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UPDATE: I'm now selling puppet patterns and puppet parts for your next build! Check it out here!

Please note: this post only applies to purchasing materials in Victoria, Australia. If you are from another country, I would suggest visiting The Puppetry Homepage for other retailers.

Good puppet materials and tools are extremely important. You will not only need items that are durable, but also cheap. (Warning: long post ahead) Is there a place in Australia that you can buy all your puppet materials and tools from? Well, unfortunately, no. But you can find everything you need in a number of arts and crafts stores... Read on.

Looking for antron fleece in Australia? Read this! Looking for reticulated foam in Australia? Read this!

Dress materials, sewing materials, and other handy stuff

I find that the best place to buy dress materials - this includes materials for skin coverings, fur, costumes, felts, etc - is Spotlight. You can find an excellent range of materials, many of which can cost you as little as a few dollars a metre. They have plenty of bargain materials, and usually they have a scrap bin, where you can find cut-offs of a range of materials for about $1 or $2 each (some stores bag up a number of scraps and sell each bag for $2, others may simply sell each cut-off for $1). The scrap bin is sometimes essential, because there will often be scraps that are the perfect size for a puppet costume, and it saves having to buy a metre or half a metre of material that might go to waste. Velveteen, which is used for producing blacklight theatre and in light curtain staging, can be found at Spotlight for very cheap prices.

They are also the only place that I have found that sell dolls' joints - be sure to buy the ones that are made out of plastic, not the ones that have a metal screw and a wooden circle. The ones I buy are made by Arbee Craft, and are in a plastic bag with a pink top; the top says 'Crafts for Creating', and the product itself are animal joints.

Sometimes I buy other things at Spotlight too - all my sewing needs, from needles and thread, to scissors (be sure to keep one pair for paper-cutting and one for materials. The paper-cutting dulls the blades, and makes it difficult to use on materials), velcro, and other such things. A number of times I have bought felt, as well as... lighting equipment! Yes, that's right. I discovered recently that in their 'Sparties' section, they sometimes sell little handheld UV lights. They cost about $7 each, and are ideal for testing out paints for blacklight theatre.

I also find that they sell cheap acetate (plastic) sheets, that make a good basis for shadow puppets, and they have thin (no more than 5mm thick) sheets of foam for about $1 each. Though I don't recommend using these foam sheets for all muppet-type puppet builds, or for other foam puppets, they can be used very well and are cheap. I have used them on my moppets, and have proved very capable of being a durable puppet material. UPDATE: You may want to check out the products at Clark Rubber, as they seem to be the best place to find foam materials. (Thanks Pseudonym for the info). SECOND UPDATE: Tom from Puppeteers Unite has offered assistance in purchasing reticulated foam (industry standard foam for making muppet-types and other puppets) from Canada. He also suggests purchasing it from US-based site, Project Puppet.com. (Thanks Tom for the info and help!). THIRD UPDATE: I only buy the large plain foam sheets at Spotlight, and only use them for puppet heads or bodies. For puppet mouths, I use a thin coloured foam sheet, which can be found in a wider range of colours and thicknesses at Riot Art. Read more here.

You may also be wondering, why am I pushing Spotlight, when there is also Lincraft - well, because I find that Lincraft does not offer the range of materials necessary for puppet builds. They do not sell dolls' or animal joints, their range of materials are quite expensive, and their craft section is pretty much what Spotlight offers. Lincraft is more for those people who want to make a living from designing and sewing wedding dresses; Spotlight is more for the family on a budget. (Or at least in my own opinion) At Spotlight I have also signed myself up for a free members card, which allows me to get discounts on pretty much everything I buy, and I also receive regular mailings of new catalogs and sales. This means that I often go shopping at their stores either when I need something, or when I see it on sale in their catalog. Plus, the stores are open very late most days.

Rods

The best places to find rods - cheap coathangers - are places like Safeway and Coles, and select $2 shops. They sell good quality, cheap coathangers, which can be bent into shape to form durable rods.

