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Kids may be afraid of monsters but they'll love these easy to make paper bag monster puppets. They're so easy, your kids can create a whole menagerie of monster puppets from paper bags and a few other materials. This article contains a list of needed materials, complete instructions for a monster puppet and ideas for others.

BASIC MATERIALS NEEDED

*Paper lunch bags

*Tape and glue-paste will also work

*Colored paper-can be cut from magazines, envelopes or old greeting cards

*Crepe paper-if you have none, use thin fabric

*Paint-tempera, acrylic paint or water colors will work fine

*Markers-highlighters work especially well

*Pipe Cleaners-these add a little fun but can be replaced with card stock or fabric

*Yarn-if you have no yarn, use thin strips of frayed fabric or pull strands from your mop

*Buttons-great for eyes

*Texture-glitter, cornmeal and sawdust work well when glued on and painted over.

CROSS-EYED SPOTTED MONSTER

*Cover the bag with glue and sprinkle on cornmeal, glitter or sawdust to add some texture. Allow to dry. Paint over the textured bag with green and allow to dry completely.

*From a piece of construction paper cut two pointed leaf shapes, for the ears, and crease them down the middle. Glue the ears to the top back of the bag, leaving a good space between them.

*For the eye, cut two ovals about one-inch tall from white or yellow paper. Glue these beside the ears with half of the eye sticking above the bag. Using a black marker, draw the pupils so the eyes appear crossed or glue on small buttons.

*Cut sharp teeth from yellow or white paper and glue under the flap. Make the teeth on each end long, like fangs.

*Glue yarn along the back of the bag so it hangs on both the front and back of the bag. Leave the yarn that hangs to the back long and trim the front shaggy, around the eyes and ears.

*For arms, cut from green construction paper and glue to the side of the bag or use pipe cleaners. Cut long claws from white paper and glue to the ends of the arms.

*Cut circles from contrasting paper and glue as spots on the monster.

IDEAS FOR OTHER MONSTER PUPPETS

*Alien Monster
Make a green or gray alien with huge oval eyes made of aluminum foil and long spindly arms and legs with only three fingers and toes. Coat the bag with glue and apply cornmeal before painting to give some texture to the skin.

*Frankenstein
Make a Frankenstein puppet using plastic bottle caps for the neck bolt. Make his eyes bloodshot and his skin green.

*Scarecrow
Make a scarecrow complete with drawn on stitching, real straw for the hair and a doll's straw hat.

*Pirate Skull
Make a pirate's skull by gluing half the skull on the top flap and the other half on the bottom. Add an eye-patch and earrings and cut out bones for his arms. Draw a treasure map and glue it in his hand.

Join your child in making these paper bag monster puppets and when they are complete, make up stories and have a puppet show. The great thing about paper bag puppets is that most of them fold flat and can be added to scrap books.

Learn more about this author, Pamela Kay.
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