14 Pieces of Fun & Dedication!

Almost all of our marionettes were originally crafted in the 1960s and the 1980s!  A typical human character marionette is created from 14 pieces. Marionettes aren't Barbie dolls. They aren't mass produced. They are individual creations.  Even changing their clothing is a major production because most clothes have strings running through them.

Building puppets in the 1960s was -- in some ways -- more primitive than it is today.  There were no giant Hobby Lobby stores which today provide so many wonderful materials used for crafting today. The hobby and craft stores in the 1960's offered a much more limited selection of materials to work with...

If  you haven't seen what is going on with those little puppet bodies, here is a "revealing" photo!  The craftsmen and women who created our marionettes spent countless hours designing, cutting, shaping, crafting, sculpting,  joining, stringing, and so much more. They raided their closets, cupboards, and jewelry boxes in search of just the right accessories and fabrics.  Those go on the outside.

What's underneath are wood blocks, dowels, cords, screw eyes, tacks, brads, plaster of paris, papier mache, fish line, popsicle sticks. My favorite find is the leg joints make with snipped off metal from old soup cans!

Imagine the hours & hours of craftsmanship, hard work, and dedication that go into building a cast of characters for marionette show with 10-15 characters.  All this to make the fun come alive! 

If you enjoyed this brief "behind-the-scenes" look into our marionettes, please consider liking and following our Fox Folk Friends FB page.  A closer look at the puppets will be possible at our "60 Years of Christmas Marionettes" hosted by the Appleton Historical Society at the Appleton Public Library on August 13 at 6:30 pm. Our FFM&F website is https://www.foxfolkfriends.org/



Happy puppeting!