Sock Puppets

Socks do a great job of covering the feet, but a whole new world comes alive when they are placed over the hand and given the role of an entertaining puppet.

Sock puppets are used for elaborate puppet theater or impromptu plays for children. No need for an ornate stage and curtain, all you need is an endless imagination, and a sock or two.

A sock puppet is created when a sock puppeteer works his or her hand far into the closed end of a sock. Any sock will do the trick, but an old, tattered sock runs the risk of falling apart on stage. The puppet comes alive when the hand opens and closes while grasping the inside of the sock between its heel and toe area. The puppeteer's thumb becomes an invisible jaw that moves in synch with the puppets words.

To give the puppet a true personality you will definitely need glue. Gluing and piece of thin carboard or felt inside the end of the sock will give the mouth a more defined shape. You can even glue a piece of felt or fabric on the outside to form a tongue inside the mouth.

More unique additions can be glued on according to the puppeteer's desires. If a long sock has been used, the wrist and forearm are probably covered. If not, glue some streamers or felt strings to the sock's top to cover the arm. The same fabrics can be used for hair. Plastic googly eyes available at craft stores are most often glued on for the puppet's eyes. If none are available, use felt or buttons.

A puppeteer can hide behind a stand -- a table (with a cloth), a piece of furniture, or a cardboard box will work -- and raise the puppet to the top of the stand, leaving the puppeteer invisible. Then, the show must go on. Many sock puppeteers, however, became famous by remaining in full view with their puppets to carry on imaginative conversations with the sock puppet. Some performers even perfected ventriloquism so the puppet could speak without the puppeteer's mouth movements being seen.

Shari Lewis was probably the most loved sock puppeteer, along with her puppets, Lamb Chop, Charlie Horse, and Hush Puppy.

Whether you have one zillion or one single puppet, the best way to produce a hit show is to give your puppet a memorable name. Play around with some ideas, and you're sure to do wonderfully well on your makeshift stage.