Making Marionettes

December 5,6,12,13 (11am-2pm)
Bring a wooden puppet to life in this 4 day Marionette-Making class! Students will carve and assemble their own small wooden marionette, learning the basics of shaping wood, building articulated joints, and bringing a character to life through paint and playful details.
Starting with pre-cut basswood blanks, we’ll explore grain direction, proportion, and carving safety before getting hands-on with carving knives, gouges, files, and sandpaper. Once our characters take shape, we’ll assemble their moving parts using wooden joints, metal pins, and leather cord, then make control mechanisms and learn how to string and balance our marionettes.
Students can make their marionettes their own with custom facial features, hair, clothing, carved patterns, and painted details. No prior woodcarving experience is necessary. Each student will leave with a one-of-a-kind wooden marionette, approximately 12" tall or smaller, ready to move, play, and show off!