How to make smaller versions of puppets or find two sizes of puppets?

February 2, 2013 11:54 AM

How can I make smaller versions of these vintage puppets?

I am going to use vintage puppets like these for a project. But the storyline involves having smaller versions of this type of puppet. In other words, the puppets will be given smaller versions of themselves to use.

How can I make some plausible small versions of these puppets? I can zerox the front, back, and sides, I guess, and glue those pieces of paper together, for very very crude versions. I could even incorporate into the story that that was the best I (or the puppets) could do to make smaller versions of themselves, but they're making do with what they have available. Or something.

But I'm just wondering if there isn't a way to do this in a better-looking, (slightly?) more professional-looking way.

OR -- are there puppets that come in two different sizes? so far, looking on the internet, I haven't been able to come up with anything that approaches the niceness of the vintage Childcraft puppets I have.

posted by DMelanogaster to media & arts (9 answers total)

Is this for a video project or a live play?
posted by dottiechang at 12:06 PM on February 2

a video project. With crude video skills. I guess a videotaped play, close-up.
posted by DMelanogaster at 12:10 PM on February 2

What about FIMO? Are you skilled enough to make mini-versions? Do you have a talented friend? It comes in a variety of colours, and you can blend them.
posted by peagood at 12:16 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]

You could take detailed photos and print them out onto fabric transfer paper and make a two sided mitten-like tiny version with the fabric.
posted by dottiechang at 12:39 PM on February 2 [1 favorite]

Pay someone to do 3d models for you and get them printed with shapeways?
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 12:40 PM on February 2

There is casting material that you can use to change the scale of an object. You'd make a mold of your original, cast it with the scale-changing material, apply a catalyst to shrink it*, make a mold of the new size, and cast it again in a stable medium to make the final product. As you can see, this would be rather involved and kind of expensive. You'd lose some resolution, and you'd need to hand paint your copies. MeMail if you want to know more, I'll have to ask a friend the names of these materials.

*I can't remember if it shrinks or grows, so your originals might end up being the small ones.

I think it'd be simpler do make all your puppets, large and small, out of FIMO, Sculpey, or Paperclay, or any other materials (felt? syrofoam balls?) that would serve the look you want.
posted by hydrophonic at 12:48 PM on February 2

Pay someone to do 3d models for you and get them printed with shapeways

Or you could try photo-to-3d services like Cubify Capture.
posted by hydrophonic at 2:44 PM on February 2

The heads and hands seem like the only really complicated part. What about buying some action figures, cutting off the heads and hands, and sticking them onto simple sock puppet bodies? If you can't figures with the right hair color, I think you can color action figures with nail polish. (Not positive, though. I'd suggest experimenting on a part of the figure you won't need to use.)
posted by Ursula Hitler at 5:58 PM on February 2

Expanding on Ursula's idea, could you find another set of your vintage puppets and make truncated versions?
posted by hydrophonic at 6:45 AM on February 4