You guys! My kids and I had so much fun making these adorably creepy felt Halloween finger puppets last week!
I did learn one thing the hard way: If you are going to make a craft first so that you can take pictures, don't show your kids or they will lose all imagination. When it was their turn to make their own, all they wanted to do was make the exact same puppets I had already made! What we are going to do with three Frankensteins, three Draculas, three mummies . . . (you get the picture) is beyond me!
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You can make these cool creatures as simple or as complex as you'd like. Basic for little ones, or more detailed for older kids. You can even make them no sew. (Keep reading for directions.) You'll have to forgive me in advance for the plethora of pictures. These little guys turned out so cute that I couldn't stop taking pictures!
Let's get started! Here's what you need to get creating.
Materials:
- Felt scraps
- Embroidery floss and needle (or skip this for no sew option)
- Fabric glue (I used Elmer's Craft Bond)
- Wiggly eyes (I used colored and plain black eyes)
- Fabric scissors
- Finger Puppet Template (Click download button below to open and print pdf file.)
Instructions:
Download and print the Halloween Finger Puppet Template. Cut out the finger puppet shape and trace it two times onto a scrap of felt. Cut out the shapes. You will need two of each shape for each finger puppet.
Once you have cut out all of your shapes, select a coordinating or matching color of embroidery floss for every puppet. Leaving the bottom of the puppet open, sew around the outside edge with a blanket or whip stitch. (See detail below.)
*NO SEW INSTRUCTIONS* Instead of sewing around the edges, use a bead of fabric glue to seal the edges of the puppet.
Now's the fun part! Make a huge mess! (We're really, really good at that part. In fact, you might call us experts.) Using felt scraps, fabric scissors, glue and wiggly eyes, let your kids go wild and turn the puppets into monsters and Halloween characters.
Here's a list of the creepy (and cute) characters we created:
Jack O-lantern, Mummy, Dracula, Ghost, Frankenstein, Frankenstein's Bride, Witch, 3-eyed monster, 1-eyed monster
I bet you can think of some more!
Wondering what to do with your Halloween finger puppets? How about a finger play? Have you heard this one?
Five Little Monsters (Author Unknown)
Five little monsters sitting on the floor.
The first one said, "Let's knock on someone's door."
The second on said, "Let's act a little scary."
The third one said, "Why are we so hairy?"
The fourth one said, "I hear a funny sound."
The fifth one said, "There's no one else around."
Then "WHOOSH" went the wind and "EEK!" someone said
So five little monsters ran under the bed.
I think these two might just be my favorites! What do you think? What Halloween characters will you create?
Special thanks to Elmer's for sponsoring this post. All opinions and designs are my own.
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Krista
These are so incredibly adorable! I love how simple they are and they turned out so cute!
Heidi
Thanks so much, Krista. I think these are definitely one of my and my kids favorite projects.
Joyce
Love these! Kids will be far more enthusiastic about learning to sew if the result is something as cute as this! I wouldn't be able to put them down either!
Also, you made me smile at a memory from my days in art education. The professor warned us about showing samples, because the entire classroom would focus on duplicating them. And, yes, I got the exact same result when I defied that suggestion! As far as your cute daughters, though, they were motivated to practice their skills - and got the triplets of their dreams!
Pinned this for use with my just-5 year old granddaughter for Saturday afternoon! Thanks for (once again!) a really, really cute - and usable! - idea!
Heidi
Thanks so much, Joyce. You always say the sweetest things. I was an art teacher for a little while, too! (Only a year, but I loved it.)
linda spiker
Oh goodness these are cute! Pinning!
Heidi
Thanks, Linda. They were tons of fun!
Mandy Al-Bjaly
My kids would love these. Thanks for adding a no sew option for people like me. ;) I love the song idea too!
Heidi
You're welcome, Mandy. Even those of us who sew need a no sew option once in a while!
Tianna
these are too cute for kids!
Heidi
Thanks, Tianna.
Lara
These are freaking adorable. I want to make some to play with myself! I've never seen colored googly eyes--I guess I'm looking at the wrong craft stores.
Heidi
Thanks, Lara. I got the colored eyes in the Halloween section at Michael's. I think they're probably a seasonal thing.
Noa Ambar Regev
These felt puppets are so cute! This could make a great craft activity for a Halloween party :) (pinned!)
Heidi
Thanks, Noa. They'd be perfect for a Halloween party.
Suzy
These are awesome!! I'm totally making them with my kids. Thanks for sharing!
Heidi
Thanks, Suzy. I hope you and your kids have a great time!
Lou Lou Girls
This looks absolutely amazing! Pinned and tweeted. You always bring the most amazing creations to our party. Thank you! I hope to see you again, this Monday at 7 pm. It wouldn’t be a party without you! Lou Lou Girls
Heidi
Thanks for a great party, Ladies.
Tara @ Lehman Lane
Such a sweet Halloween Craft Heidi! Pinning to our party board. Thanks for sharing your craft @ Dream. Create. Inspire. Link. I hope you will join us again tonight @ 8 EST. Take care, Tara
Heidi
Thanks, Tara, and thanks for a great party. I'm all linked up for this week.
Jessica Petersen
Oh my, these are adorable! I especially love the mummy finger puppet with the googly eyes peeking out -- so cute!
Heidi
Thanks, Jessica. These were really fun to make with the kids.
