Paper bags just scream to become puppets, don’t they? And we think the paper bag monster puppet is one of the most fun ones you can make. There really are no limits to the imagination when it comes to designing one, and it’s really easy peasy!
Kids can use all the colors they want and make all the body parts they want. There really are no rules when it comes to monsters, so your kids will each be making their very own unique puppet.
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This is one of the funest Halloween crafts to make with kids, especially if you are crafting with a large group. While there are some basic steps to follow, when it comes to designing the monster itself, your kids’ imagination will shine. After all, there are no rules at all about how a monster craft should look!
Making paper bag monster puppets is a breeze and a blast! Start by flipping a plain paper bag so the bottom becomes the monster’s face. Paint the folded bottom flap in your favorite monster color, blue, green, or even rainbow stripes!
While that dries, paint the rest of the bag to become the monster’s body. Then, grab construction paper to cut out big googly eyes or white circles with black pupils, sharp triangle teeth, and wild horns or funny ears. Now if this isn’t an easy craft for kids I don’t know what is :).
Don’t forget to add a red tongue peeking out of the mouth flap for extra monster flair! Finally, let your kids stick on colorful spots or stripes to make their monster truly one-of-a-kind. Before you know it, you’ll have a playful puppet ready to roar, wave, and bring Halloween fun to life!
How to make paper bag monster puppets
What you need:
- paper bag
- pencil
- scissors
- glue
- construction paper (yellow, red, orange, black, and white)
- craft paint
- paintbrush
Step by Step Tutorial
Prepare a paper bag and flip it around so the bottom faces upward.
Flatten it out, and get ready for some painting fun!
Have your kids paint the folded part of the bag blue (or any color they’d like) to create the monster’s head.
You might need more than one layer of paint, depending on the paint you are using.
Next, have them paint the rest of the paper bag, creating a colorful monster body.
Have kids cut out two white circles for the monster’s eyes, then glue them on. You can also have them use large googly eyes to make the paper bag monster puppet even more fun.
Cut out two smaller circles from black paper to make the pupils or paint/draw them on.
We’ve decided our monster needs a pair of horns, which we have made by cutting two pointy triangles our of the red paper and sticking them on the back of the puppet.
Cut out a red rectangle for the monster’s mouth (you can also paint the inside of the monster’s mouth red..
Slide it under the paper bag’s flap and glue it in place.
We’ll be adding some sharp teeth next. To make these, cut out white triangles and glue them to the puppet.
Then, add smaller ones on each side.
Now this monster has a toothy grin!
Let’s add the tongue. Cut a strip of red paper.
Slide it inside the monster’s mouth, then glue it to create a tongue.
Create yellow circle shapes for spots and have your kids glue them to the monster’s body.
Have them add as many as they want!
Your paper bag monster craft is now complete!
This is such a fun Halloween craft idea for kids to make either at home or in the classroom.
We hope you and your little ones enjoyed creating this fun paper bag monster together.
Happy Halloween!
Tips for Making this Craft in Kindergarten, Preschool or Larger Group
If you are making this as a Halloween craft for kindergarten, preschool, or any other large group of kids, there are some things you can do to prepare and make this process fun for everyone. And while kids doing everything on their own is great, sometimes you have time constraints that work against you, so here are my tips to make this an easy process.
Skip the Paint (Use Colored Bags or Crayons):
- Buy paper bags that are already colored (blue, green, purple, orange) so you can completely skip paint prep, drying time, and messy cleanup.
- If using plain brown bags, have kids color them with crayons, markers, or paint sticks (which dry instantly) instead of liquid acrylic or gouache paint.
Use Dot Stickers for Spots:
- Instead of cutting out paper circles, provide sheets of round dot stickers (office supply labels or colorful coding dots) in various colors and sizes. Kids love peeling and sticking them, and it works on fine motor skills!
Pre-Punch or Batch Cut Circles:
- If using paper dots or eyes, pre-cut them using a 1-inch, 1.5-inch, or 2-inch circle craft punch through multiple layers of paper at once.
- You can also supply large googly eyes (self-adhesive ones save a lot of gluing hassle).
Assembly & Prep Tips
Pre-Cut the Sharp Teeth Strips:
- Pre-cut long strips of white paper with zig-zag edges (or use decorative zig-zag craft scissors) so kids can simply glue one strip under the flap rather than cutting individual tiny teeth.
Batch-Cut Small Shapes:
Pre-cut basic geometric shapes for additional features:
- Horns: Small triangles (orange, red, purple).
- Tongues: Red or pink rectangular strips or curved shapes.
- Extra Eyes: White circles in different sizes so kids can choose to give their monster 1, 2, 3, or more eyes!
Set Up Station Trays:
- Organize pre-cut pieces (eyes, horns, teeth, dots, tongues) into muffin tins, paper plates, or small sorting trays placed in the middle of tables so kids can easily pick and choose their parts.
More Fun Arty Monster Crafts to Make
If you want more project that allow for your kids creativity to shine you will like these:
Handprint Monster (it’s not just a handprint I promise)
Halloween Monster Card (another project that allows for a lot of creativity)
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