This cute Uncle Sam Puppet is all set to celebrate the Fourth of July with you – and it’s super easy to make! Just download, print, cut and assemble!

When you talk about representing a country, you often think of a person from the country representing it on a global stage, like an international sports match or by winning an international award. However, there’s a country that has a literal human personification – the U.S., which stands for both the United States as well as Uncle Sam!

Uncle Sam is a person-form representation of the United States, most specifically the American government. The story of how this came to be is quite interesting, and it begins with a man named Samuel Wilson.

Who is Uncle Sam?

Samuel Wilson was an officer in the United States army during the American Revolutionary War. After serving in the army, he started a company that supplied meat and other supplies to the army. On the packages he sent, he stamped the initials of his nickname, ‘U.S.’ for Uncle Sam. As a happy coincidence, it also stood for the nation’s name, and that’s how Uncle Sam got to represent the United States!

Today, Uncle Sam is shown as a slightly older man with grey hair and a grey goatee beard. He wears a full suit in the colors of the American flag, red, white and blue. This image is believed to have been created by James Montgomery Flagg, and first appeared on a poster asking for people to enlist in the U.S. Army.

Together with Lady Liberty, Uncle Sam represents the values of the United States, like freedom, justice and liberty. As we approach the Fourth of July, we’ve got a cute little Uncle Sam puppet papercraft that you can make with supplies you already have. Let’s get crafting!

Cute and Colorful Papercraft Uncle Sam Puppet 

Supplies required:

• Colored craft paper
• Scissors
• Glue
• Pencil
• Pen

How to make the Uncle Sam Puppet Paper Craft:

1. Download and print the Uncle Sam Puppet paper craft. The template contains parts for the hat, hair, shirt, sleeves, tux, trousers, head, hands and feet. 

2. Trace the parts of template onto craft paper of appropriate colors – mainly red, white and blue! We’ve also used grey for the hair, light brown for the face and hands as well as dark brown for the shoes. Cut out all the parts and lay them out. 

3. Make two horizontal cuts on the top of the shirt piece, leaving some space in the middle. Fold the two cut ends into the middle, to form a collar as shown below. Assemble the bow by sticking the small circle in the center of the bow shape.

4. Time to get the top part of the Uncle Sam Puppet outfit ready! Stick the tux part on top of the shirt, and then stick the bow in the center of the collar.

5. Time to add some arms! Stick on the sleeves of the tux and then attach the hands to the ends of the sleeves.

6. Time to get the pants ready for the Uncle Sam puppet! Stick the white strips on the red pants.

7. Once the pants are done, add on the shoes, sticking behind the bottom of the pants. 

8. Okay, let’s put the outfit together! Stick the pants to the bottom of the tux so you now have a complete suit.

9. Let’s move on to the other parts of the Uncle Sam puppet. Use a paper knife to make a wavy slit in the hair piece. Assemble the hat by sticking the blue stripe on it.

10. Complete the hat by sticking white stars on the blue band. Insert the head into the slit of the hair piece. Cut out another grey rectangle for the beard. 

11. Stick the triangle at the bottom of the face, so your Uncle Sam puppet now has a cute goatee!

12. Stick the head piece on top of the shirt, so that the beard overlaps the bow. 

That’s it – your Uncle Sam puppet paper craft is ready!

The first appearance of Uncle Sam was of a rather stern-looking man, but this Uncle Sam puppet is nothing like that – he’s all smiley and cheery! He’s perfect to include in a puppet show about freedom, bravery and liberty. It’s also a great craft for kids who’re learning about the freedom struggle and founding fathers of the United States of America. Don’t forget to check out our Uncle Sam and bald eagle handprint craft that are also perfect for the Fourth of July!