Pizzicato Puppets Make Your Own Eraser Pets

Make Your Own Eraser Pets!

This project is only for those who are old enough to use thumbtacks responsibly! Tacks may poke through erasers-please be careful.

Note: Erasers may break while making or playing with your new puppets. When your puppet wears out you can remove the tacks and paper clips and you have an eraser again.

You will need: (to make both pets shown above)

2 Erasers
7 Thumb tacks
2 feet or more of string (or yarn)
1 Unsharpened pencil
A Permanent Marker
10 large paper clips

Alien Eraser
1. Carefully stick a thumb tack in each side of one eraser to make arms (as shown)

2. Add a thumb tack where you want the nose or snout of your alien to go.

3. Using three thumb tacks make a tripod of legs at the base of your alien so it will stand on its own.

4. Using the Permanent Marker draw your aliens face and any body details you want.

5. Using a thumb tack poke 2 holes on the top of your aliens head. The antenna will go here.

6. Carefully Bend 2 paper clips to make antenna/ One end of each paper clip will need to be straight so that it can be attached.

7. Slide one end of each paper clip into the premade holes on the top of your eraser.

8. Push a thumb tack into the back of your eraser. By holding this tack you will be able to move your alien.

Back view of alien eraser pet

Spider Eraser
1. Using a thumb tack carefully poke 4 holes on each side of your eraser to make room for legs.

2. Unbend 8 paper clips and shape them into spider legs (see picture above)

3. Slide one end of each paper clip into the hole on both sides.

4. Arrange and turn legs until you like how they look.

5. Using a permanent marker draw your spiders face and any other details you like.

6. Cut the string in half

7. Tie one end of each string to the pencil (as shown)

8. Tack the other end of each string to the back of your eraser

9. Lift the pencil and your puppet should rise. If it is uneven simple wrap the longer string around the pencil until your spider is level.

10. To store your marionette spider wrap the strings all the way around the pencil. This will help reduce tangling.

Storage
How to wrap the string around your pencil to store or make level your marionette spider.

Now that you know the basics what other eraser pets can you make?

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