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I'll start worrying about repecting intellectual property as far as these reproductions go when I stop hearing every puppeteer on the Internet doing the "Look! There are people under us" gag. If that isn't stealing the Muppet's intellectual property, I don't know what is. I don't care that...

It's not L200 is it?

Toupe tape is what they used on Crank Yankers. They were all made from Antron Fleece and never had a problem with tearing or not sticking.

I like using a plastic "for sale" sign for the upper mouth plate and a piece of flexible gasket rubber for the lower, connected by a gaff tape hinge. It makes a very expressive lower mouth that doesn't automatically revert to a frown when it's relaxed. Just make sure that the lower jaw fabric...

I've been working off and on with ways to take licensed Muppet products and "fixing" them to be more on character. I'm almost done converting a 1990s Eden Gonzo into a puppet. Would that be something you'd want for the site? If not, I'll just put them up on my blog. I'd love to contribute...

I usually have more adults point out that the puppets are fake than kids. A friend of mine has a great technique where he has the puppet looked shocked at the revelation that he's not real and then start sobbing about it. Usually this makes a kid (or adult) try to console the puppet or just...

I would put this up in Melonpool.com if it were available. My hope is to get that updating again with puppet stuff and comics this summer. Steve

My parents had friends that used to make wind socks and flags out of that material. I never saw them myself, but my parents told me that they had these special scissors that cut and melted the pieces together. There was no sewing involved, from that they told me, and this allowed the wind socks...

Wow -- I have no idea how to tackle this one! I'd say you'd have to melt or glue everything and figure out how to put in some kind of valve for inflation. I know that sewing will perforate whatever you use so that it won't hold air. I wonder if some kind of nylon like is used for kites and flags...

If I remember correctly, they're a deconstructed Fisher Price Kermit puppet from The Muppet Show years (around 1978).

Here's how I pattern: 1. get some cheap fabric that's basically the same stretch as the final fabric. 2. find the centerline of the puppet (usually the center seam on the foam head, starting at the nose). 3. pin the cheap fabric to the head, making the two halves come together at the seam. It...

I love this! I think you have a very nice, very distinctive and well-executed style to your characters and puppetry. I think a lot of us could learn a thing or two from you about how being "professional" isn't always about emulating the Muppets.

It's been my experience that it does not hold up especially well -- but it great for making patterns and experiments. I think for the money, a light upholstery foam is your best bet.

Mics have been something that have confused me a lot over the years. I usually rely on a friend of mine that's in a band to do all my audio work and to be honest, I've been less-than-satisfied with the results and spent thousands of dollars on equipment that didn't work as I expected and...

Stacey -- have you ever tried that tip about having a small glass of water nearby when using a hot glue gun? What you do is dip the fingers of the hand not operating the glue gun in water immediately before you stick something on the puppet. It might get the puppet a little damp (a few drops...

Now that you mention it, I constantly have adults trying to put the puppets fingers into inappropriate gestures. I also had a 3 year old grab tight onto an eye mech and try his hardest to rip it loose from the puppet. It gave me a new confidence in my own building that the puppet survived...

I usually rough out the shape with the carving knife, then use small scissors to snip away the finer details. Never seen a smaller version of a carving knife, though.

I remember hearing that Kevin Clash had a set of rules that Elmo uses to keep kids from touching him when he interacts with the kids. Does anyone remember what he does?

Does anyone know how Red's hair works? I'm reasonably sure I understand how Wembly or Boober's hair is constructed, but have no idea what's keeping Red's hair up in the two ponytails? Is there a styrofoam ball or wire armature in there? I'm not building one, I've just always wondered about it.

It takes a big man to admit when he's wrong. And that's what I am -- a big man.