Make this paper bag Frankenstein puppet the star of your Halloween puppet show this year! Go ahead and create a hilarious version of the original!

What does a young mother, just 19 years old, do when she’s stuck in an old Swiss house as it’s raining outside? Well, most of us would be busy with caring for the infant, and when we’re not, we’d probably be trying to grab some sleep! However, not Mary Shelley – she ended up writing one of the first horror science fiction novels ever!

Yes, we’re talking about Frankenstein, or more specifically, about the author Mary Shelley. On that boring day in Geneva, Mary wrote about a scientist who decided to play God – and ended up creating the devil. The rest, as they say, is history!

Contents show

Things you didn’t know about Mary Shelley:

Mary’s parents, Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin, were philosophers and prolific writers themselves
When Mary started a relationship with Percy Shelley, he was married
Frankenstein was first meant as a short story; it was Percy who convinced Mary to turn it into a full novel
Mary may have been inspired by Frankenstein Castle, a German castle in Darmstadt
The full title of Mary’s novel was ‘Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus‘, referring to Prometheus, the Greek God who is believed to have created humans from clay

Yes, we hear a lot about Frankenstein, but not much about the person behind it! Now let’s have some fun with this information, by creating a puppet show featuring a paper bag Frankenstein puppet!

Easy and Fun Paper Bag Frankenstein Puppet

Supplies required:

Craft paper in assorted colors
Brown paper bag
Sharpies or markers in different colors
Pencil
Scissors
Glue

How to make the Paper Bag Frankenstein Puppet:

1. Download and print the paper bag Frankenstein puppet template. The template includes parts of Frankenstein, like the head, hair, eyes, cheeks, arms, shirt, pants, jacket halves, shoes and of course, the screws!

2. Trace the parts of the template on craft paper of the appropriate colors and cut them out. You’ll obviously use green for the head and arms, and black for the hair. If you like, you can play around a little with the outfit colors.

3. Let’s start by assembling the head of the paper bag Frankenstein puppet. Stick the hair on the top of the head.

4. Attach the screws to the sides of the head, below the ears. Apply some glue to the back of the head, in the center, and stick on the flickof hair.

5. Time to add facial features! Stick the eyes in the middle of the remaining part of the face. Attach the cheeks to the bottom corners of Frankenstein’s face.

6. Let’s finish up the face with some markers! Use a black marker to draw a scar in the top left corner. Add a little nose and a mouth – you can make it a cute smile or a creepy grin!

7. Let’s put aside the head and focus now on the outfit of the paper bag Frankenstein puppet. Stick the two halves of the jacket on the left and right sides of the shirt. Attach the shoes to the bottom end of the pants.

8. Okay, now gather all your assembled pieces, the arms and the brown paper bag – it’s time to put it all together!

9. Start by sticking the head on the folded flap of the brown paper bag.

10. Stick the shirt right under the flap, and the pant-shoes combo right under that.

11. Attach the arms on either side of the paper bag Frankenstein puppet, so that they are facing downward.

12. If you like, take a colored marker and draw in some patterns on Frankenstein’s shirt, or you can leave it as is. That’s it – your paper bag Frankenstein puppet is complete!

Now that your paper bag Frankenstein puppet is complete, what are you going to do with it? Well, we recommend creating a brand new script, like a funny retelling of the original Mary Shelley tale. Maybe you can have a Halloween competition with your friends to see who can come up with the most ridiculous one, and then make a show on it!

If you liked this craft, you may also enjoy these projects that feature Frankenstein: