Felt Halloween Finger Puppets: Ghost, Pumpkin, Bat and Cat

Felt finger puppets are tiny, quick to make and endlessly entertaining. A little family of Halloween characters can keep a toddler amused in a waiting room, star in a homemade puppet show or slot into party bags instead of sweets. Because felt doesn't fray, you don't need to hem anything, and each puppet uses only scraps.

Below is the basic puppet shape, two ways to put it together (sewing or gluing), and five Halloween characters to make with it.

What You Need

• Felt in white, orange, black, purple and green (small squares or scraps are fine)
• Embroidery thread or ordinary sewing thread, and a needle with a large eye
• Or fabric glue, for a no-sew version
• Sharp fabric scissors and small embroidery scissors for details
• Paper and a pencil for templates
• Pins or small clips
• Optional: small googly eyes, black and white fabric pens, tiny buttons

Making the Basic Puppet Shape

Every puppet starts with the same shape: a rounded-top rectangle, like a thumb or a tombstone.

1. Measure a finger. Wrap a strip of paper around the finger the puppet is for (an adult's index finger or a child's middle finger) and mark the circumference.
2. Draw the template. Draw a rectangle that is half the circumference plus 1/2 inch (about 1 cm) wide and roughly 3 inches (7.5 cm) tall. Round off the top corners into a dome. The extra width gives room for the seam.
3. Cut two pieces. Pin the paper template to the felt and cut out a front and a back.

Sewing or Gluing the Puppet Together

Sewn version (blanket stitch)

Blanket stitch is decorative, strong and great for beginners. Add the face details to the front piece first, then place the front and back together with the edges lined up and sew around the sides and top, leaving the bottom open. Use two strands of embroidery thread in a contrasting color for a cheerful handmade look.

To blanket stitch: push the needle through both layers about 1/8 inch (3 mm) from the edge, loop the thread under the needle tip before pulling it through, and repeat every 1/8 inch along the edge. The loops form a neat line along the edge of the felt.

Glued version (no sew)

Run a thin line of fabric glue around the sides and top of the back piece, about 1/8 inch from the edge. Press the front piece on top and hold it with clips while it dries. Slip a rolled-up piece of paper inside first so the glue doesn't stick the puppet shut. This version is quicker and good for children, though it is less hard-wearing than stitching.

Five Halloween Finger Puppet Characters

1. Ghost

Use white felt and cut the bottom edge into three small wavy points before assembling. Sew or glue on two black felt ovals for eyes and a small black "O" for a mouth. Ghosts are the easiest place to start.

2. Pumpkin

Use orange felt and make the dome a little wider and rounder. Cut a tiny green stem and leaf and tuck them into the top seam before sewing. Add triangle eyes and a zigzag smile in black felt or fabric pen.

3. Bat

Make the body from black felt. Cut a pair of scalloped wings from black or purple felt and sew them onto the back piece so they stick out at the sides. Add two tiny pointed ears to the top seam and small white felt fangs.

4. Black cat

Black felt again, with two triangle ears sewn into the top seam. Use yellow or green felt for big round eyes, a tiny pink triangle nose, and a few stitches of white thread for whiskers. A thin felt tail stitched to the back is a lovely finishing touch.

5. Witch

Make the body from green felt for the face. Add a black felt cone hat with a wide brim stitched across the top, a strip of purple or black felt for hair, and a little orange triangle for a nose. For a full-size version, see our tutorial on how to make a witch hat.

Tips for Cutting Tiny Felt Shapes

The faces are the fiddly part, but a few tricks help. Draw small shapes such as eyes, noses and fangs on paper first, cut them out and use them as templates. Short, sharp embroidery scissors give much cleaner curves than big fabric shears.

For very small pieces, draw the shape straight onto the felt with a fine fabric pen or chalk pencil and cut just inside the line so the marks don't show. Another trick is to iron a scrap of freezer paper onto the felt (shiny side down, low heat), draw on the paper, cut through both layers, then peel the paper off.

If cutting is too fiddly for little helpers, let them draw the faces with fabric pens instead. Some of the best finger puppets have wonky, hand-drawn smiles.

Ideas for Using Your Puppets

• A puppet show. Turn a cardboard box on its side, cut a window in the bottom and paint a spooky backdrop inside.
• Story time. Use the puppets to act out a Halloween picture book or a counting rhyme such as "five little pumpkins."
• Party favors. Pop one puppet in each party bag instead of a handful of sweets.
• Advent-style countdown. Make one puppet a day in the week before Halloween and hang them on a ribbon.

Safety Notes

For babies and toddlers, avoid googly eyes, buttons and beads, which can come loose. Use stitched or glued felt features or fabric pen instead, and check the puppets regularly for loose parts.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you enjoy working with felt, try our felt pumpkin trick or treat bag, the hanging felt butterfly or browse all felt and fabric Halloween crafts.