Portable Puppet Theater

When I was a child, I longed for a puppet theater. There's something about them that inspires creativity in children. The downside is that they are usually large and cumbersome. They can be difficult to set up, and even more difficult to store if you don't have tons of room.

I saw a drapery panel at the discount store one day, and it was made of burgundy velvet. It reminded me of theater drapes, and gave me a great idea for a portable puppet theater. I purchased the panel, and came up with a space-saving and easy "How To".

I started by cutting the panel so that I would end up with 2 shorter panels instead of 1 long one. I made the top panel about 1/3 of the length, and the bottom panel 2/3 of the length. I purchased 2 tension rods, adjustable to the width of a standard door frame.

Then, I sewed each panel on one end (you can use fusible web and an iron if you don't sew). Since one panel already had a rod pocket (remember it was originally sold as a drapery panel), it just needed a hem on the cut end. The other panel needed a rod pocket, so I folded the cut end over to make a large enough pocket for the rod, and I sewed it.

Here's the finished project:

 

I moved the end of a panel over so you can see the tension rod underneath:

 

If you want to get fancy, you can make background "props" out of foam and Velcro:

I simply attached Velcro dots to the top panel, and then to the backs of different foam shapes like this:

To make puppet shows more "official", I downloaded a ticket graphic, printed duplicates of it on red card stock, and laminated them:

One of the best characteristics of this project is that when it's not in use, it can be rolled up and stored in a very small amount of space. The basic theater can be made in under an hour. Add-ons, like the props and tickets, take a bit longer.

I hope this project motivates you and inspires tons of family fun!