Make Dog And Cat Marionette Puppets Out Of Toilet Paper Rolls

Make these marionettes as colorful as you'd like!

Puppets controlled by strings attached to sticks are called marionettes. Though some marionettes are complicated to control, you can actually make a super simple one using recycled toilet paper rolls and some yarn!

Marionettes and the practice of using puppets to tell stories have been around since ancient Greece and ancient Egypt! Some marionettes have even been found in Egyptian tombs. These puppets were originally made out of wood or clay — but you can make a fun puppet with things you find around your house.

Many famous animal puppets and marionettes have existed over the years, too! Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy and Lamb Chop are well-known Muppets. And Big Bird and Snuffy are puppets, as well, though they’re much bigger than the marionettes you’ll make today!

We’ll teach you how to make a dog or cat marionette, but you can take these instructions and use them to make all sorts of fun animal puppets, like horses, tigers, alligators and more!

Here’s what you’ll need to get started on making your own marionette puppets:

Want more animal crafts? Check out how to make cat silhouettes out of rolled-up paper scraps and how to make a sloth out of a tracing of your hand!