Up-Chuck Jug Puppet

Just in time for Halloween this gross out puppet is sure to scare any one. Trick-or-Treaters beware, the Skeleton Jug or Monster Jug may be waiting for your knock this Halloween to pop out from the door and hack up a candy treat.

Jug with handle
Cable ties
Utility knife
Hair clip with holes
1” Cushion foam
Fake fur
Black marker
Glue
Scissors
Red felt
Pink felt
Hole punch

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. Find a plastic jug with a handle. For this example, you’ll need a white jug to make a skeleton, but you can use another color to make something else if you’d like. Cut the top off of your jug. Start cutting with a utility knife just above where the top of the handle is. Once you’ve gotten it started with the knife, use scissors to cut around the top of your jug, about an inch from the spout on all sides. You should now have a hole big enough to put your hand through it. This hole will be the base of your puppet’s jaw and the bottom of the jug will be the top of its head.
2. Next, you’ll need to find a slotted hair clip with holes. This will be what makes the mouth of your jug puppet open and close.
3. As you work, your jug should remain standing up with the “jaw” upside-down on top. Place the clip just behind the hole on top of the handle. This way, when you hold the puppet later, you’ll be able to work the mouth. Mark where the holes of the clip are on the jug with a marker.
4. Use a hole punch to punch out holes where your markings are.
5. Thread cable ties through the holes you’ve punched and through the bottom holes of the hair clip and zip the ties closed to fasten them to it. Be sure to only thread them through the bottom holes otherwise the clip won’t be able to open.
6. Cut off any excess from the ties.
7. To further secure the clip to the jug, punch two more holes in the jug where the bottom holes of the clip line up. Thread two more ties through these holes and the holes of the clip and fasten them together. Again, only fasten the bottom holes of the clip in these ties. This will prevent the clip from falling loose. Cut off any further excess.
8. Use scissors to trim away the bottom teeth of your hair clip (the teeth resting in the hole of the jug).
9. Time to build the rest of the jaw. Take a 1” piece of sheet foam and place it over the hole in the jug. Trace the shape of the hole into the foam. You can make this shape bigger if you want, so long as it covers the hole.
10. Cut your traced shape out of the foam.
11. Trace your foam shape onto some red felt and cut it out. This will be the inside of your jug’s mouth.
12. Draw and cut out a really long tongue for your jug’s mouth.
13. Line your red felt up on the foam shape and attach it with glue. Only apply glue along the rounded edge of the jaw. You’ll need to leave a pocket for the hair clip to go in later.
14. Glue your tongue on top of the red felt. Leave some of the tongue loose so it can wag.
15. Apply glue all around the top teeth of the hair clip. Sandwich the teeth of the clip in between the foam and the red felt where you left an opening and press the felt down over it to attach it. The felt side of the jaw should be facing into the hole of the jug. Let it dry for a while. Prop something into the opening of the jaw if you have to while it dries.
16. Once it dries, turn your jug over so that the jaw of the puppet is now right side up on the table. Use a black marker to draw a face onto the front of your puppet. You can also cut out and glue facial features if you want. Draw eyes, a nose, teeth, whatever you want.
17. Cut out some black fur and glue it to the top of your jug puppet’s head.
18. Open your puppet’s jaw and fill the jug with candy. To operate the puppet. Hold it by the handle with your thumb on the hair clip to make the jug open its mouth and spit out candy!