May 16, 2010: It's Not A Trap!

(From Bonnie Burton at starwars.com. Originally found in The Star Wars Craft Book.)

It's not a trap! By reusing a paper lunch bag, you're recycling while making a cool puppet of Admiral Ackbar from Return of the Jedi. Have fun making other character bag puppets from the Star Wars universe. Experiment using colored paper bags, construction paper, fabric and even fake fur.

What You Need:
•2 small brown paper lunch bags
•Craft glue
•Large googly eyes (optional)
•Black, cream, white, gray, yellow, and light brown felt squares

How to Make an Ackbar Bag Puppet:

1. Lay one of the paper bags down with the folded end of the bag face-up on your work surface. Fold down and glue the bottom corners of the bag, to make a rounder face. Cut the bottom of the other bag off and tape to the bottom of the bag for your puppet to give Ackbar a tall and poofy head.

2. Glue the large googly eyes on the far sides of the head. Or if you prefer, cut out two med-sized brown felt circles, then two slightly smaller yellow felt circles and even smaller black felt circles. Glue the black circles onto the yellow circles; and then onto the brown circles to make a pair of eyes. Glue on either side of the bag head.

3. Cut two small black ovals and glue them right above the bag fold for his nostrils. Cut out thin strips of light brown felt and glue underneath the fold. These will be Ackbar's fleshy bits that hang from his mouth.

4. Trace the outline of the bag on the white felt. Cut out two pieces and glue them on the front and back of the bag as Ackbar's tunic. Make two rolls of white felt for the arm sleeves. Cut beige squares and glue together. Cut slits for fingers. Sew to sides of the puppet. Don't forget to cut out a small square of gray felt to make his command insignia badge, and glue it to his uniform.