Puppet Resources
Make a Puppet Costume
No sewing machine. No experience. Just a paper bag, a piece of thrift store fabric, and scissors.
Any puppet can wear any costume with this simple paper bag pattern method. Carrie has been using it for years to dress puppets as Bible characters, animals, grandparents, soldiers — whatever the script calls for.
The whole process takes about 20 minutes per costume once you've done it once. The paper bag becomes your reusable pattern — save it and it'll work for any puppet of the same size.
Photo coming soon
Step 01
Gather your supplies
You need a large paper bag, a Sharpie marker, scissors, and a piece of fabric. For the fabric, a thrift store is your best friend — look for something with drape that suits your character. You'll also need googly eyes and a little glitter glue if you're making something like a star puppet.
Step 02
Fold the paper bag in half
Fold your paper bag in half lengthwise. This becomes the pattern for your costume. Lay it flat on the table — the fold is the center line of the body.
Step 03
Sketch the outline
Lay your puppet on the folded bag and trace around it loosely with a Sharpie. You want the costume to be slightly larger than the puppet so it slips on and off easily. Mark the neck opening — this is the keyhole shape that lets the puppet's head poke through.
Step 04
Cut the keyhole neck opening
Cut out the pattern, then cut the keyhole neck opening. Make it a true keyhole shape — a small circle at the top with a narrow slit below. It needs to be large enough for the puppet's head to pass through comfortably. Test it before cutting the fabric.
Step 05
Check the fit
Before touching the fabric, do a full fit check with the paper pattern. Slip it over your puppet's head and make sure the neck opening isn't too tight, and the body isn't too short. Adjust the pattern now — it's much easier to fix paper than fabric.
Step 06
Cut from fabric
Lay your pattern on the fabric, trace around it, and cut. That's it. No sewing required for a basic costume — the fabric drapes naturally over the puppet and the keyhole holds it in place. For a more finished look, a few hand stitches along the sides take just a few minutes.
Finished star puppets made for The Stars Have Names (#59) — fabric, googly eyes, and glitter glue.
Tips from Carrie
A few things that help
- Thrift stores are your best resource for fabric. Look for texture and drape — stiff fabric doesn't move well on a puppet.
- Keep your patterns. Once you've made one for a puppet, it works for every future costume for that puppet.
- For Bible characters, a simple rectangular piece of fabric belted with a cord reads immediately as ancient. No pattern needed.
- Googly eyes and glitter glue can transform almost anything into a character — stars, waves, trees, animals.
- You don't need to finish the edges. A little fraying just adds texture.
Ready to find a script to costume for?
Browse the full library and find a play your team will love.