Today, we have an ADORABLE DOG Crafts for kids! It not only combines our love for animals, but also our love for recycling and crafting with Toilet Paper Rolls. We do love all Toilet Paper Roll crafts – especially when they are so cute and easy – and this is just another fab addition to our huge collection!!!
When it comes to crafting with young children, it is sometimes about letting your child’s creativity run riot, and other times, it is a joint team effort – time to sit together and bond and then play with your crafts! This Toilet Paper Roll Dog Marionette is definitely a joint effort!
This Dog DIY article was first published in Nov 2011 and has been updated and republished for you.
We also have more Toilet Paper Roll Marionettes here:
- Dancing Giraffe Marionettes
- Autumn Birds
- And magical Unicorn Marionettes!
Our Dog related Picture Book
Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy, By Lynley Dodd
We love Hairy Maclary.. a hairy little dog that gets up to all sorts of mischief with his dog friends. It usually involved teasing the cats in the area, but there is one cat that all the dogs are scared of. The book is written in verse, which repeats itself (and gets longer) from page to page. The children love this repetition and seeing what “new crazy” dog characters are invented… one of them is Victor van Krumm the sausage dog… who has been the inspiration for today’s post!
DIY Dog Puppet Craft – Materials
- one kitchen towel roll (for a Dachshung, if making a “normal” dog, you only need one toilet paper roll),
- one toilet paper roll for the dog’s head,
- paint,
- twigs,
- googly eyes,
- glue,
- string,
- chestnuts (or similar),
- scissors
This may seem like a “long list” of materials to make this simple Cardboard Tube Craft.. however, I simply listed the materials we used.. you can of course have a hunt around your home to see what you could substitute!
How to make a Toilet Paper Roll Dog Marionette!
Painting your cardboard tubes in the desired dog colour
1) Paint your loo rolls the desired colour. We went for black!
Shaping the paper dog’s head
2) Shape your dog’s head – cut 4 slits about 2/3s of the way down, then squeeze them together so that they overlap as in the picture shown. Add some glue and hold in place with an elastic band or piece of string – mind that you don’t glue the band on by accident!
Shapping the marionette’s body
3) Trim a little off the long roll to make the ears – cut ear shapes and glue onto the head. Add googly eyes.
Assembling the dog puppet’s feet
4) Add the feet and tail. We used some of our chestnuts left over from all our Autumn collecting activities.. perfect way to use some of them up. We managed to pierce our chestnuts with our scissors, but you may need a metal skewer. Make sure an adult does this. Make holes in the long roll – one for the tail (a twig) and 4 for the chestnut feet. Thread one piece of string through the first chestnut, through the body and then through the 2nd chestnut. If you can’t find chestnuts – how about some acorns? or maybe some shells or stones? As to the tail – we “just stuck” ours into the hole and add lots of glue to secure it a little.
5) Attach the head with one piece of string running through the head.
Making the dancing marionette holder
6) Make the “marionette” hand piece out of two twigs tied together (although in the configuration we have it in, one twig is plenty!).
Finishing the TP Roll Dog Marionette puppet
7) Assemble and play! Hooray!
I do hope you like our little fella! And that you have a go at making one yourself…
Pip Squeak (2yrs) ADORES our dog marionette and even took it to bed one nap time!
More amazning and easy Toilet Paper Roll Crafts for Kids here, including a section dedicated to more Toilet Paper Roll Marionettes!
What others are reading
Toilet Paper Roll Little Red Riding Hood Craft- Kids Get Crafty: Chestnut Crafts (Pencil Toppers)
- Kids Get Crafty: Chestnut Streamer Toy
- Kids Crafts: Chestnuts Crafts – Spiderwebs
- Conkers Crafts (aka Buckeye Crafts or Horse Chestnuts!)
