Make: DIY Tiger Puppet
Tomorrow, on February 1st, the Lunar New Year will usher in the Year of the Tiger! Superstition says those born in a particular year tend to take on the traits of their horoscope animal. That means those born in the Year of the Tiger are said to be strong, unpredictable, and brave.
Who wouldn’t want to be a tiger!? This tiger puppet tutorial is a way to celebrate yourself, and/or all the beloved tigers in your life! 🐯🐅
Supplies:
Scissors
Hot Glue Gun
Two Empty Toilet Paper Rolls (Substitution Idea: Gift Wrap or Paper Towel Tube)
Paint Color #1 (Substitution Ideas: Paper, Tissue Paper, or Marker)
Paint Color #2
Large Paintbrush
Small Paintbrush
Two Googly Eyes (Optional - eyes can also be drawn on)
Three Bread Ties
Four Plastic Lids (Substitution Ideas: Pom Poms, Cardboard Cutouts, Beads)
String
Dowel (Substitution Ideas: Wooden Chopstick, Branch, Old Drum Stick)
Pencil (Optional)
Instructions:
1. Gather your supplies.
2. Cut ⅓ off one of the toilet paper rolls. Use the remaining ⅔ to cut out a tail, tongue, two sets of teeth, and two ears. Use your pencil to mark them out ahead of time, or do what I did and just free-form cut.
3. Use your large paint brush and paint color #1 to cover all of your cut out body parts and let dry. Use your small paint brush and paint color #2 to create patterns of your choice and let it dry. I went for a traditional tiger with an orange body, and black stripes since I happened to have those paint colors.
4. Glue all of your tiger pieces together. Including the body, head, tail, teeth, tongue, ears. Pro tip: If you bend the bottom ¼” of the ears first, it will make gluing them much easier.
5. Cut the bread ties in half, then into your desired length(s) for the whiskers. Glue the whiskers and googly eyes onto the head. Pro tip: I made a nose out of the hot glue so it would have some dimension (plus it helps to secure the whiskers), then I painted it black.
6. Cut four lengths of string to make the legs. Glue one end of the string to your plastic lids, and the other end to the bottom of your body.
7. Voila! Your tiger is completely assembled!
8. Now, to make it a puppet. Cut two more lengths of string. Glue one to the top of the tiger’s head, and glue the other to the top of the tiger’s body, near the tail.
9. For the other end of the strings, tie them around either end of your dowel.
10. Have fun! Hold a puppet show, take your pet tiger on a walk, make up stories and adventures about it, or go wherever your imagination takes you!
