Paper Bag Puppet – Recycle A Paper Bag

With the ban of polythene bags, a lot of grains and groceries supplied in paper bags is common. Even the restaurant containers are placed in paper bags and therefore, it is quite easy to find a paper bag to recycle to thrill a young one. Firstly, paper bag puppet is simple and quick and use the steps given below to recycle a paper bag.

Though we believe that paper bag craft could be much interesting for school going children too. All who enjoy this craft are most welcome to try their hands on and get more creative. Certainly, creativity does not limit us to what we make out of the paper bag but it reflects in the stories we tell with the paper bag puppet too.

What would you need?

• A paper bag / brown paper bag (of course! not the shopping one.)
• Colorful construction paper / marble paper / old greeting / wedding cards can also be used
• A piece of white paper
• Pencil & eraser
• Paints and brush
• Sketch pens
• Child safe scissors
• Glue

How to work with the material?

• Fold the paper bag in the same way you would ideally see a shopping paper bag. You can refer to the video on folding method. Click the button ‘Watch the Video’
• Choose a character or animal or bird. You can also choose to personify a fruit or vegetable by adding eyes, nose, mouth and human like features.
• If you are using coloured paper, you may simply draw the features and colour them. Additionally, if you are using plain paper, children can colour the puppet’s face with crayons, paints, sketch pens or colouring medium of their choice and availability.
• Choose paints to make the features brighter. You can also use sketch pens.
• Now, take a scale and draw a straight line across the mouth. the line should be horizontal and it should divide the face into two parts.
• Cut along the straight line to have two pieces of the face.
• Upper part will have the upper jawline while the lower will have the lower jawline of the character you are making.
• Paste the upper part of the character’s face on the base of the paper bag you have folded.
• The lower part of the face is to be pasted below the flap of the folded base. It is best that you watch the video to paste this part.
• Now, enjoy making up new tales and tell stories using this puppet you just recycled out of a paper bag.
• In conclusion, remember, a puppeteer is live and creative behind every puppet to give it a distinct voice, style and character.