Making a Marionette: How to Create Your Own Marionette Puppet

This class will teach you how to make a marionette puppet from start to finish. We will go through the entire process of making a simple marionette, starting with a sketch, then making the wooden body, head, hands and shoes, sewing clothes, and finally, stringing onto the controller, to bring the marionette to live. 

This class is a good starting point to marionette-making and is great not only for the aspiring puppet-maker, but also for all crafters and for anyone who has an interest in doll or toy making, DIY or sculpting. 

Even though we will be making a simple type of marionette, it is helpful to have some prior knowledge and experience in using a handsaw, drill and a sewing machine. 

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What You'll Learn

• Basic Marionette Construction. We'll make a simple wooden body using only a few basic DIY tools.
• Making the Head. We'll start with forming a base, then we'll sculpt the head, paint it, and finally, make hair. 
• Making Hands and Shoes. First we'll form the basic shapes and then we'll add finishing touches and final details. I'll take you through my process of making shoes for a marionette.
• Sewing Clothes. You'll learn how to sew a simple outfit (sweatshirt and pants) suitable for this type of puppet. 
• Jointing and Assembly. You'll learn how to make simple but strong and functional joints so the marionette can bend and move easily. 
• Making the Controller. I'll teach you how to make the wooden controller for your marionette.
• Stringing. You'll learn how to string the marionette onto the controller and how to manipulate your marionette.

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Please note: In this class I'm using a drill, handsaw, sewing machine and other tools that can be dangerous! Please be very careful when working with all tools. I highly recommend that you find all safety information associated with these tools beforhand. This class doesn't contain any safety instructions. Barbora Mihoková disclaims any liability for injury or damages resulting from any information contained in this class. You undertake this project at your own risk. 

• Introduction
• Sketch
• Materials and Tools
• Forming the Head Base
• Hands and Shoes
• Wooden Body
• Sculpting the Head
• Corrections and Sanding
• Painting
• Hair
• Preparing Lines for Stringing
• Attaching Arms and Hands
• Sewing Clothes
• Dressing the Marionette
• Finishing the Shoes
• Attaching the Shoes
• Attaching the Head
• Making the Controller
• Stringing the Marionette
• Final Thoughts