- Toilet Paper Roll Chicken Box
- Paper Roll Love Birds
- Toilet Paper Roll Giraffe Marionette
artsy_momma says
My little guy would love playing with this! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Red Ted Art says
Pip Squeak is in love with it! I think it is a winner with little people! 😉
maria says
how wonderful! I love this marionette, your loo roll crafts are the best:)
Red Ted Art says
🙂 Maria, I thought you may like it as “Recycled Craft Queen”!! And I do LOVE using Loo Rolls!!!
Mutiple Mummy says
That is so cute, Noah would love to make that! xx
Jen says
I love the dog! It is so funny how many chestnuts you have…we don’t have many (or any) chestnut trees here in Toronto. How fun it must be to have them all around!
Melissa @ The Chocolate Muffin Tree says
Love the marionette! How cute is that?
Robin says
Adorabel as always! Thank you so much for linking up your crafty goodness! I love seeing your beautiful work every week on my blog.
Maxine of the Magic Belles says
Another fabby idea – we looooove that book in our house! Thank you xxx
Red Ted Art says
Jen – I sometimes take our chestnuts for granted! Funny how when you connect with the world you learn about how different everywhere is!! Of course you can still make Viktor… you just need other feet! 🙂
Melissa, Robin, Maxine & Multiple Mummy – *thank you* and *beam*
se7en says
Gotta Love Hairy Maclary!!! That is a very clever puppy puppet you guys made!!!
Marcia says
I awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award. Stop by my blog sometime to see the post
http://learningideasgradesk-8.blogspot.com/2011/11/versatile-blogger-award.html
Happy Thanksgiving!
Carolyn Wilhelm says
Very nice. You are doing wonderful things for your children and others. What a nice memory for your children. Carolyn
Jen says
Love the book, love the dog! What a fab idea. I can see from the children’s faces that they are loving it too. Fabulous!
Chris at Thinly Spread says
Oh we love Hairy MacLary! This is too cute!
Red Ted Art says
Marcia – thank you so much for the award! Much appreciated 🙂
Jen – oh yes, Pip Squeak in particular loves her puppy!
Carolyn – what a lovely thing to say. Thank you so much. *beam*
Chris & se7en – gorgeous book, isn’t it?!
Emma @mummymummymum says
That is so cute Maggy! Fab use of the chestnuts! xx
mermaid says
Very cool!
Need to try that one.
I think that for the head I would use an egg carton though..(it`s easier 😀 )
Kerry @ Science Sparks says
We think this puppet dog is absolutely genius! Love it!
Red Ted Art says
Thank you 🙂
JDaniel4's Mom says
What a cute puppet! I really love his feet!
peace love and rainbows says
love it!!!
Isil says
oh he is adorable! I love Pip Squeak’s expression,looks like she has having great fun 🙂 Added your linky now,thanks for linking up to Book Sharing Monday.xxx
Red Ted Art says
Thank you! And thanks for adding me to Book Sharing Monday 🙂
Jamie says
He is stinking adorable!!! My girls will love this. Thank you for sharing.
creativejewishmom/sara says
love love love! thanks so much for sharing on Craft Schooling Sunday! it’s been a great year thanks to contributors like you, and hope to see you back the first Sunday in January!
creativejewishmom/sara says
hi maggie, would love to feature your dog, but need bigger photos….could you send me the one with the white background and the one with your daughter playing with it? no guarantees, but if I get it in time, like tomorrow, i’ll try to add it in. all the best!
Red Ted Art says
Oooh Sarah – thank you – have emailed the photos to you! And LOVE LOVE LOVE the Creative Jewish Mom linky – there are always such beautiful crafts there that I really do feel honoured and chuffed to bits when one of mine is featured! Look forward to more linking in January! Have a lovely holiday break!
Jeri says
This looks so cute and will be a fun craft for the dogs storytime I am planning! Is there an easier way to view and print out the instructions please?
Red Ted Art says
Sorry, I think you can only hit print page!? I haven’t got any print friendly settings, I am afraid!