Make a sock puppet

You’ll need

Scissors
Wool
Craft materials (for example, tissue paper, pipe cleaners, stickers)
Paint brushes
Socks
Thread
Buttons
Needles
Fabric pens
Fabric paint

Before you begin

Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. There's also more guidance to help you carry out your risk assessment, including examples.
Make sure all young people and adults involved in the activity know how to take part safely.
Make sure you’ll have enough adult helpers. You may need some parents and carers to help.

Planning and setting up this activity

Ask everyone to bring in a clean sock and any unused fabrics, such as old t-shirts or bedding.
Remind everyone, including parents and carers, not to bring anything of precious, expensive, sentimental or treasured value.
Not everyone will be able to bring items from home. There may be for lots of reasons, such as living situations or costs. You should consider bringing some items or spares for people to use.

Start sewing

Give everyone two buttons, a needle, a 1m length of thread, and some fabric pens.
Everyone should place their hand inside the sock. They should open and close their hand to see what the sock puppet’s face will look like. Using a fabric pen, they should make two marks where they want their puppet’s eyes to be.
Thread their needle and tie a knot at the end of the thread.
Place a button over one of the marker dots on the sock.
Push the needle up from the inside of the sock so it comes out through one of the holes of the button.
Pull the thread all the way through until the knot tightens against the inside of the sock. They should hold the button in place with their finger.
Turn the needle around and push it back down through the hole diagonally opposite the one they came up from. They should push it through to the inside of the sock and pull the thread tight. Make sure no one’s needle comes out of the back of the sock as they won’t be able to get their hand into the puppet.
Everyone should be left with a single line of thread across the button, connecting the two holes. Repeat this twice more so there are three lines of thread running across the button.
Bring their needle up through a hole with no thread in it, and push it down through the hole diagonally opposite. Repeat this three times, creating a cross-shape in the centre of the button.
Push the needle through to the inside of the sock and tie a knot. They can use the needle to guide the thread into a knot, or cut the thread off the needle and tie the knot with their fingers. Make sure the knot is tight to the inside of the sock so the button isn’t loose.
Repeat these steps to sew on the second button.
Now, use craft materials, fabric paint and fabric pens to decorate the sock puppet. You could sew them on or use fabric glue. Felt, buttons, ribbon, string, wool and other fabrics work well.
When the puppets are finished, you could put on a puppet show.

Reflection

This activity helped you gain independence by introducing you to basic sewing. Can you think of any situations when having a small sewing kit would come in handy? Other than sewing, how else might you mend damaged clothes or fabric items?

This activity was also about developing an essential life skill. Why is it important to know how to sew? The next time you notice one of your clothes is missing a button, how confident would you feel to sew on a new one?

Safety

All activities must be safely managed. You must complete a thorough risk assessment and take appropriate steps to reduce risk. Use the safety checklist to help you plan and risk assess your activity. Always get approval for the activity, and have suitable supervision and an InTouch process.

Scissors: Supervise young people appropriately when they’re using scissors. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.
Sharp objects: Teach young people how to use sharp objects safely. Supervise them appropriately throughout. Store all sharp objects securely, out of the reach of young people.