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How to Make a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Stop Motion Puppet

Stop motion puppetry is a method for creators to make a movie with real puppets rather than resorting to animation software. The puppet is moved by hand through a series of motions. The camera records each change. You can make a Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer puppet for a stop motion film even as a novice puppeteer. You don't need many special tools for the armature of the puppet or its skin and you can change the look and style of your Rudolph based on your creative inspiration.

Things You'll Need

20 gauge wire
Wire cutters
Power drill
Needle-nose pliers
Tape
Four hex nuts
Polymer clays

Instructions

- 1
  Cut about 5 feet of 20 gauge wire with your wire cutters.
- 2
  Bend the long wire strand you cut in half. Place some tape at the end of the strand to hold the two halves in place.
- 3
  Insert the bent end of the wire into the clamping head of a power drill without any bit in it. Place the other end of the wire under your shoe or under a heavy weight. It needs to be anchored down. Turn on the power drill to twist the two halves of the wire around each other tightly. This creates a strong basis for the armature of your puppet.
- 4
  Remove the wire from the drill. Cut the taped end off of the wire. Cut the wire into nine segments: four limbs, one torso, one head, two antlers and one nubby tail. Arrange these segments into the shape of a quadruped.
- 5
  Take one limb segment. Unwrap a small part of the wire from both ends. Wrap this unwrapped portion of one end of the wire to the torso section. Leave the other end of the limb segment unwrapped. Repeat this process for all the other limbs, head and tail. Do this as well for the two antlers and head. Create the head by wrapping the small segment of wire in a loop.
- 6
  Wrap a hex nut around the end of one of the limbs. Repeat this with the other three limbs. The hex nut acts as the basis for the hoof.
- 7
  Tear off a small portion of baking clay. Form it around the hex nut in the shape of a hoof. Repeat this with the other three hex nuts. Bake your armature with the hooves on according to the baking instructions of the clay you bought. Remove the armature from the oven. Your hooves are now hardened and your Rudolph can stand on its own legs.
- 8
  Wrap the rest of the armature in flexible clay or silicone. Silicone is more expensive but better for young-looking characters, such as Rudolph, because it doesn't wrinkle. Don't bake the armature again. Use colored clay that matches the auburn fur of the reindeer. Make Rudolph your own with creative surprises in its look. For example, make his nose out of a red button, add cake sprinkles to his antlers or put googly eyes on his face.

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