with the vid?
lol......
11 years ago on Introduction
You should make Beaker! It is the right shape already, now you just need big eyes and orange hair!
12 years ago on Introduction
Wow, my kids will love it!
12 years ago on Introduction
Really great, especially the muppet dancing in front of the band :-)
I made those thingies when I was around 10-12, too. It reminded me of that and I surely should make some of them with my little one, too.
I love the glasses :-)
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
The big craze now is sock monkeys and ugly dolls. You can even just take a marker and draw eyes on a sock and that makes a great puppet to fool around with. Of course, you need to improve your skills at ventriloquism or imitating your favorite cartoon character.
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
Ugly dolls. They just hit the market when we had to return from the US. I went online late last year and made one for my daughter. It got a little smallish though, so stuffing the thing was really hard (she chose the one which has the horns like a deer on its head).
12 years ago on Introduction
Hahehe. looks like he as in the sock guy would make a great weather man or science guy.
You should see the sock-Muppet I made a few years back.
It has loads of attitude. Hehe.
http://ktigress.webng.com/images%20ktcl/files/punkrat.jpg
Reply 12 years ago on Introduction
That is really good. You should upload the image to your instructables account and embed it to a comment for all to see without jumping the link.
12 years ago on Introduction
I make these :D kinda boring after 10 minutes
13 years ago on Step 5
those last few sentences were kinda racists...
Reply 13 years ago on Step 5
I hope you did not interpret anything in a mean vein but taken out of the context in my attempt at humor. It was not written as anything to be offensive or demeaning to any person, state, or nation. I do no know what side of the pond you swear allegiance to but this instructable was written as a friendly gesture toward fellow Instructables member Kiteman, a loyal British subject. A lot of my instructables are the result of interaction with other Instructables members, domestic and international, use puns and are parody, satires, or honor said persons. These were meant to be taken lightly and are part of the rapport we have in the Instructables community. Welcome to Instructables, stay a while to take in the diversity and celebrate it. P.S. If anything were racist, we would be the first to jump on it with zero tolerance.
14 years ago on Introduction
i like the idea i think ill make one
14 years ago on Introduction
Wow.
This is the second time I've been immortalised in an ible*. I really should have noticed who it was when I read it the first time...
It's rather good.
Never mind fake American accents, though - I have an urge to go all falsetto and Glaswegian.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
You're so vain, you probably thought this ible was about you, didn't you...
Really, you are so photogenic and polytransmorphic.
Reply 14 years ago on Introduction
Polytrans morph ic? Cool!
14 years ago on Introduction
Hahahaha! So funny! 5 *s and faved.
14 years ago on Introduction
Bwa-ha-ha-ha! I see we haven't yet heard from 'is 'ighness yet :->