Tools

Buying good quality tools can be expensive, but it is worth it. While many craft and materials stores have a selection of tools, they are often minimal. I recommend going to your local Bunnings or Mitre 10, where you can find a wide range of products to suit your needs. These stores are good for buying things like: saws, screwdrivers, pliers, drills, etc. But you can also find other things there that you might need, like hinges for puppet booths, or plastic tubing, wires, storage units, and electrical equipment (torches, extension cords, etc.). And of course, they have all sorts of things useful for making sets and props.

Crafts

You will find that Spotlight and Lincraft, and most material stores, will not have a good range of craft products. This includes: clays, woods (balsa and dowel), cardboards and core flutes, etc. When I need something that is more paint or cardboard related, I go to Riot Art, which has an excellent selection of paints, clays, and other craft products. It can be expensive if you are planning on buying cardboard, illustration boards, core flute and clays, but you will find that their prices are reasonable in comparison with other more 'high-end' craft stores.

Theatrical equipment

As with any performance, you may find you need to hire or buy theatrical equipment. This can be anything from theatre lights to CD players, from UV lights to sandbags and gaffa tape. I recommend that you visit ALIA, the Australasian Lighting Industry Assocation, which lists all Australian companies that sell and/or hire theatrical equipment. The ALIA website also has a sales page, where they regularly list any equipment available to purchase from individuals and/or companies.

If you are in Melbourne, I can highly recommend Clearlight, who offer some of the best prices, and are extremely helpful if you are new to hiring/buying equipment.

If you are looking for a cheap haze machine, I can also recommend purchasing one from Dick Smiths. I bought one early this year, and with the haze liquid, it cost me about $100. It was highly effective, though it should be noted that the machine is probably not suited for extended use (ie. don't expect it to last five years) or for large events or venues.

Please remember that if you do not have any experience or knowledge of theatrical equipment, especially electronics, to find someone who does and can help you buy or hire something. Alternatively, ask for help from the hirer/dealer, as they may be able to advise you on your needs. You, as a purchaser or hirer, have a lot of responsibility for: maintenance and repairs of equipment, safety of equipment, and operation of equipment. If you don't know what you're doing, it can be dangerous.

Glue

I have had a long-standing discussion on where to buy good foam glue, and what to use. You can read much of it here. I buy "Foam Glue" (no, really, that's what the product is called), and it's sold at both Spotlight and Riot Art. Find it in their glue selections. I've used it a lot already, and it's really quite a strong glue; non-toxic; doesn't smell; liquid, like PVA. And it's cheap.

Other thoughts

Before you go shopping you should prepare a list of all the materials you need to buy. If you are making one puppet, or a bunch of puppets, it is wise to go shopping once, and get everything you need in one go. It will not only save you time later, but it will also help you to choose materials based on similar colours, textures, and so forth. You should also take samples of materials if you have already bought something you plan on using. I find that when making a costume, it helps to have the skin material with me, to make sure the puppet will not look pale or too dark. You will also find that buying bulk will be cheaper when in combination with a members card.

When shopping, you should check out the rest of the store. You never know when you might see a product or material that you will find useful later, even if you don't use it for this particular puppet project. A number of times I will buy something without having a real purpose for it, but will often find a reason for using it later. Don't forget, a puppet can be anything, and be made out of anything.

It's also an excellent chance to store up on products or materials that you will keep using - like glue sticks, or coathangers for rods, or dress materials. If something is particularly difficult to find - like doll's joints - I will buy a small number to keep in stock at home. When purchasing materials, I also make sure I get extra, because you will make mistakes, and you will need to do repairs.

And lastly...

Naturally, you will not consider the above as advice set in stone. The stores mentioned above are the best ones in my area; you may find other places that have better prices, or a wider range of products, or an unusual range of products.

Don't forget the other places you can go: op shops make excellent resources for cheap props and costumes (children's clothes are perfect fits for puppets!), and there are other smaller, fringe stores that you might come across on your everyday travels.

Don't be afraid to go into new places, ask questions, dig around in scrap bins, and look at materials and tools in a new light.

Want more? Help build a puppet!