Making it a living?

[aaronmojo]

Yahnke -- I've never built from a pattern, only from my own drawings. I've gone thru 4 completed puppets -- the first one I trashed, the 2nd one is useless, the 3rd one I gave to a friend, and the 4th one is starting to look halfway decent. Including the "one-time" expenses (breathing mask, work table, bins for storage), I'm in this a couple hundred at least. Probably closer to $300... For three and a half puppets.

One thing that saved me a ton -- a local JoAnn's Fabrics went out of business. I stumbled across it and stocked up on sheets of reticulated foam and weird colors of fur! And of course, I am not adding up the countless hours spent working and re-working puppets.

My advice is to buy clearance stuff when you find it, especially feathery or furry fabric, and don't be afraid to build a few wild puppets. Even stuff you throw away is a learning experience.

 

[CountLover]

I did the same thing with a Rag Shop that was goint out of business; they were only having a 20% off sale which isn't really much but it's still something and really helps when stocking up on whatever they have left. Rag Shop doesn't have too many materials that I really need to make a decent looking puppet, but certainly the fleece and sewing supplies are perfect!