Emma
How adorable! I just love those colored googly eyes. This looks like a craft easy enough even for a non-sewer like me!
Heidi
Thanks, Emma. This was the first year I had ever seen the colored googly eyes. I would definitely buy them again.
Kara Carrero
I have not pulled out my sewing machine in probably two years, so this kind of craft is right up my alley!
Heidi
Thanks, Kara. No sew crafts are the best! You can even skip the hand sewing on this one and just use glue.
Jen Walshaw
I have pinned these as they look fantastic and I LOVE the mummy one. They look so professional.
Heidi
Thanks so much, Jen. They were a lot of fun to make.
Jodie Rodriguez
Oh, the mummy puppet is my favorite. And, these look pretty easy to make too.
Heidi
Thanks, Jodie. I like the mummy, too. I got the idea for that one from the mummy cupcakes you see all over Pinterest.
Nae Play-Based-Parenting
Oh my gosh, these are seriously the cutest.
Love it. I doubt ours would turn out this good looking though lol
Heidi
Thanks. You'd be surprised how easy it is to make these turn out well.
Erin Buhr
These are so incredibly cute. They would be perfect for a story time. Pinning and sharing!!
Heidi
Thanks, Erin! They would be really fun for a Halloween story time. Great idea!
Sarah @ Share it! Science
These are absolutely adorable! Excited about some spooky finger puppet plays in the future!!
Heidi
Thanks, Sarah. Have fun with those finger puppet plays! Thanks for stopping by.
Rachel
My toddlers love these little finger songs right now. Being able to make these adorable puppet will make their day. Thank you for sharing.
Heidi
I miss the days of doing finger songs with the kids. Those were the days! Enjoy them while they're young!
Michelle
I wish I had thought of this when my kids were younger - they are adorable!
Heidi
Thanks, Michelle. The kids had a lot of fun with them.
Beth Cheng
These are so cute. Love the glue idea, make it easier for kids, and for me too!
Heidi
Thanks, Beth. My girls made these when they were 8 and older, so they enjoyed learning a little bit of sewing, but I agree that the glue option is great for non-sewers.
Christina
These are such adorable finger puppets! My kids would love to make these.
Heidi
Thanks, Christina. They were a lot of fun to make.
Colleen
These are so cute! They would be perfect for class Halloween parties, too!
Heidi
Thanks, Colleen. They would be fun at a class party. For the sake of time, I'd definitely go with the no-sew option, though.
Stef
I love working with felt and these Halloween finger puppets are adorable. It's great that kids can help making them as it involves no sewing.
Heidi
Thanks, Stef. They work well for younger and older kids. The younger kids can make them no sew, and the older kids can learn the blanket stitch if they want to "upgrade" the finger puppets a little bit.
Jacquie
These are just so adorable! And what a fun thing to use with some of the Halloween books -- kids can act out the story with these finger puppets.
Heidi
Thanks, Jacquie. There are so many fun Halloween books to choose from these days! I would imagine the kids could be entertained for quite a while.
Renae Eddy
These are absolutely adorable and a sewing project I could actually pull off. My youngest would absolutely LOVE them!
Heidi
Thanks, Renae! Even non-sewers can make this craft. Just skip the blanket stitching all together.
Nessa
These look adorable and easy for kids to do :) I wonder if my 3 year old would be ready.
Heidi
Thanks, Nessa. It's probably a little bit complicated for a three-year-old, but they could for sure help you make some.
[email protected] and Bubbles
Love these. I an see how I could easily modify them for other themes too!
Heidi
Thanks, Victoria. They'd definitely work well for any theme you wanted to try.
Maria
I just love it!!
Thanks so much for sharing :) I know it's a little late (Or just early :D) but do you have a Christmas version as well?
Thanks so much!
Heidi
Thanks, Maria! I'm sorry, but I don't have a Christmas version. It's a good idea for next year, though! I might just add it to my list.
Lorenzo
Super creative :)
This is perfect for my 7 year old daughter - she loves to sew (sewing is a needle pulling thread through 2 pieces of cloth 2-3 times for her lol) but I think this is simple enough for her to enjoy and not feel too unskilled for.
Thanks for sharing - you made my day :)
Heidi
I hope she has fun with this craft, Lorenzo. It sounds like she's off to a good start!
Jodie and Emily
Hi Heidi. These finger puppets, as you say are just adorable. Thanks for sharing. We've included your tutorial in our latest Halloween Craft for Kids inspiration roundup. https://craftylikegranny.com/halloween-crafts/ Cheers Jodie and Emily :)
Heidi
Thanks so much, ladies! I just popped over and checked it out. Great roundup.
Jodie and Emily
Great to hear! Hope you all have a very crafty Halloween :)
Susana
Perfect for a halloween party for childrem to do by themselvs. ADORABLE
Wish you could have added the Witch's hat... how to do it?
Heidi
Sorry I missed this, Susana. If you check out the video with my Christmas finger puppets, it might give you an idea of how to create the hat. It shows how to trace over the finger puppet to add shapes.
Jenn Hoff
These are SOOOO cute!!!! I'm making some finger puppets for a quiet book that are woodland creatures. I used yours as inspiration. :) I wouldn't have thought of using a blanket stitch otherwise! Thank you! :)
Heidi
You're welcome, Jenn. I'd love to see your quiet book. It sounds like a really cute idea.
Cj
Where to download?
Heidi
Just click on the image that says, “Download free printable.” It’s after the materials list.