Carving marionettes is a task that needs the right kind of wood, combined with your free time and a lot of patience. It is a very entertaining project with an entertaining result. In carving marionettes, you will need wood, soft stuffing and muslin, hammer, paper Mache, dowels, sand paper, copper wire, adhesive tape and screw eyes.
You can start by choosing the right kind of wood for the project. Soft white pine wood is normally use because it holds the cut and can be shaped easily. For the head of the marionette, you can use paper Mache, you will find it hard to carve head from wood so you can just mold it out. Then, shape the hip pieces and shoulders, hips can be at any depth and width but the shoulders should be extended just under the armpits. Remember to make a slope on the shoulder with a hallow section to fit the head.
Take measurements for the legs and cut the dowel, narrow them at the bottom where you will position the feet. Use hinges for the knees and thighs after you cut the dowels in length. Again, mold some paper Mache for feet and add some wooden heels on the bottom. Cut some more dowels for the lower arms and use stuffed muslin attached to both ends of the lower arms and the body. The hands will also be paper Mache mold.
Finally, string the marionettes by connecting a copper wire on the arms head and legs with screw eyes, and connect it on the back and shoulders to make it move. Do not worry about the head; it will be supported once the wires are attached.
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