DLTK's Crafts for Kids
Paper Bag Puppet - Clown Craft

Contributed by Leanne Guenther

Sometimes when I go to put together a new craft my brain goes into overdrive and I can think of a million different combinations for doing it.  This was one of those times.  I've tried to give just a few of the alternatives I thought of.

Materials:

• a paper lunch bag (if you use a white bag, you'd get a white clown face) 
• a printer,
• some crayons,
• scissors,
• glue.
• paper
• Optional:  (the options make the craft a bit harder, so keep that in mind)
• big wiggly eyes
• red wool
• large red pom pom
• 3 large coloured pom poms (whatever color you like) or 3 big buttons
• big circle stickers or bingo dauber.

Print the Template:

• You can either print just template #1, template #1 & #2 or all three templates.
  • The more children you have per adult and the younger the children are, the simpler (less templates) you want the craft to be.
  • If you aren't sure how many templates you should use, print all 3, but hide #2 and #3.  If the kids make it through #1 and are eager for more, bring out the others.  If they are tired of crafting, save them for another day.
• If you are using the black and white templates:
  • Print template #1 on red construction paper
  • Print template #2 on another color (green, orange or yellow)
  • Print template #3 on yet another colour
• Color (as required) and cut out the template pieces.

Get Familiar With Your Paper Bag:

• I'm going to walk through this slowly, so bear with me.  Look at your paper bag.
• It should be closed and flat like a piece of paper.  Just like when they are brand new.
• On one side, it's all smooth.  This will be the BACK of your puppet
  • It's important that all the kids get the back and front straight at the beginning!
• On the other side there's a flippy tab (which is typically the bottom of the bag when you're carrying your lunch around...)
  • This flippy tab will be the clown's HEAD
      
• Lift the flippy tab up a bit.  Underneath of the tab will be the clown's mouth,
  • When the child put's his hand in the bag, he'll be able to make the clown talk.
• Look at the rest of the front of the bag.  (The 3/4 or so of the bag below the part with the flippy tab)  This will be the BODY.
• Look at the sides of the bag.  There should be a FLAP of paper. 
  • We'll be slipping the clown's arms (template 3) into this flap.
  • If the kids goof and glue the arms onto the front or back of the bag, it isn't a big deal.
• OK, now that we're comfy with our bags, let's craft!

Template #1

• Glue the cheeks onto the HEAD.  The cheeks should end up looking like a continuation of the mouth.  (Don't be too worried about the exact location for really young children.  Just let them have fun).
• Glue the nose onto the HEAD above the mouth.  If you like, you can use a large red pom pom for the nose instead of the paper template piece.
• Glue the eyes onto the HEAD above the nose.  If you like, you can use wiggly eyes instead of the paper template pieces.
• Glue the hair onto the HEAD above the eyes (try not to cover up the eyes too much).  If you like, you can glue pieces of red wool onto the hair template piece to give it a different effect.
• You can put big circle stickers or bingo dauber splats all over the BODY and BACK of the clown to decorate his costume.  Or just decorate with crayons.
• If you are doing Template #2, decide now!  Do Template #2 before you do the mouth or buttons.
• Glue the mouth underneath the flippy tab, so that most of it shows when the tab is closed (on the template, I drew an arrow to give you an idea of how much should show).
• Glue the buttons onto the BODY of the clown.
  • You can use the template pieces or three coloured pom poms or three big buttons. 
  • If you use real buttons, you may need to put a bit of tape over top to hold them on better.

Template #2

• Glue the ruffle onto the BODY, just below the HEAD (where the neck would be).
• Now you can do the Mouth and Buttons from Template #1
• Glue the hat onto the clown's hair.  You can glue a real pom pom onto the top of the hat if you like.

Template #3

• Glue the arms into the FLAP
• Close the template window after printing to return to this screen.
• Set page margins to zero if you have trouble fitting the template on one page (FILE, PAGE SETUP or FILE, PRINTER SETUP in most browsers).

Template 1   (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 2   (color)   or   (B&W)

Template 3   (color)   or   (B&W)