Shoe Box Monster

Don't be afraid…Shoe Box Monster only likes to scare shoes! And now you can make your very own monster puppet with the help of John Kennedy and his pal Richard. Just make sure your shoes aren't scaredy cats!

shoe box
long shag dark brown fur
white, red, and pink construction paper
1” soft foam rubber
two large white pom-poms
two small black pom-poms
glue
clear tape
markers
scissors
ruler
permanent marker

REMEMBER THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS WORK UNDER ADULT SUPERVISION. SOMETIMES WE USE OBJECTS THAT COULD BE HARMFUL, LIKE SCISSORS, SO DON'T EVER ATTEMPT TO MAKE THESE PUPPETS ALONE.

1. Remove the lid of the shoe box. Find the middle of both long sides of the lower half of the shoe box. Cut the box on these middle lines, leaving the bottom of the box uncut.
2. Fold the lower box in half. Cut two pieces of soft foam rubber to fit inside the folded box halves. Cut a notch for your thumb in one piece of foam, placing the notch against the center fold. Glue the foam inside the box. Glue only the outer edges of the unnotched foam, leaving room for your fingers to slide beneath the foam when you manipulate the mouth. Cut a short side off the lid of the box. Tape it above the unnotched foam, leaving room for your fingers to slide under the foam. Trim the edges of the box so all four sides are even. This will be the top of your Shoe Box Monster.
3. Cut a short side off the lid of the box. Tape it above the unnotched foam, leaving room for your fingers to slide under the foam. Trim the edges of the box so all four sides are even. This will be the top of your Shoe Box Monster.
4. Place the lid on the top of your Shoe Box Monster, placing the open end in the back. Trace the back side of the lid against the back of the Shoe Box Monster top, creating a flap long enough to fold over the back. Draw lines across the sides of the lid, marking an area that is the same width as the sides of the box. Cut the lid on the lines. Place the lid on the top of your Shoe Box Monster, placing the open end in the back. Trace the back side of the lid against the back of the Shoe Box Monster top, creating a flap long enough to fold over the back. Draw lines across the sides of the lid, marking an area that is the same width as the sides of the box. Cut the lid on the lines. Place the lid on the top of your Shoe Box Monster, placing the open end in the back. Trace the back side of the lid against the back of the Shoe Box Monster top, creating a flap long enough to fold over the back. Draw lines across the sides of the lid, marking an area that is the same width as the sides of the box. Cut the lid on the lines. Place the lid on the top of your Shoe Box Monster, placing the open end in the back. Trace the back side of the lid against the back of the Shoe Box Monster top, creating a flap long enough to fold over the back. Draw lines across the sides of the lid, marking an area that is the same width as the sides of the box. Cut the lid on the lines.
5. Make a new, smaller lid by folding the flap down and taping it to the existing sides of the lid. Check that the lid fits the top of the Shoe Box Monster. Make adjustments as necessary.
6. Place the lid on the Shoe Box Monster top. Position the white pom-poms on the lid, using the fold as the mouth. Trace around the pom-pom eyes, then put them aside and remove the lid. Cut out the area you traced from the lid.
7. Assemble the face. Place the lid back on the box and glue the eyes where you positioned them earlier. The lid should fit over the eyes. Glue small pom-pom pupils to the eyes. Cut a piece of red construction paper for the mouth and glue it in place, trimming as necessary. Make sure to fold the mouth closed before gluing the paper, so it doesn’t wrinkle when the mouth closes. Add pink construction paper gums, then freehand cut jagged teeth from white construction paper and glue them over the pink gums.
8. For the monster brain, glue pink construction paper to the sides, not the lid, of the Shoe Box Monster top. Trim the pink construction paper around the eyes. Scribble lines in the brain for brain wrinkles.
9. Use glue to cover the lid and the lower sides of the box with fur. Trim the fur as necessary.