Props & Crafts Techniques with Holly Cole
Ohio University, 2015
original Sam the Eagle Muppet
Construction – The body and head were patterned and cut out of upholstery foam. The form was covered in ice wool before the body fabric was draped on top. An arm hole was left in the body so a sleeve could be attached to the bottom of the head. This allowed for full head movement of the puppet independently from the body. The arms were designed to be operated by two puppeteers – one for the head and Arm 1, and the second puppeteer for Arm 2.
Fabric & Feathers – Sam’s body and wing fronts were covered in a stretchy nylon fabric. His face and wing backs were cut from antron (muppet) fleece. Feather fringe, feather boa, and marabou boa were used to trim his hair, neck, and wings. All the original fabric and feathers began white and were hand dyed with variations of a 2:1 Sky Blue:Pearl Gray acid dye hit with a touch of Turquoise.
The Mouth – The structure of the tongue and back of the throat was made from heat pressed fosshape. Red felt padded with a small amount of batting and a short running stitch established the tongue. An additional piece of black felt on the underside established a finger pocket. The whole thing was then glued and stitched into the lower jaw.
Linda Di Bernardo 