DIY Centaur Puppet

Use scissors to cut a hole between the front legs of the stuffed pony. This will be where the puppeteer puts his hand inside to manipulate the puppet. Then use the scissors to cut the head off the horse, making sure to leave the fabric secure at the front of the chest.

Remove stuffing between the hole at the bottom, between the horse's front legs, and the top, where the head was. Leave some stuffing filling out the fabric at the front where the chest of the horse is.

Cut the wooden rod so that it runs as long as the distance between the back of the hole you have hollowed out of the horse to the beginning of the tail. Nail the wooden coaster to one end of the rod, making sure the coaster is centered.

Insert the rod through the stuffing so that the top, the end without the coaster attached, goes back to the fabric where the tail begins. Hammer a nail into the back end of the rod through the fabric just beneath the tail. This rod will support the back end of the horse when you put your arm in to manipulate the puppet -- and by moving your arm appropriately, you will be able to make the centaur buck and swish its tail.

Cut a sleeve of the flannel shirt. Then cut the cuff off. You will be left with a flannel tube. Manipulate the sleeve into the hole at the front of the horse, with the wider end of the sleeve at the bottom of the hole.

Sew the edges of the bottom of the sleeve around the hole between the horse's legs. Do this first, then, pull the sleeve taut through the top and sew the opening where the head was detached around the sleeve. Now you can put your arm into the sleeve from the bottom and poke your hand up where your wrist would have gone through. Make sure the stitching is secure so no stuffing escapes from the back or the front of the horse.

Glue the doll head onto the top end of the sleeve that now extends through the top of the horse's torso. After the glue has dried, you have a centaur puppet.