Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 38

Cut a piece of nylon string long enough to run the length of both arms. Cut a small hole at the puppets shoulders. Thread the string through the hole, so that each side is equal in length. Glue the holes closed around the string with Barge Cement.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 37

Slip the puppet's foam body over the PVC pipe rod. Cut away enough foam from the top of the body to ensure that the string hole is clear.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 36

Drill a small hole about a half an inch down from the top of the PVC rod. Drill a second hole about an inch and a half from the finger trigger.

Sew a piece of sturdy fishing line to the puppet's bottom jaw. Thread the fishing line through the first hole, into the pipe, and out the second hole.

Using Barge Cement glue a piece of felt around the metal finger trigger.

Sew the fishing line to end of the finger trigger - the line should be taught when the finger trigger is horizontal. When you pull down on the trigger with your finger, the puppet's mouth will open, when you release, the puppet's mouth will spring closed.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 35

Using a clamp and pliers bend a length of piano wire into a rectangle. The two ends of the piano wire should come together at one of the narrow sides of the rectangle. Drill two holes on either side of the PVC pipe just below the thumb control. Insert the piano wire into the holes. This will become the finger trigger to control the puppet's mouth.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 34

Secure the PVC thumb control to the wooden dowel and glue it in place with two part epoxy.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 33

Thread the metal rod through the PVC pipe. Adjust the rod so the 90 degree bend at the end comes through the narrow slot. Cut a half inch piece of wooden dowel. The dowel should be wide enough around to fit snugly in the hole drilled in the PVC thumb control. Drill a small hole in the center of the dowel. Fit the dowel snugly over the metal rod and glue in place with Zap or two part epoxy.

Online Puppetry Festival

Three Swazzle puppet videos have been entered into an Online Puppetry Festival. Awards will be given for the most watched video, the highest rated video, the most commented video and the most "favourited" video.

Please go and watch Episode 1 of Frosty's 12 Days of Christmas, The Magic Meadow, and Door to my Heart. Watch them often, select them as a favorite, make a comment, and share them with your friends.

The Swazzle Workshop Episode 6

In the Episode 6 of The Swazzle Workshop Prairie Dog Pete stops by to show Tiger and Mousedeer how to make a glove puppet show.

Also check out Tiger and Mousedeer's latest puppet show, Trouble at the Uh-Oh Corral.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 32

The thumb control for this rod puppet is made from a piece of pvc pipe. Choose the size pipe that best fits your thumb. Cut a three quarter inch length of pvc. Using a jig saw carefully cut the pvc piece in half. With a medium grit sand paper round all of the rough edges so the control feels comfortable against your thumb. Secure the pvc and drill a hole in the center - the hole need to be just large enough to accommodate a narrow wooden dowel.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 31

Slide the wooden collar onto the metal rod, and position it under the puppet's head. Carve a similar shape from dense foam like L200 and position it near the base of the rod. Both of these will keep the metal rod centered in the pvc handle.

Lady Fromage Rod Puppet, Part 30

Cut a short length of wooden dowel. The dowel should be wide enough to fit inside the pvc pipe control. Drill a small hole through the center of the dowel. This will be a collar that will keep the puppet's head rod centered in the handle.