Martin Luther King Jr. Puppet

Hi friends,

We’re taking time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and what he represented and stood for. Our Martin Luther King Jr. puppet has his signature stache, smile, suit, and a heart filled with one of his famous sayings. And just like the real MLK, our version stands upright too. Check out our MLK puppet below.

*Click on the photos for a closer look

What You'll Need

(1) Black, (1)Gray/Blue, (1) White, (1) Brown Construction Papers
Large Lunch Bag
Pencil
Scissors
Glue
Black Pen & Marker
Optional: Small Bowl, Ruler

The Steps

PREP

Turn your gray or blue, black, and brown papers horizontally, then fold them in half.
Glue the brown together and cut the others at the fold.

SHOES

Take 1 black paper half, turn it vertically, fold down a 1.5-inch strip, and cut it from the paper(save the larger section).
Fold the black strip in half, draw 1 wide shoe, and cut through both layers to create 2 shoes.
Face the shoes outward and glue them to the bottom of the bag (opened end).

PANTS

Use the rest of the black paper, turn it vertically, fold it in half slightly, and cut a 3 to 4-inch sliver from the folded area.
Glue the pants onto the bag and slightly overlap the shoes.

SHIRT & HEART

Slightly fold the white paper, draw a half triangle(shirt), and a half heart, then cut them out.
With the black marker draw a tie on the upside-down triangle and with the pen write one of these MLK quotes or your favorite one:
“Everybody can be great… because anybody can serve.”
“I have a dream…”
“Love is the greatest force in the universe…”
“…I have decided to love”
“…What are you doing for you others?”
“…Whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.”

COAT

Turn a blue or gray half sheet vertically, then draw a black line down the center, draw 2 pockets and 2 buttons near the bottom, add curves to the bottom center hemlines, glue the shirt/tie to the top of the coat, and outline the shirt.
With the 2nd blue or gray half sheet, fold a portion over, cut 1 rectangle out (sleeves), cut the top at an angle, separate the sleeves, face the angles towards the bag, and glue them between the layers.
Add glue to the bag, all the way down to where the pants start, but leave a section at the top unglued. Press the coat down on the glue and fold it into the flap of the bag.

HEAD, HANDS, & HEART

Turn the folded brown paper horizontally, trace the top of the small bowl, draw 2 ears, then slide the bowl up a bit and trace the bottom of the bowl, including a 3-inch wide neck.
Cut out the head and draw hair, eyebrows, eyes, nose, pointy mustache, and an open smile.
Fold the brown scraps in half, draw a dome(hands), cut it out, separate the hands, and glue them to the back of the sleeves.
Add glue to the front and back of the neck, slide it into the opening between the bag and coat, and press them together. Then glue the heart to the right side.
That’s it!