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Turn a clean, unused paper barf bag into a puffer fish puppet with paper spines and a drawn face. The original Make: project uses air to puff up the bag, so you do not need to stuff the body.
What you’ll need
- One clean, unused paper barf bag
- Blank notebook paper or scrap paper
- Markers
- A glue stick
- Small scissors
These are the supplies listed in Brookelynn Morris’s Make: tutorial, published August 4, 2010. Construction paper or cardstock is optional if you want sturdier, more colorful decorations; ordinary notebook paper works for the original spines.
Make the air-inflated puffer fish puppet
- Cut the spines. Fold a piece of blank paper into an accordion roughly two inches wide. Draw a mix of wide and narrow spine shapes along the folded edge, cut them out, and separate the triangles.
- Decorate the face and spines. Color the paper spines with markers. Draw eyes and a mouth on the folded bottom of the bag. Position the mouth on the flap so it appears to open when the bag puffs up.
- Attach the spines. Fold a small tab at the base of each spine. Apply glue to the tab only, then press it onto the bag. Leave the rest of each spine free so it projects away from the body. Add spines along the body and around the head.
- Puff up the puppet. Blow air into the clean, unused bag. As it expands, the body rounds out and the paper spines stick outward. Add a paper tongue if you want it to show through the mouth.
Want a stuffed paper fish instead?
A separate version shapes a clean, unused paper bag with lightweight paper stuffing rather than inflating it. Scrap paper, tissue, newspaper, or paper towels can form the body; paper fins, a tail, and soft spikes finish the decoration. This is a stuffed display craft, not a step in the air-inflated puppet method. The Position is Everything guide, published May 26, 2026, describes this variation and suggests construction paper or cardstock for the features.
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Make it suitable for young crafters
Supervise children during cutting and other sharper steps, based on their age and ability. For younger children, prepare the paper shapes ahead of time. Washable markers, child-safe scissors, and child-safe glue can make the activity easier to manage.
Quick Recap
Bestseller No. 4
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Best Value
Colorations Fancy Fish Kit, Set of 12, Ages 3+, PreK+
- GREAT FUN: Children will have fun decorating these colorful fish with self-adhesive glitter foam scales and rhinestones
- MESS FREE: No glue needed!
- DISPLAYABLE: Includes ribbon for hanging.
- CONVENIENT: Individually packaged for easy distribution.
- SIZE: Fish measure (L) 7-1/2 inches x (H) 5 inches
Rank #4
EZCRA Unicorn Hand Puppet Making Kit - 8 DIY Projects
- Perfect for Kids - Unleash your child's creativity with our Unicorn Hand Puppet Making Kit. Easy assembly boosts motor skills, confidence, and storytelling - perfect for rainy day activities, pretend play, quiet time at home, and screen-free fun
- Safe for your Kid - All materials used are non-toxic and free from harmful chemicals. All our products are tested and comply with the highest level of safety standards
- 8 Easy Projects, Everything Included - This kit includes 8 sets of hand puppet making materials with Unicorn and Cute Animals theme, that prioritize children's safety without sacrificing their joy
- Easy-to-Follow Instructions - This hand puppet kit provides a mess-free crafting experience, including Step-by-step instructions and pre-cut shapes that prioritize children's safety without sacrificing their joy
- Felt Stickers, No Glue Required - This kit is a best of both worlds: pretend play experience to enhance your children's presentation skills, while unleashing their creativity to decorate their projects with our colorful stickers. No sticky hands, no drying time.
Rank #3
Sale
WATINC Hand Puppet Making Kit, Paper Sock Puppet Toys for Kids (Animals)
- GREAT FANTASY PUPPETS: WATINC hand puppets are great for kids to pretend, role play their favorite characters, and start an exciting party game together.
- MEET YOUR EXPECTATIONS - Helps to promote kids’ brain development and creativity, enhance imagination, concentration and strengthen the hands-on ability and interactively ability of building friendship. Improve the satisfaction and happiness of the party.
- MULTIPLE USAGE - Widely Usage for costume pretend, evening storytelling, hand artwork project, a creative puppets for children, a blessing gift, a photo booth props, a beautiful present.
- APPLICABLE OCCASION - Birthday party, themed party, kid costume party, baby shower, outdoor game party, summer vacation activities, art craft activities, preschool learning class, school drama show, etc.
- WHAT YOU WILL GET - Package comes with 9 pcs colorful paper bags, 9 pcs animal craft cards, 9 pcs stickers and 1 roll of double-sided tape, totally can combined with 9 hand puppets.
Rank #2
VKPI Make 6 Popstick Puppets Craft Kits for Kids, Foam Art Crafts Gift, Story Time Toys for Ages 4+ Toddler, Cloud, Animals, Preschool Projects Game Crafts, Birthday Party Favor Supplies
- 【Creative Popstick Puppets Crafts Kit】 Package comes with 6 cut-out foam shapes with pre-cut self-adhesive foam pieces decoration and 6 popsticks with 6 faom strips to attach popstick. Take your imagination and make your own 3D unique popstick puppets.
- 【Easy and Fun】 The popstick foam crafts are made of thick EVA foam which is environmentally friendly, non-toxic, no odor. No glue, no scissor needed, children can easily tear off pre-cut pieces and stick on unfinished shapes, then attach finished puppet to popstick with the foam strip. Let's craft & have an interesting role play story time with friends!
- 【Preschool Innovation Craft】 6 different foam shapes and rich colors can develop children's ability to recognize patterns and shapes. Enhance kids' imagination, creativity, concentration and hands-on ability. Make for an excellent education for kids, and preschool students.
- 【Good Craft Activity】 Easy to carry when go to travel and allow kids enjoy a happy time on cars or airplanes. The easy art craft can bring children a funny childhood at home and in school. Toddlers will enjoy the creative time and decorate the foam art craft with friends. Also a premium role play and story time game.
- 【Great Gift for Kids】 VKPI party art craft is perfect for birthday party favor, kindergarten classroom activities, holiday supplies. It is an ideal gifts for kids in 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 on birthdays, Christmas, Halloween, Easter, and Children's Day.
#1 Best Overall
WATINC Hand Puppet Making Kit, Felt Sock Puppet Toys for Kids (Ocean)
- SUPER KIT - Package comes with 6pcs colorful hand puppets, 21pcs non-cutting felt patterns,1 bundle pompoms, 1 bundle googly eyes, 1 bundle pompoms eyes,1 bunch of black rope,1 sheet of rhinestones and a paper box. Create your unique ocean animals puppet in the world!
- DEVELOP INNOVATIVE ABILITY - It helps to promote children's brain development and creativity; Enhance imagination, concentration and strengthen the hands-on ability and interactively ability of building friendship!
- INDOOR ACTIVITY- These projects is easy, but safe and fun! Surely will bring your kids a happy childhood at home and school! Kids will enjoy themselves when create their own puppets, diy with friends and families!
- GREAT GIFT IDEA - Nice gift and decoration for puppets party, summer party, Christmas, Birthday Party, Halloween party, Christmas etc. Also can be great educational toy, teaching aids for science project at school.
- DIY YOUR OWN PUPPET - Our puppet kit comes with 6 colors unfinished puppet, kids can make their own sea animal puppet, such as shark dolphin jellyfish turtle, etc. Let’s using your imagination!
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