I had seen this idea somewhere online or in an article several years ago, and thought it was darling. I didn't have children at the time, so I just filed it in the 'Later Someday' file of my mind, and you know how that goes...Well, this summer it came roaring back when I found the cutest plush marionette puppets on clearance at our local toy store. A gift idea for our 4yo's Christmas present began to take shape. A few weeks later, I found a brand-new package of girlie-themed hand puppets at a garage sale. Perfect! Now all I needed was to craft the stage.
All you need for this project is about a yard of heavy fabric (i.e. felt, fleece, etc) and a curtain tension rod that is wide enough to fit across your door frame. Sew a rod pocket across the top of your fabric, stick the rod in, and pop it into the door frame. That's it! Once you have the supplies rounded up and your sewing machine ready, it takes less than 5 minutes! LOVE that!-Or if you have a left over curtain big enough, just trim and tailor to fit the door.
Of course I had plans to decorate the felt and make it really snazzy with drama masks and lots of glitter, but before I knew it, it was Christmas Eve and I realized "Ugh! I never sewed the stage for dd's gift!" So, what she got was a plain piece of felt and the promise that she could decorate it later on. :) Here are some other ideas for a fancier curtain.
This has been a big hit with all three of my kids (7,7, and the 4yo) An added bonus of this design is that we can adjust it to be whatever height needed. So, for hand-puppets we raise it up to block her head and arm. For the marionettes we lowered it for her to reach over. Also, I like that we can put it in any standard doorway of the house. So, she can rehearse her shows in her bedroom or upstairs.
Now, if I can only figure out how to get my videos off of my new video camera, I will add in the clips of her very, um, should I say 'dramatic' first shows?!
Until then, blessings to you and your at your homestead!
Hillary At Home
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