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DIY Felt Finger Puppets: Eagle, Mountain, Cedar Tree, Salmon & Bear
Hi, I'm Zoe from @NorthWestFelts and love to create projects inspired by nature. I live in the Pacific North West and love to share little pieces of what makes my home so special in all of my crafts. As we head into August, and soak up the last slow summer Sunday afternoons, this project could be a fun and creative "beginner friendly" activity to do alone or with the littles! These felt finger puppets are perfect for kids, teachers, or anyone who loves crafting! Today I'll guide you through how to make 5 nature-inspired finger puppets: Eagle, Mountain, Cedar Tree, Salmon, and Bear. These puppets are great for storytelling, playtime, or as handmade gifts.
What You Will Need
- Craft Felt Sheets in the following colors:
- Brown, White, Charcoal, Light Gray, Black, Burgundy, Hunter Green, Royal Blue and Yellow.
- I used the Craft Felt Sheets Assorted 50 Piece Pack - 9" x 12" - and it had a good range of colors for this project. You can always feel free to substitute colors if you would like to use brighter colors for a more imaginative version. Use what feels right for you!
- Scissors
- Hot glue gun and glue sticks (or fabric glue)
- Needle and thread (optional instead of sewing machine)
- Paper templates (download link or hand-drawn)
- Felt Roving (optional for extra details)
Here is how the patterns look all together, but I've included separate downloads below for each of the puppets.
Downloadable PDF Patterns:
Step 1: Prepare Your Templates
Before you cut into your felt, it’s helpful to draw or print templates for each puppet shape. Trace the shapes onto paper and cut them out. These will help you trace more accurately onto the felt. You can use the templates to print or use on a Cricut. I am using a Cricut and sewing machine to create the finger puppets, but you can hand cut and hand sew them as well.
Step 2: Cut Out Felt Pieces
Using your templates, pin each shape onto the appropriate felt colors. Carefully cut them out.
Tip: For small details (like eyes or beaks), sharp embroidery scissors work best!
Step 3: Assemble Each Puppet
Glue or stitch the felt pieces together for each puppet:
Eagle
- On the back piece of the body, glue the wings to the sides of the body leaving some space between them.
- Add the beak and eyes onto the front piece of the body (googly eyes or stitched eyes both work but I also like to needle felt the eyes on my puppets).
- Place the front and back pieces together (the back piece where the wings are glued should face the inside, while decorated parts face outwards). Sew around the edges to connect front piece to back piece, leaving the bottom open.
Mountain
- Attach the snowy peak piece to the top of the mountain body with glue, or pins if you prefer to stitch it in place.
- Sew around the edges to connect front piece to back piece, leaving the bottom open wide enough for a finger.
Cedar Tree
- Sew around the edges to connect front piece to back piece, leaving the bottom open. I did a simple stitch in a straight line rather than following the shapes curves so that the tree branches stay loose and can "move" for a more playful effect.
Salmon
- Attach the fins and tail onto the front piece of the body.
- Then, glue or stitch the burgundy stripe onto the front piece of the body.
- Attach the head shape to the front piece and stitch or needle felt the eyes into place.
- Sew around the edges to connect front piece to back piece, leaving the bottom open near the tail.
Bear
- Glue the ears onto the back piece of the body.
- Glue or stitch the snout into the front piece of the body.
- Add nose and eyes (again these could be stitched, glued, embroidered or felted into place).
- Sew around the edges to connect front piece to back piece, leaving a space at the bottom open for a finger.
Final Result
Now you have five fun finger puppets to tell stories with! Whether you’re teaching your littles about nature, entertaining them with songs or books, or just having fun crafting — these puppets are sure to bring a smile.
Share Your Creations!
Did you make your own set of Pacific North West inspired finger puppets? We’d love to see what you made. Tag us on Instagram @northwestfelts and @the_felt_store with #FeltFingerPuppets to show off your creations
Happy Crafting!
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