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How to Make an Orangutan Puppet

An orangutan is distinguishable from other primates by its long thin, strong arms and bulky body which is covered in long reddish hairs. Orangutans are intelligent creatures; some have been found to use leaves as umbrellas to protect themselves from the rain. You can make your own orangutan puppet using some simple household equipment including cardboard, glue and string. Make a puppet is a creative way to teach children about the lifestyle, habitat and importance of orangutans in the wild.

Things You'll Need

Picture of a orangutan
Pencil
Cardboard
Acrylic Paint
Orange spray paint
Cotton wool balls
Glue
Scissors
String

Instructions

- 1
  Draw the puppet's template onto cardboard. Draw the outline of the orangutan's body, head, two arms and two legs. To make the arms, stick two pieces of card together so that you can draw long sausage shapes to show the size of the limbs. Copy the shape of each section from a picture of a real orangutan.
- 2
  Cut out each of the shapes with a pair of scissors.
- 3
  Paint the shapes with your acrylics. Use different shades of red, orange and brown to decorate the parts of the orangutan. The orangutan has big round brown eyes, so make sure you include these on its face. Use a creamy color around its mouth and jaw.
- 4
  Leave the paint to dry. While you wait, spread out several cotton balls onto a sheet of newspaper. Lightly spray the fibers with orange spray paint. Then, leave this paint to dry as well.
- 5
  Dab glue around the edge of the orangutan's head, along its arms and in areas on its body. Then, stick patches of orange wool onto these areas to represent tufts of fur. When you apply the glue, put it in strategic areas so it does not look patchy, such as on the top of its feet or chest.
- 6
  Arrange the pieces of orangutan in the correct order on a flat surface, so the shape is complete. Then, spread each piece from the others by about 3 inches. Now, turn each of the pieces over so the reverse side is facing upward.
- 7
  Glue a length of string between each of the template pieces, so the ape is joined into one piece. For example, place a 3-inch length between the head and body, and then another piece between each of the limbs and the body.
- 8
  Wait for the glue to dry. Now, glue the puppeteer's strings from the top of the ape. Place a longer length of string at the top of the orangutan's head, and one on each of its hands. Each piece should be at least 20 inches in length. Again, wait for the glue to dry.
- 9
  Lift the puppet up and check that all the strings are in the correct place. Hold the orangutan from the longer pieces of string coming from its hands and head. Tug on these to move the animal around.

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