Muppet Inspired Hand Puppets!

I believe that genius is being able to turn your mother's green coat into a world famous frog, which is why the genius of Jim Henson was the springboard for last week's art project, starting with a slide show discussion and this documentary that shows behind the scenes at The Muppet Show.

The making of the muppet show 1982 - YouTube

My high school students, then got busy creating a character for their very own hand puppet. They researched, sketched, cut and glued. Some puppets were as simple as a couple of pieces of craft felt stitched together and turned inside out before embellishing.

Others were more elaborate puppets with mouths that opened and closed. A variety of materials are important for creative detail work: pompoms, puffy paint, lace, upholstery fabric, glitter, foam, wiggly eyes,  doll hair, and ribbon.
I have planned a field trip to see Muppets up close at the Center for Puppetry Arts museum, and we'll catch "The Wizard of Oz" performed with marionettes while we're there. By the end of the week, it was clear that puppetry arts are a happy marriage between performing and visual arts!