Soft Sculpture: Hand Puppets

Students will create a soft sculpture stuffed animal. Students will use fabric, needles, and thread for hand sewing a unique and personality infused volumetric form.

This unit has four parts: research and design (designing a project, measuring for materials), prototype (creating a volume out of paper), final project design in fabric, and documentation of the finished work (photos, email, reflection, and critique).

Overview Unit Goal

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Composition Concepts

  • Details, Emphasis, & Personality
  • Unity & Variety with Texture and Color

Technical Skills

  • Hand sewing - lock stitch
  • Differentiating back stitch from running stitch
  • Designing volumes

Tools & Supplies

  • Needle
  • Scissors
  • Thread

Technical Skill Videos

Resource Book Page

Order of Work

Determine Your Design
  • Draw 3 Views - Front, Side, Back
  • Label all views with the required design elements
Prototype: Paper Volume
  • Crumple paper into the volume
  • Measure three dimensions (length, width, height) to ensure you meet the average 6" x 6" x 6" requirement
Sewing Practice
  • Sew a fabric pouch using the lock stitch on one side and the back stitch on one side
  • Practice using tight stitches
  • Turn out the pouch and examine how hidden your stitches are
  • Use the pouch to keep your needle and thread in it when you aren't using it
Fabric Sculpture
  • Use your prototype volume to measure out your fabric
  • You can cut and sew fabric around your volume or use your volume to create a paper pattern and then cut and sew your fabric from your paper pattern
  • Use the lock stitch (optional: you can use the back stitch)
  • You cannot use the running stitch
  • Add details to make your sculpture unique and have personality
  • Stuff it with hard and soft filling
Documenting

Soft Sculpture

Stuffed Animals

Designing your Stuffed Animal

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Step One: Designing Your Project

Creating a Character with Personality

Things to Consider

  • ​You want to have details on all sides, so think of something that goes on your character's back side.
  • You want the side of the sculpture to meet the 6" average, so if you want one dimension (length, width, or height) smaller or larger than 6", you should adjust the other dimensions to average out to 6" each.
  • Make sure your prototype volume is the size and form you are going for. It is much more accurate to base the final sculpture off of the prototype than to guess on the pattern. 
  • Things that could go wrong: It's flat on the sides, but looks like it would be dimensional from the front. If you draw the shape from the front, like a chalk outline on the ground and cut that out twice, it would make a form that's flat from the side view. 
  • Things that could go wrong: It's too big or too small. Make sure you measure your prototype volume with a ruler to make sure it's the right size (length, width, and height).
  • Things that could go wrong: The form doesn't come out the right shape. When you are measuring your fabric or making your pattern, your fabric or paper isn't flat on the volume. If you have wrinkles, you'll end up with a different shaped form. In order to get it to match the form you are aiming for, you'll need the fabric (or paper pattern) to lay flat on the prototype volume without excess. 
  • Things that could go wrong: Your stitches aren't pulled tight enough and when you flip out your fabric the stitches are very visible or your stuffing falls out.

Step Two: Prototype Volume

Step Three: Practice Sewing a Pouch

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Step Four: Making your Soft Sculpture

3 Photos of your Soft Sculpture 

  • Use a solid background (no distracting lines, shadows, table, or other stuff) like the photo cube
  • Use quality lighting (soft shadow from artwork only)
  • Photo should be in focus, with artwork centered
  • One photo of each side of your finished project (front, side, back)
  • Three photos in total

Email an Image of Your Project

Grading Criteria