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With the arrival of fall, there’s no better time to celebrate the season with some hands-on crafts for kids. A scarecrow puppet made from a paper bag and construction paper is an easy, festive, and affordable way for kids to enjoy the fall season and tap into their creativity. This fall craft for kids is simple, low-cost, and highly customizable, allowing children to design their unique scarecrow with different colors, textures, and fun details. Plus, once they’re done, kids can put on a puppet show and play with their scarecrow puppet, bringing their creation to life through storytelling and pretend play.
In this post, we’ll walk you through each step to make a scarecrow puppet, along with tips on how to add creative touches that make each scarecrow special!
Materials Needed
The great thing about this fall craft is that it only 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 Monster Puppet
Step 1: Create the Scarecrow’s Face
Start by deciding where the scarecrow’s face will go. The folded flap of the paper bag makes a great spot for the mouth since it moves when the puppet “talks.”
Cover the flap of the paper bag with construction paper, you can either cut out a circle or leave it shaped as a rectangle.
Next, cut out and glue on the eyes, nose, and mouth. For an extra fall touch, try a triangle-shaped nose or add a “stitch” smile by drawing small lines with a marker.
Optional: If you have googly eyes on hand, you can use them for the eyes instead.
Step 2: Make the Hat and Hair
Cut out strips of yellow or orange construction paper and glue them to the top corners of the paper bag above the face. You only need a few strips of paper, about 3 or 4 on each side.
Optional: You can use yarn, felt, or fabric for the hair instead if you have it on hand. It adds a fun texture to your scarecrow
Use construction paper to make the scarecrow’s hat. Glue the hat to the top of the paper bag.
Step 3: Design the Scarecrow’s Outfit
For the shirt, use construction paper to cut out a shirt shape and glue it below the face, on the main part of the bag.
Tip: Make the shirt long-sleeved so that way your scarecrow will have arms. You can also create separate arms out of construction paper and glue them on if you'd like.
Next, you can create either pants or overalls for your scarecrow and glue them onto your bag.
Tip: You can create two legs for the scarecrow by cutting a gap at the bottom of your paper bag
Add any other additional details that you need to make out of construction paper, like hands and shoes.
With markers, add final details to your scarecrow's clothing.
Be sure to let the puppet dry completely before using it for play.
Fun Ways to Customize Your Scarecrow Puppet
One of the best things about this scarecrow puppet craft is how easy it is to customize. Here are some creative ideas to make each scarecrow puppet extra special:
Try Different Hat Styles: Experiment with different types of hats! Some scarecrows might have top hats, straw hats, or even a colorful cap.
Add a Harvest Theme: Cut out small shapes of pumpkins, apples, or leaves and glue them around the scarecrow’s shirt or hat. Kids can also use markers to draw on fall-themed patches.
Experiment with Different Colors: Let your kids choose non-traditional colors for their scarecrow. Who says a scarecrow can’t have a purple shirt or a green hat?
Give the Scarecrow a Farmyard Friend: If your kids are feeling extra creative, have them make a small crow, mouse, or other critter to glue onto the scarecrow’s arm or hat.
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 scarecrow to make it even more unique.
This scarecrow puppet craft is a fun, affordable way to get into the spirit of fall with a project that’s easy and enjoyable for kids. They’ll love designing their own unique scarecrow and, once finished, can use it for storytelling and pretend play, bringing their fall character to life.
So, gather your supplies, let your children’s imaginations run wild, and watch as they create scarecrow puppets they’ll be proud to display or play with throughout the season. This delightful fall activity is sure to be a hit in any home or classroom!
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