Is there a source for making and/or buying full body puppets?

I know Bear in the Big Blue House and Sweetums and Big Bird are fully operational body puppets, but I can't find any instructions to make one of my own, or even BUY one!

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated- Please email me.

Thank you!

If you want to build a puppet that you wear check out Puppeteers of America and ask for their bookstore. The person in charge should know of a possible book with ideas.

www.puppetproductions.com has the head and gloves of several styles of puppets. They are fan cooled and have a remote that can be used by the wearer or by a person off stage, which you would do if you were miming a song. High quality and inexpensive!

Steve Axtell also does custom work and can possibly blow up one of your favorite puppets to a wearable size. Check out his custom order page. I find that Steve's stuff pays for itself in new gigs quite often!

-Tony Borders

I would like to reiterate what Tony said about the Puppetumes made by Puppet Productions. They are great, especially for those people who don't have enough money to invest in a custom job. Since they are only a head and gloves, they give the perform a lot of freedom to move. Plus, most of the characters are relatively generic, so they can be used in a variety of ways for a variety of different situations. I have not found a better, more versatile, easier-to-use product in its price range. Check them out--www.puppetproductions.com.