When the word “puppet” is mentioned, one typically envisions a marionette like Pinocchio, or a fuzzy hand puppet found in kindergarten classrooms. Not all puppets, however, are as complex as the two mentioned. If you happen to be one of the people who dread Halloween and other dress-up occasions, where people are often asked to create a pirate costume, medieval costumes, or other variations of costumes, because you are not handy with a sewing machine, you may want to take a closer look at this particular form of puppetry. Shadow puppets are easy to make (no sewing required), and they provide a uniquely artistic viewing experience.

A generic shadow puppet is made by cutting a shape of the desired puppet, such as a rabbit, out of firm paper or cardboard. This cutout is then attached to a stick or thin dowel. Voila! There is the basic shadow puppet. 

If the story calls for a puppet that is more complex, it is a relatively simple matter to add moving parts to the initial silhouette.  Once your puppets are complete, you may desire to paint them black, as that tends to result in a crisper, clearer shadow.

The stage of a shadow puppet theater requires little preparation, which is another of the benefits of staging a shadow puppet show. The main element of the “stage” is a sheet of some sort, be it sheer fabric or tissue paper. A light source is also necessary behind the sheet, to cast a strong shadow on said sheet. Chinese puppeteers often suspend a light bulb between themselves and the sheet, so that their shadows are not cast onto the sheet along with that of the puppet. If making a larger stage, a sheet may be hung in front of a lit window, or the shadows can be projected onto a wall, with the light source in front of the puppets and puppeteers. 

When designing your own puppets, the most important aspect to focus on is the resemblance of the desired object. For example, if designing a puppet that looked like an old man with a hooked nose, you may want to exaggerate the shape of the nose by making it unrealistically large. The same holds true for technical objects, like a rocket ship – it would be wise to base your design off of clip art of a rocket, rather than off of a photograph of a NASA shuttle. Clip art is simplified to the point where it is universally recognizable, and if aiming for a children’s play or amateur production, it would be prudent to adhere to this sort of simplicity.

Should the puppets be more complex, you may want to cut out small slivers in the whole template to allow defining areas of light to shine through. A squiggly line cut in a fish template will yield the outline of a fin when held up to the light. Thinking in terms of positive and negative space will help here, and will result in more artistic, visually pleasing puppets.

For more information on shadow puppetry, or for help getting started on your own production, please feel free to peruse the list below. Have fun creating!

• Basic Shadow Puppet Instructions

• Playing with Shadows - An Introduction to Shadow Puppetry

• Chinese Puppet Templates and Instructions

• Small Shadow Puppet Theater Instructions

• Seuss Shapes - Classroom Activity

• UNAWE - Comprehensive Step-By-Step to a Shadow Puppet Show

• Clipart Archive - May be used for tracing or brainstorming puppets

• Clipart/Templates for Storybook Characters

• How to Create Shadow Puppets with Your Hands

• How-To Shadow Puppet Show - Contains Links to Adapted Plays

• Building Puppets (Contains Instructional Video on Pivot Joints)

• Examples of Third Grade Puppet Shows

• Creating your Shadow Play - A Student Guide

• Shadow Puppetry Lesson Plan - 3rd to 4th Grade

• Tortoise and the Hare - Shadow Puppet Play Script

• Information on Light Sources and Joints for Shadow Puppets