Rodney the Purple Fig Puppet

Introduction: Rodney the Purple Fig Puppet

No respect. No respect at all.  Why do the California Raisins get the spotlight?
Yes, this is the fig. The other fruit.

Make a fig puppet to get in on the act and have those other guys do the opening song and dance.

Step 1: A Scrappy Character...

You just need some fleecey material to make your puppet.  Go a little bit further and you can make a fig plushie. 

For this instructable I only had time enough after dinner to create the puppet head.  I was going to add arms, hands (4-fingers - all puppets have only 3 or 4 fingers, something about the rules of cartooning), legs and oversized footwear.

You can use some white felt scraps or material for the eyes.  I used two ping pong balls that I drew the pupils on with a permanent marker.

The whole thing can be hand sewn but I use my serger and sewing machine to prototype.

This puppet was created on the fly so you might note some imperfect seams and such.

Step 2: Cut Twice, or a Whole Bunch of Times...

No need to really measure. 

Cut out 5 panels measuring 6 inches by about 10 inches.

Note that your fleece material may have a nap or more preferable texture on one side.  Use that as your good side.

When sewing, do all the seams on the back side so they will be hidden when the item is completed.

We are essentially making a cloth shell just like a basketball. 

Start piecing together the shell by sewing curved arcs along the long edges.  A serger machine will trim and bind the edge as it sews.

Leave the last edge open so we can add the facial features such as the nose and the mouth.

Attach along the top edge a band of green fabric to simulate the stem of the fig.

Step 3: Noodly Appendages...

With the trimmings, you should have some small pieces to put together for a nose and the mouth "pocket".

Turn inside out and stuff the nose with more leftover scraps.

Position on the last panel and sew in place.

Cut a slit the width of the mouth pocket.  Position in the cut and sew all around.

Step 4: Jeepers Creepers...

You can attach your eyeballs to the fabric in many different ways.  Sewing, gluing, riveting, bolting, arc welding...maybe not the last one....  I just used some tape because I was pressed for time.

To get the scrunched up effect for the green stem, just sew a whole bunch of darts to gather the material and taper down from the end.  Sew the end shut.

Serge the final seam to close everything up.

Stuff with anything you have laying around to stuff.  I just used some more fabric scraps lying around from another project.  You can line the puppet head with another layer of fabric and create a wall to stuff with fiberfill.  That way you have a pocket so that your hand fits in there to move the mouth.

Add a cheap tie and have at it.


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