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As the fall season sets in, it’s the perfect time to dive into some playful, spooky crafts with your kids. Making monster puppets with just a paper bag and construction paper is a fantastic way for kids to unleash their creativity, build storytelling skills, and have hours of fun. Each monster can be entirely unique, and the materials are simple, making this a low-cost, high-fun activity that’s a perfect way to pass the time on a fall afternoon. Whether you’re making a one-eyed green monster or a multi-colored creature with wild hair, these monster puppets will surely bring some giggles and maybe even a little fright!
Below, you’ll find a step-by-step guide to making your own monster puppet and some creative ideas for personalizing each one.
Materials Needed
The great thing about this fall craft is that it only really requires a few materials, making it an easy and affordable craft. We did include additional supplies that you can use to further customize your puppet, but they aren't necessary.
Construction Paper: Various colors for eyes, teeth, tongues, and other monster features.
Optional: Pipe cleaners, glitter glue, buttons, googly eyes, feathers, pom poms, yarn, etc.
Step-by-Step Guide to Making a Fun Monster Puppet
Step 1: Create the Monster’s Face
Start by deciding which side of the bag will be the monster’s face. Usually, the flap at the bottom of the bag works great for the mouth. Then, cover the bag with your choice of construction paper.
Use construction paper to cut out eyes, teeth, and other facial features. You can make one big eye or multiple small ones, depending on your monster’s “personality.”
Optional: If you have googly eyes, use those instead of construction paper.
Glue these pieces onto the bag to create the face. Eyes should go toward the top of the bag, while the teeth and mouth details can go just near the flap so that they move when the puppet “talks.”
If you want ears or horns, cut them out of construction paper and glue them to the sides of the bag.
Step 2: Create the Body
Cover the bottom part of the bag with construction paper. Ideally, it should be the same color of construction paper as the face.
Add details to the body with additional construction paper, you can give your monster stripes or polka dots or even cut out random shapes and glue them to the bag.
If you want your monster to have arms, glue them to the sides of the bag.
Step 3: Decorate and Add Details
Use markers to draw details on the body of the puppet. You can add patterns like polka dots, stripes, or even monster scales.
You can also add “claws” to the sides of the bag by cutting out small claw shapes from construction paper and gluing them on.
For extra fun, add a paper “tail” by gluing it to the back side of the bag.
Creative Ideas to Make Your Monster Puppet Unique
One of the best things about this monster puppet craft is how easily customizable it is. Here are some creative ideas to make each monster puppet one-of-a-kind:
Experiment with Eye Shapes: Make your monster more expressive by giving it different eye shapes—oval, triangular, or even star-shaped eyes add a fun twist!
Add Textures with Crumpled Paper or Felt: To give the monster some unique texture, glue crumpled tissue paper or small pieces of felt onto the body. This can make it look “furry” or “scaly.”
Use Yarn or pipe cleaners for Hair: To give your monster some added texture, you can use yarn or pipe cleaners for the hair. It's probably best to use hot glue to get the yarn and pipe cleaners to stick to the puppet.
Try Googly Eyes: If you have googly eyes on hand, use them for an extra dose of silly personality. Kids love the way they move, adding a fun element to their puppets.
Create Multi-Headed Monsters: For an extra spooky option, add multiple faces to the puppet. Kids can have fun with a two- or three-headed monster for an imaginative twist.
Incorporate Glitter and Shiny Paper: Make a sparkly or metallic monster using glitter glue or pieces of shiny construction paper. This can give the monster a magical or otherworldly vibe.
Add Accessories: Give your monster a “scarf” made of construction paper or a “bowtie” for a touch of style. You could even add small hats or glasses for extra character.
Use additional supplies you have on hand: If you have other supplies, like pom poms, pipe cleaners, or feathers, you can also add them to your monster to make it even more unique.
The options for customizations for these fun little monsters are endless. You kids can spend hours making different types of monsters.
These paper bag monster puppets are a fantastic way for kids to explore their creativity and make the most of the fall season. The materials are inexpensive and easy to find, and the possibilities for customization are nearly endless. Whether they’re crafting spooky monsters for Halloween or silly creatures just for fun, kids can let their imaginations run wild. Plus, once the puppets are finished, they provide hours of entertainment as kids bring them to life in their very own puppet show through storytelling and pretend play.
So gather your materials, and let your little ones dive into their own monster world, creating colorful characters to play with all season long!
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