Tutorial - How to make a Puppet Theatre from a Shoe Box

This weekend I got crafty with the kids - CB wanted to make her own puppet theatre and presented me with a shoe box.  Well, after a little deliberation, some hunting for materials, a little cutting, sewing, painting and sticking, we came up with this shoe box puppet theatre:

You will need:

• 1 shoe box with lid
• scissors (or Stanley knife)
• 1 thin twig/chop stick/bamboo stick 4 cm longer than the width of the box
• poster paints &/or felt tip pens
• glue & sticky tape
• 2 small pieces of fabric
• needle & thread

Instructions:

1. Mark out with pencil a large arch on the bottom of the deep half of the shoe box - this will be your frame for the theatre.
2. Use scissors or a Stanley knife to cut out the arch and put this piece of card to one side.
3. Use poster paints or felt tip pens to colour the inside of the box - we opted for green for grass on the bottom and blue for the sides and top for the sky.  If you've used paints, leave to dry.
4. Take the spare piece of card (the left over bit of card from the arch) and trace round a cup in the centre of this piece of card to create a clock face.  Add numbers, hands (if desired) and decorate the face.  Cut a semicircle shape out around this clock face ensuring that there is enough room to fold back 1.5cm underneath the clock face.  Decorate the remainder of this piece of card.
5. Take your fabric - you will need 2 pieces - measure the width and height of the shoe box frame and cut 2 pieces of fabric that are 1.5cm longer than the height and 2/3 of the width.  If you have pinking shears, trim round the bottom and sides.  The top edge needs to be folded over 1cm twice and hemmed with a quick running stitch.  Check your twig/chop stick will fit through this hem.  Repeat for the second piece of fabric.
6. Take the twig/chop stick and poke a small hole with scissors through the side of the shoe box frame at the top, push the twig through this hole and put the 2 curtains on the twig/chop stick, making sure you have the right side facing the arch opening.  Then poke a second hole through the top of the other side of the shoe box and push the twig through.  Your curtains are hung - trim if necessary!
7. Glue or stick the clock face to the top of the shoe box frame.
8. Add glue to the bottom of the shoe box frame and attach the frame to the lid of the shoe box to create a shallow base for the puppet theatre.  Leave the glue to set well.

There we go - one puppet theatre from a shoe box finished. CB loves it and has requested more puppets for her shows.  Off to make some sock puppets now!