PATTERN:
Download the fish pattern
and enlarge to nearly 11” (the size of a sheet of typing paper).
CUT
Cut two fish bodies from two 9” X 12” felt
squares. Choose a variety of felt colors. Young children seem to like hot pink and blue.
Or to make six
fish, cut 12 felt bodies from one 36” X 36” piece of fabric.
On one side, mark dots at the bottom of the fish with
chalk or permanent pen. Mark the *stars at the mouth and fish tail sewing guides.
A top fin can be added. Insert the fin at the top before sewing the two fish bodies together.
A top fin can be added. Insert the fin at the top before sewing the two fish bodies together.
SEW AROUND FISH
Put the two felt fish bodies together.
Sew from Dot 1 at the the bottom of the fish around the top of the
fish to Dot 2. There will be an opening left at the bottom of the fish. This is where the hand will go into the
puppet.
SEW ACROSS TAIL
Decorative seam:
Sew indent for the mouth as
shown. Sew across the tail to the *starst
in the middle of the tail. It will look like a curved x on the tail as shown.
(The X stitching on the tail gives the puppet strength.)
DECORATE FISH
Add eyes using felt circles, googley eyes or buttons. Secure the eyes using a hot or low melt glue
gun or tacky glue. Tacky glue will take
several hours to dry. (Tacky glue takes longer to dry on humid days.)
If a toddler will be playing with the puppet, use felt eyes instead of buttons as googley eyes could cause a choking hazard if swallowed.
If a toddler will be playing with the puppet, use felt eyes instead of buttons as googley eyes could cause a choking hazard if swallowed.
Instruct the children to
embellish the fish however they choose using scraps of fabric, lace, pom poms, foamies etc. Have an adult assist
if glue guns are used.
PLAY!
Put your hand in the puppet
and form a pinching position with your hand.
Pretend to swim the fish by
moving it up and down with your wrist,
or move your whole arm and swim the fish up and down in broad
strokes.
Find a fish book or song to
swim along with!
See other fish puppet how-to's on my 2012 posts. Hollyhockjunction.blogspot.com
See other fish puppet how-to's on my 2012 posts. Hollyhockjunction.blogspot.com
Enlist your favorite seamstress to sew fish puppets for a class to be used in as library activity, church school, or specical services young and old.