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You can also get a good results when you use a brush on the seams after it's been sewn. I've heard of people using dog brushes for this, but I got pretty good results from using a hair brush that had a fairly stiff bristle to it.

The set's housed at a puppet studio and Steve came by to talk to the owner.

You can undo Contact cement with a hair dryer. Once heated, the seam just melts apart.

How did you cut out the white pupil? Did you use one of those paper punches they sell at Michael's?

The one thing that's cool about it being so cheap and having a lot of it is that it'll really free you up to experiment and get it right.

They used airbrushing and stencils for the Nike MVPuppets, if that helps.

The same thing will happen if the mouth plate is too large for the foam. You may have to add a little more foam to take the tension off a bit.

Try adding about another half-inch to the lower jaw. I had a similar problem when I was stretching out the fabric in the lower jaw too much when attaching it to the gasket rubber -- that was causing the sneer. Don't add too much fabric, though -- just make sure it's not stretching too much as...

Let's be honest. Most art forms are underrated. How many cartoonists have drawn something for free "to pad out your portfolio?" How many singers have sang a song for no pay "just for the exposure?" How many dancers have taught someone to dance for no compensation whatsoever? I think -- as with...

Joann's is one of the more expensive places I've found foam -- and it's basically upholstery foam. I'd check your phone book or online for foam suppliers. I used to get 2 x 4 sheets of 1/2 upholstery foam for about $6 a few years ago at a place called Foam Mart. I used to use this to make...

I usually use 1/2 inch regular upholstery foam for practice. And by the time I'm done with my initial patterning, it's quite a Frankenstein. After that, I cut it down as best I can into one or two flat sheets, combining what I can. Sometimes, I have to pattern 2 or 3 times to get it just the way...

If you have access to a large flat panel monitor, you can usually get them to display a blue screen whenever there's no video inputs to them. They work great as an evenly-lit bluescreen.

Really? I wasn't aware the PVC and the metal had the same threads! This could open up a while new world of possibilities for me!

I've often thought of using a flag bracket as a puppet stand as well: http://www.google.com/products/catalog?client=safari&rls=en&q=flag+bracket&oe=UTF-8&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=8824540091202296963&sa=X&ei=9nQTT8KhI4PjiAKpr6SvDQ&ved=0CIcBEPICMAI#ps-sellers

I have seen a technique where people take a PVC pipe, heat it up with a heat gun and then screw it into the metal flange. Basically, the PVC becomes soft from the heat, and the flange creates the threads on the PVC so it will seat correctly. Never tried it myself, but it might be worth...

I have yet to find a plastic flange in PVC. You know what I used to do, though? They make caps for PVC pipe. You can use a couple of screws to attach it to the wood (open end out) and then just plug the regular pipe into it. Use a short piece of PVC to attach a 45 degree coupling, then put am...

My only reason for going in through the back is so that none of the screw heads showed. The way I outlined it, the heads would all be on the inside of the coupling as opposed to the front. Either way, it's probably the dodgiest part of the contraption.

This is the way I'd do it: Get about an 18-inch length of PVC pipe, a tennis ball. a 45-degree PVC coupling, and a hole saw the same diameter as the end of the coupling. You'll also need a board that's at least a 1/2 inch thick and a couple of small wood screws and a drill bit about the...

I would take this as constructive criticism -- but I would try to take all the talent you have as a puppeteer and as a filmmaker and try to distance yourself from the "Muppet-y" qualities of your work. Try to find your own ground to stand on, if you can. Two (fairly easy) places to start involve...

On a kind of unrelated (but still related) note, have you ever considered specializing in puppetry similar to this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2Menk3yNPc It seems like a niche that would really help make you stand out as a puppeteer -- as well as a builder, since there seems to be a lot...