Cookie Monster for a good cause

usafvet

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I would like to take a moment to seek some advice, if I may. I know this is coming from out of the blue, but I was hoping that someone could advise me on either where to buy or how to make a realistic cookie monster puppet. I was reading through some of the various threads in these forums and found that many members had success in puppet making. My intention in obtaining a realistic Cookie Monster puppet is justifiable.

In my spare time, I volunteer at a Children's hospital once a week and bring along my Kermit puppet to entertain them. My Kermit puppet is a Jim Hanson workshop puppet (at least that is what it reads on his tag) that I bought several years ago. As much as the children enjoy a visit from Kermit, many of them often ask about Elmo or Cookie Monster. No doubt they’re more familiar with sesame street characters than Kermit or any of the other muppets. Unfortunately, I do not have a realistic Cookie Monster to entertain them. A couple of years ago I bought a Cookie Monster puppet from Target and use that to entertain them, but the puppet looks more like a plush stuffed animal than a realistic Cookie Monster. Because of that, I can tell the children I visit are not too excited about it. I am hoping to change that with any advice provided here.

As one can imagine, many of these children are faced with indescribable adversities. The circumstances they face often take a tremendous toll on them and their parents/families. Because I am blessed with the ability to volunteer some of my time in cheering them up, I've desperately been wanting to see if I could find someone either selling a realistic cookie monster puppet or could point me in the direction on how to make one. I possess the determination wanting to make one but heavily lack in experience, for I’ve never made a puppet before. Despite my inexperience, I'm willing to try my hand at it if it means bringing a smile to their faces during their time of difficulty, for that alone is worth the invested time to tackle this endeavor.

It is my sincere hope that someone on these boards can kindly help me with this endeavor, for I know the opportunity would be a tremendous one to partake. I understand that no one on here has an obligation to respond and/or point me toward any direction, but my hope is to find someone with enough intentional grace to willingly help me so that I may in turn encourage and inspire these children while they face unimaginable, debilitating circumstances.

That all stated, any advice that could be provided will be greatly appreciated and for a noble cause. Please allow me to kindly thank everyone in advance. Take care.
 

Coz UK

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Here are a few links with info that may help you out:

Project Puppet Borsa Live-Hand Pattern:
http://www.projectpuppet.com/servlet/-strse-27/The-Borsa-Puppet-Pattern/Detail
Head is essentially an inverted 'U' - imagine what Cookie looks like looking up!

Example of using the Borsa for Cookie (not mine):
http://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e238/toddscustomfigures/Puppet Making/?action=view&current=CookieMonster.jpg#!oZZ50QQcurrentZZhttp://s40.photobucket.com/albums/e238/toddscustomfigures/Puppet%20Making/?action=view&current=CookieMonster.jpg

Eyes are 55mm balls - Xmas baubles may work.
Extreme close-up of Cookies eyes (pupils are pinned off-center):
http://puppeteersunite.com/?p=1256

Alternative patterns:
Consumer Monster - but use better materials & construction methods:
http://members.shaw.ca/reelrevolution/tutorial/index.html

Here's the 'Rufus' body pattern:
http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f299/beltar/RufusBodyPattern.jpg

Useful image of a similar two-piece pattern if you want to create your own - note the head is just an extension of the neck:
http://packy.dardan.com/category/puppets/

Most of this info was culled from the forum here, but doing a search here should bring up more info. :smile:
Good luck!
 

CoreyElmore

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I'm gonna be making a cookie monster puppet too. I've found that the eyes are 50mm spheres, same as elmo's. You can use plastic christmas baubles. I plan on attaching them the same as I did my Elmo: I gorilla glued a bolt into each christmas bauble, spray painted the Christmas babubles white. I used a small piece of thin wood, just big enough for both bolts to go through on the inside of the head and bolted and glued the bolts(again with gorilla glue) on the inside of the head. Use ping ong balls to cut out hte pupils and screw them into the christmas baubles with eyeglass or other small screws, loosely, so they will have movement. Some where I read you can put a thin piece of fabric on the ack of the pupils to keep them from making noise when they spin. As a side note, I got the idea for the eyes from someone else on here, but I can't remember who. if you want to see my elmo its's in this video.
skip to 2:20 in the video (or watch it all if you wanna see the other puppets I've made)
 

WhoBuddieZ

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For my Cookie Monster's eyes, I used over-sized ping-pong balls. I found them at K-Mart….I bought every single one they had. They come orange…I just sanded them a bit and then used white plastic primer spray paint. If you want to see what my Cookie Monster looks like I'll post some links below. I bought the fur from Mendels Fur.

http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/WhoBuddieZ/media/cookie3_zpscb8b775a.jpg.html

http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/WhoBuddieZ/media/cookie2_zps1790d0c9.jpg.html

http://s1325.beta.photobucket.com/user/WhoBuddieZ/media/cookie1_zpsdccebd8f.jpg.html

I used black solid buttons for the pupils. I cut the attachment rings off of the back, drilled some tiny holes and pinned them to the eyes with little nails that I, then, colored with a Sharpie…I hope this helps. If you would like to know more…just PM me.
 
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