Introduction
You do not need to be artistic to have fun crafting your own puppets for Purim. You can make your own easy Purim clothespin dolls. You can use an archaeological depiction of King Xerxes and a statue of an Achaemenid queen for inspiration.
Transform a plain box into Queen Esther’s palace in Shushan. Shushan is the modern day archaeological site of Susa. The remnants of King Ahasuerus’ palace can give you clues of what it looked like in 486 BCE.
Ingredients
Make Your Own Puppets
Round peg wood clothespins
Hot glue gun
Pipe cleaners
Tissue paper in a variety of colors
Paper cocktail umbrellas
Ball point pen
Yarn
Make Your Own Easy Backdrop
Use the art supplies of your choice to bring the glory of the past to life.
Box or three-sided poster board
Hot glue gun
Craft mosaic tiles
Tempera paint
Paint brushes
Preparation
Make Your Own Puppets
Step 1
Draw the eyes, nose, and mouth of your doll to make a face on the rounded part of the clothespin.
Step 2
Cut a pipe cleaner in half.
Step 3
Twist the pipe cleaners where the shoulders should go, below the head, to create the arms.
Step 4
Bend the ends of the pipe cleaner back on themselves to make hands.
Step 5
Cut the colorful tissue paper and glue it onto the body to make the clothes.
Step 6
Use the hot glue gun to attach the tissue paper to the doll.
Step 7
Glue some yarn on the doll’s head to make hair.
Step 8
Give king Xerxes a paper umbrella. This is archaeologically accurate!
Make Your Own Easy Backdrop
Step 1
Paint the interior of your box.
Step 2
Copy some of the bas reliefs, especially the lion.
Step 3
Hot glue the mosaic tiles to the walls.