Help Attaching a Puppet Head to a Body

[greenman]

I am making a puppet from scott foam, but having trouble as to how to attach the head to the body so it is moveable. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

 

[D'Snowth]

This was my biggest mistake in the past: attaching the foam head to the foam body! When you apply your material (fur, fleece, or whatever you're using), make like a little "ring" around the opening of the head (where your wrist will be), and around the opening of the body (also where your wrist will be.) with a piece of your covering. This should give you a flexible neck. If what I said is a little too confusing, maybe some one else can clear it up a bit more for you, because I described it the best I could.

 

[Muppetsdownunder]

From what ive learnt with making puppets, you do the head and body in 2 seperate parts and you dont join them, you just place the neck into the body and attach it with velcrow or something so it is removable and very movable. That is how I have learnt to do it anyway. It doesnt even notice that its in 2 parts especially when the puppet is wearing clothes.

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Best thing to do is make a long "sock" or tube of non-stretch (that's very important) fabric to join the foam head and foam body. One end should be attached to the inside of the head and the other should be attached to the bottom of the body (where your arm goes in). It's good to use a breathable, synthetic material that won't absorb sweat.

Does that make sense?

 

[OverUnderAround]

The neatest technique I have ever seen is to go to a fabric store or a hardware store and buy snaps. You know, like the snaps that close your jacket.

They work fantastic!

That I know of there are two types, the tiny snaps you sew on, and the heavy duty snaps you can hammer into the fabric, (such as leather.) Those are my favorite. The ones you hammer work like this, they are two pieces, one goes under the fabric, the other piece over the fabric, then with a small tool you hammer both pieces into each other, sandwiching the fabric in between. You do that to one side of the fabric to create the male end of the snap, then you repeat the same process on the other piece of fabric using the female snap that will go into it. Works great! Here's a picture of some snaps at Jo-Ann fabrics.
http://www.joann.com/catalog.jhtml?CATID=82287&PRODID=47588&rId=FRGL20050804

Attach one snap, depending on which kind you get, sew or hammer it into the inside rim of the puppet body's neck. The other end of the snap goes to the outside of the puppets neck. Put maybe three or four around the neck. Then just snap on and snap off the head whenever you want.

If you are making a light simple puppet, try the sew-on snaps instead. If your puppet is kind of heavy and big or furry, you might want to try the heavy duty snaps.

Here's a great tip... heavy duty snaps make a great way to attach arms!



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[Jinx]

Here is a link with pictures showing the consruction of a head/neck similar to what Buck describes. The one point I might disagree with him is in using a stretch fabric. You can use a fabric that has one-way stretch as long as the stretch runs horizontally. If there is vertical stretch your puppet will gradually develop giraffe syndrome.

The fabrics used in this puppet were antron fleece for the puppet "skin" and spandex for the "sleeve". There is a single patch of velcro at the back that secures the head to the body...much easier than setting snaps!

http://home.mcn.net/~fantom/pages/alp1.html

 

[Buck-Beaver]

Thanks, I was looking for that page but couldn't remember the URL.

I really do not recommend using stretch fabric, both because of the "giraffe" syndrome and because most stretch fabrics do not breathe well. If you're going to do that though you're right it should be one way stretch with the stretch running horizontal.

The best thing to use imho is jersey material (the stuff they make sport jerseys out of). It doesn't retain large amounts of sweat, breathes well and won't stretch.

The snaps idea is interesting, but I have never seen it done very well (which doesn't mean it can't be done very well). The trick is do design the puppet so that the head can still move easily in a fluid manner. Just a matter of trial and error to figure that out I think.

 

[Punch'n'Judy]

Hensons regularly just pin the end of the neck tube to the bottom of the body using T Pins. Mike Quinn suggested using the kind of buckle attachments that straps are attached to bags with, which I have tried and does work well.