Easy Silly Bird Marionette DIY tutorial!

Make a super simple marionette!

Fun for kids to use and the perfect size!

I think this silly bird looks similar to Kevin from UP.

You could do the colors to match!

Walks and pecks with simple controls and small enough for little hands!

This is a great diy for older kids...maybe 8+...boys or girls!

Pin now and make during summer break!!!

Here's what you will need:

(most available at the dollar store!)

6 Pom poms:  1 large, 3 medium, 2 small (contrast color)

1 mardi gras bead chain

2 craft sticks

yellow felt

2 wiggly eyes

2 metal washers

2 feathers

fishing line.

Tools: hot glue/gun, a big needle and scissors

 Lets begin!

Hot glue your sticks together like a cross...or an x

 Cut your bead chain into 3 pieces.

I didn't use all the beads, just 9 beads on each string.

Just eyeball it.

Basically, here's the layout...

 Take the small pom pom and glue it to the medium pompom.

 Put hot glue on a washer

  And stick it to the pom pom foot!

 It will automatically land on the washer every time it steps...

plus it makes a clicky sound when they step like tap shoes!

 Take a bead chain and hot glue it to the small pom pom

 Repeat for the second leg and foot

 Hot glue those legs to the large pom pom body!

 Cut a diamond shape out of the yellow felt.

 Put a dot of hot glue on it and pinch the top to form a beak shape.

 Hot glue the beak on the last remaining medium size pom pom

Add your wiggly eyes!

 A plume to the top of the head...and the remaining bead 

chain to the head of the bird to the body, forming the neck!

 Like so...hot glue the last feather into the backside for the tail feather!

 Now for the string attachments.

The feet will attach on either side of the cross.  

The body to the center and the head to the front of the x.

The back of the cross will be left for your hand!

Simply tie fishing line to the bead chain on the ankles and to either

side of the craft sticks "cross".

  For the head, tie fishing line to the top bead of the neck...

 Take a needle and thread it on the fishing line and stab it through his head...

from the neck to the top of the head...

 that string ties of the front of the cross piece for maximum head pecking control!

 For the body, I tied the fishing line on one of the legs right near the body pom pom...

 Then stabbed the needle through his tummy up to the top of the back...

 like this for great body control!

 Body line ties off on the center of the sticks.

 For the other 3, I cut a slit in the stick, wrapped and tied the string and then snugged it in the little slit.

 And hot glued it in place for maximum stay-put-ness.

 There he is, totally finished!

 Kevin's a girl???

Here she is finished!  And ready for dancing!!!

  Thanks to my 9 year old marionette manipulator!

She walks with funny, silly movements,

pecks her beak around...and tap dances!

 I love those little feet!

 You can make yours any color you pick!

 Super fun and great for teaching kids dexterity! 

Hope you like it!

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