Crafts : Dolls : Dancin' Chick Puppet : Home & Garden Television

Dancin' Chick Puppet

Design by guest John Kennedy.

How clever! This dancing chick puppet is just waiting for a crafter to bring it to life! Presented by guest John Kennedy.

Materials:
16" (41cm) square of orange short shag fur
3" x 1" (8cm x 3cm) piece of 1" (3cm) diameter foam
two, 8" x 15" (20cm x 38cm) pieces of yellow long shag fur
two, 7" (18cm) diameter paper plates
16" (41cm) square of orange sheet foam
two, 16" (41cm) long 5⁄16" (8mm) diameter wooden dowel rods
16" (41cm) long 1⁄2" (13mm) dowel rod
two candle cup holders with 3⁄8" (10mm) diameter hole
one candle cup holder with 1/2" (15mm diameter hole
27" (69cm) long clothesline
bag of yellow feathers
black acrylic paint
two, 2" (5cm) white pom-poms
two, 1⁄2" (13mm) black pom-poms
pencil
scissors
paintbrush
glue gun
adhesive tape

Figure A

Figure B

Figure C

Steps:
1. Using the patterns and the orange fur, trace and cut out 10 leg cones and the top of the feet (Figure A). Using a paper plate as a pattern, trace and cut out two body pieces from the yellow fur. Make sure the fur is a 1/2 inch (13mm) wider than the plate (Figure B). Using the patterns and the yellow sheet foam, trace and cut out the top, bottom and back of the beak, (Figure C) as well as the two feet bottoms.

Figure D

2. Cut three, one-inch (25mm) cubes of foam (Figure D).

Figure E

Figure F

3. Glue one cube of foam to the center of the front side of a plate (Figure E) and one to the heel of each foam foot (Figure F). Cut slots in both directions in the cubes of foam, using scissors and making sure not to cut the foam in half.

Figure G

4. Paint the two, 5/16" (8mm) dowel rods, the 1/2-inch (13mm) dowel rod and the candle cup holders with black acrylic paint and let dry. Glue one candle cup holder on one end of each of the smaller rods. Don't glue on the larger candle cup holder. Tie the clothesline in half around the 1/2" (13mm) dowel. The rope should be about 1/2" (13mm) from the end of the rod. Both ends of the clothesline must be the same length. Glue the knot in place on the rod (Figure G).

Figure H

5. Glue the yellow shag fur to the back of both plates, including the plate with the foam cube. Center the fur on each plate, and then wrap the fur over the edge of the plate and glue it in place (Figure H).

Figure I

6. Glue the leg cones closed by lining an inside edge of a leg cone with glu then folding it closed. Do this for all the leg cones (Figure I).

Figure J

7. Thread the leg cones on the clothesline, putting five leg cones on each end of the clothesline (Figure J).

Figure K

Figure L

8. Glue together the top and bottom of the feet so the orange fur top of the foot goes over the foam cube and the toes match up. Leave the back of the foot open for now (Figure K). Next, assemble the beak. Glue the edge of the top and bottom beak to the circular back of the beak (Figure L).

Figure M

9. Assemble each leg by gluing the end of the clothesline with the leg cones and the empty end of one of the smaller dowel rods into the slit in the foam cube inside one foot. The candle cup holder will be at the opposite end of the dowel rod. Both the clothesline and dowel rod are attached to the foam cube. Create both legs this way (Figure M).

Figure N

10. Close the orange fur on the back of both feet. Seal the end of the clothesline and dowel rod inside the foot. They should be securely attached by glue in the foam cube (Figure N).

Figure O

11. Glue the clothesline end of the larger dowel rod into the foam cube glued on the plate. The clothesline should be glued in the foam cube, as well. Make sure that the dowel rod is in the center of the cube, that the clothesline trails from either side of the foam cube, and that the dowel and clothesline are secure in the foam (Figure O).

Figure P

12. Glue feathers on opposite sides of the plate for the wings. The flow of the fur should be down toward the legs (Figure P). Keep this in mind as you decide where to place the wings.This Dancin' Chick has five large feathers on either side, but you could also add some to the neck and head if desired. To glue the feathers in place, add glue to the fur then add the feathers and secure in place with more glue.

13. Glue the top leg cone to the edge of the plate. The legs should be positioned on the body of the puppet. Next attach the rest of the cones down the clothesline with each cone evenly spaced and sitting just inside the cone before it. Be careful not to glue the cones together. Put glue on the clothesline where the top of the cone will be, then position the cone on the clothesline.

Figure Q

Figure R

14. Use scissors to punch a small hole in the center of the back plate of the puppet. Thread the plate down the larger dowel rod and glue the plates together (Figure Q). Glue the candleholder on the opposite end of the dowel rod.

15. Assemble the face by gluing on the beak and eyes. Use the two-inch (5cm) white pom-poms for the eyes and the 1/2-inch (13mm) black pom-poms for the pupils (Figure R).

Figure S

Figure T

Moving the Dancin' Chick
Hold one of the leg rods with your thumb, index finger and middle finger. Hold the body rod with the ring and pinky finger of the same hand (Figure S). Hold the other leg rod in the other hand with your thumb, index and middle finger. Hold the body rod with the ring and pinky finger of this hand then squeeze the body rod between the palms of both hands (Figure T). Keep your ring and pinky fingers locked in your palms while your thumb, index and middle fingers are free to move each leg rod.

Guests
John Kennedy
Artist
PuppetKit.com
E-mail: info@puppetkit.com
Website: www.puppetkit.com
Also in this Episode

Carol Duvall Show : Episode CDS-1925
•	Dancin' Chick Puppet
•	Shrink Photo Bracelet

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