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Like my post on human puppets, this question annoys me. Foam puppets can really be any type of puppet - foam is light, so it can be used for marionettes, rod puppets, glove puppets, etc.

As you can see, it's not so much about the use of foam of the puppet that matters, but the method of operation. Any puppet can be made out of foam: but not every puppet will suit your performance styles or techniques. And trying to use the above search term will not give you very specific results; furthermore, the ambiguity of the term does not help us bloggers and puppet makers, who would love to give you some help and directions. Having said, all that, foam is mostly used (and mostly recognised by the general public as being used) with muppet-types. Sometimes, puppet makers will use a block of foam and carve out a shape as well - don't use polystyrene for this! It makes a terrible mess, is unstable, and tends to crumble under use.

So, if you want to make a foam puppet, first figure out what type of puppet you want to use. Here's a list of puppet types, which link off to their explanatory posts. Read about muppet-type puppets, with a lot of great info on how to make them.

Next, take a look at my basics of puppet design, and my post on creating characters.

Armed with that information, you can then go ahead and find out more about how to make a puppet for your needs.

(And next time, you can search for 'foam muppet' tutorials... or 'foam marionette' tutorials... or 'foam glove puppet' tutorials... or... no, you get the idea now, don't you?)

Need some moppet eyes for your next puppet build? Buy them at my online store! 

Want more? Help build a puppet!