Bat on a Stick Puppet

Halloween is approaching fast and I wanted to make something that could be used as a prop and also bee cool enough to play with.

This cute creature of the night is the result of that.

It is fairly simple to build ,provided you are a somehow crafty person.Personally I think it is a nice weekend project.

You can also include your kids in this project ,helping you to sculpt the features of the face ,just pick a non toxic polymer clay(all brands make non toxic ones)

The build time is approx 5 hours from end to end ,including a lot of coffee breaks :P.

If you like the puppet and do not have the time to build it or you are not crafty you can go to our ETSY shop and get one there :)

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCircusCottage

O.K. Then let's get building.

Step 1: Tools and Materials

Tools:

sewing machine and thread spools to match the color of the puppet

curved needle

scissor

some ball point pins

pliers

box cutter blades

felt tip markers

Materials:

Foam 2 cm thick/0.8 inch thick

contact cement

various color polymer clay

fleece

a small piece of copper wire(the solid type not the stranded one ) a little thinner than the lead of a no 2 pencil

and a stick

Step 2: Draw the Pieces on the Foam

Download the pattern and trace each piece on top of the foam board.

Use a permanent felt tip pen .

Step 3: Cut the Pieces

Using a box cutter blade cut away all pieces.

Cutting foam dulls the blade fairly quick. So have some to spare.

Also remember to keep the blade lubricated to help cut better.I usually apply a dab of sewing machine oil but water is also OK if you don't have anything else .

Step 4: Glue Up the Pieces

We are going to use contact cement to glue the pieces together so it is a good idea to work in a ventilated area or outside and use a vapor mask .

The solvents in the glue are not so dangerous but they will make you a little dizzy so better to keep safe. Apply contact cement on the edges of the foam pieces and wait until it has dried and not tacky anymore.

Good tools for applying the glue are small pieces of foam or a pencil.

Step 5:

When the glue is dried you can connect the pieces together . You should have an instant bond of the two pieces. Some parts need a round edge so we need to fold the edge in half. Take the piece and using a clean stick push the middle of the edge inside while pinching the sides together.This gives you a nice round edge to the piece.

Apply glue to the stick and just sandwich it between the two torso pieces . Press them firmly and then round the edge of the whole piece.

Step 6: Trace the Fleece

Lay the foam bits on a folded piece of fleece and trace around them .

For the wings and ears place a layer of purple on top of a layer of black and then trace around the form.

You can use some Tailors Chalk or if you just lost it as I did you can sharpen a piece of soap (a dry one please :P )

Keep the stretch of the fleece in mind when placing the foam on top of it.

You want the fleece to stretch around the body parts of the puppet and not along them.

Step 7: Sewing

Pin the folded pieces together so the two layers of fabric do not slip while sewing.

Sew directly on the fold line . Leave an opening for stuffing the foam.

Step 8: Cutting

Cut away excess fabric allowing just a little to remain between the cut and the sew line .

Step 9: Stuff the Fleece Pieces

All the fabric parts are on the wrong side so we need to reverse them.

For this turn a bit of fabric to the inside and push the foam . Doing this reverses the fabric and gets the foam inside it.

Step 10: Closing the Parts

Sew close all the openings used to get the foam inside the fabric parts.

Pinch a bit from each side creating an invisible stitch.

Step 11: Polymer Clay Time

The eyes are sculpted from polymer clay and then baked in the oven for 25 minutes at 110 degrees Celsius/230 degrees Fahrenheit.

I started by making a small white disk on top of a bent copper wire. The wire will attach the eye to the head.

On top of the white bit I placed a red disk to act as a base for the iris.

The iris is made by grouping small tubes to form a circle .

In the middle of that I pressed a tiny ball of black clay.

Step 12: Nose and Other Features

I made the nose using the same polymer clay and sculpted it from a bigger ball using a thick crochet as a sculpting tool.

The nose and fangs also sculpted on top of a copper wire.

To attach the fangs and spikes I left two button like holes on each piece

Step 13: Installing Face Features

To install face features I used an awl to poke holes for the copper wire.

I inserted the wire and bent it to the sides being careful not to expose the wire to the other side.

Claws and fangs were sewn like buttons .

Step 14: Pinning the Parts Together

Using ball point pins attach he parts together

Step 15: Some More Hand Sewing

Sew all the pieces together using that previous invisible stitch.

You can watch the GIF for more clues :)

Step 16: Fly Away

The puppet is ready

So get ready for some Halloween scare :)

Let me know how your builds turn out.

If you like this puppet you can also buy it on our ETSY shop

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheCircusCottage

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Please comment and let me know if you have some puppet ideas I could make as an Instructable.