Puppets are Rajasthan’s trademarked objects. They are a reflection of the state’s rich cultural heritage. Puppet shows are a common happening in any village fair or festival in rural Rajasthan.
Recently, I along with my family visited the Club Mahindra Kumbhalgarh resort, where I got a chance to learn How To Create Reversible Puppets and I was too eager to share the process with you.
So today we will learn the Steps to create reversible puppets at home.
Materials Required:
Wooden Sculptures
Attractive and Colourful Cloth
Hammer and Nails
Enamel Colours
Wooden Primer
Pearls, Stones and Ghungroo
Thread and Needle
Cotton
Step 1
Rub the wooden sculptures and their wooden hands with sand paper to smoothen the surface.
Then apply wooden primer to set the base for the colours. The wooden primer would make the surface of the sculptures and the hands even and small holes, if any would also be filled.
Let the sculptures dry for two to three hours.
Step 2
Paint the sculptures and their hands with the paint matching the colour of the human skin.
Let it dry for three more hours.
Step 3
Now paint all the facial features and add details to the sculptures.
Paint the hair black.
Add finesse to the eyelashes and eyebrows.
Paint the lips of the queen red and the lips of the king pink.
Paint moustaches and a beard on the king’s face.
Let it dry for three hours.
Meanwhile, paint the wooden hands of the sculptures by adding details to the nails and fingers.
Paint the hands of the queen in a way that it appears as if the queen is wearing Mehndi.
Let it dry for three hours.
Step 4
Stitch a beautiful dress for the puppet using the colourful cloth you have chosen.
Dresses for the puppets are available in the market also, if you wish a readymade one.
Step 5
Attach the dress to the sculptures by hammering nails into the sculptures and the clothes.
Attach the king to one side and the queen to the other side.
Step 6
Use pearls, stones or ghungroo to make the jewellery for the queen.
Pearls can be used to make the nath and maang teeka of the queen and the ghungroo can be attached to the ears to make earrings.
Also hammer a chunri on the head of the queen.
Step 7
Insert a wooden plate (as shown in Pic), inside the clothes of the puppet and hammer both the sculptures onto it.
Step 8
Fill the clothes of the puppets with cotton to give shape and figure to it.
Step 9
Attach a long thread to both the ends of the puppet to make it reversible.
Lo! Your reversible puppets are ready. You can use them to teach your children various stories or to make your bedtime stories more engaging.
Or you may use these puppets to decorate your house and add some desi flavor to your home.
Watch the entire video here:
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