Make a Puppy Marionette

Paint your paper rolls your desired color.

Shape your dog's head by cutting four parallel slits, 2/3 of the way down, into your toilet paper roll. Squeeze the slits together by pressing on the ends of the roll so that each of the four sides slightly overlaps and they all push inward. This forms a pointy nose for the dog. Add some glue and hold the nose in place with an elastic band, making sure you don't glue the band on by accident.

Trim a little off of the paper towel roll to make the ears. Cut ear shapes and glue onto the head.

Add the eyes by gluing your googly eyes to the head.

Pierce a hole in each chestnut.

Make holes in the paper towel roll: one for the tail (a twig) and four for the feet (the chestnuts).

Thread one piece of string through a chestnut, then through the body, and then through the second chestnut for each pair of feet.

For the tail, stick the twig through the hole and secure with glue.

Attach the head by piercing it twice: once at the top (roughly between the ears) and once below.

Pierce a hole at the front end of the paper towel body roll (at the opposite end of the tail). The string will run from your hand piece, right through the head and then connect with the body.

Make the marionette hand piece by tying two twigs together with string into an X. Attach one end of the string to the back of the body roll, by making a small hole near the tail, threading the string through, and securing it with a knot. Then run it up to and across the center of the hand piece and attach at the other end, running it through the head and into the front of the long body roll and again securing it with a knot.

Once you assemble, play away! Your child can put on a puppet show or showcase her marionette for friends and family.