Felt Faces

Sometimes my first-grader gets great homework assignments.* Today's was to create a sock puppet with buttons and fabric (and a sock, of course). The project reminded me of some felt activities I made for her a few years ago, so I dug them out of the basement for us to revisit. These felt faces were inspired by a kids activity/exhibit at the Brattleboro Museum and Arts Center. Incidentally, I would have made these whether or not I had children. This can be a fun project for anyone.

Use a black piece of felt for your background. The black background can also be taped/stuck to a wall for vertical applications--felt sticks to felt. As you can see, a few common elements can be mixed & matched to create neat faces.

I added the purple unibrow and purple hair for exhibition purposes, otherwise my toddler made these fabulous bald people!

Here are some of the elements deconstructed. Just cut out shapes for long/short/styled hair, noses, eyebrows, mouths, etc., from whatever color felt you prefer. Eyes require an extra step--sew a colored circle onto a white eye shape. Use black thread to create a built-in pupil. (I turned one of the eyeballs over here to show the sloppy sewing.) Of course other features would be great, like tattoos or moles or parrots or undereye circles or whatever.

These cut-out faces are ready for creativity! As I cut them out I just tried to remember my high-school art class equation: ears go halfway down the face.

I think these might be great for a car-trip someday but my kids are still a bit clumsy (they would drop everything before getting it in place). Have you tried felt-on-felt crafts like this?

*Her homework is all pre-assigned on weekly "Homework Connections" sheets from The Education Center, Inc. For each day there are 3 choices, and she picks one to do. I think most of the assignments are creative and great. I only shudder because as a former education writer, I empathize with whoever had to write these things. Nice job, anonymous employee!