Rankin-Bass Rudolph puppets - re-creations?

[vaderdarth]

if anyone has attempted trees, let's see them!!!! Michaels has a huge assortment of miniature ornaments that are perfect for the trees.

Dave

 

[GBrittelleJr]

I think I'm going to attempt one tonight, if I can get to the store to buy the felt. It's literally on the other side of town...

I did however get the red felt and a rigid paper mâché egg from Hobby Lobby to start on Santa. While I don't have the necessary woodworking skills to carve the head from balsa, I will be sculpting it in oil biased clay and making a urethane or silicone mold (whichever I have more of), to make a rotocast resin head.

When it comes to the hands, what is the glove material? It almost looks like the stretch knit part of my sock... Any ideas?

 

[BrundelFly]

Looks like cotton.

 

[vaderdarth]

agreed, cotton.

 

[vaderdarth]

Here are a few updates to my puppets.....

Hermey's hat with feather, Santa's head with mustache armature, and body puppet made with wooden egg-cut off, wire arms legs and neck.

 

[GBrittelleJr]

If you would be so kind, where did you find that wooden egg, and what size is it??

 

[vaderdarth]

lit's about 3" diameter. Got it from either Michaels or Hobby Lobby. PS they have small ones perfect for reindeer heads.

 

[Pumpernickel]

Vaderdarth, your Santa and Hermey replicas look great. Look forward to seeing more updates.

Pumpernickel

 

[vaderdarth]

Thanks man. I'm about ready to tackle Santa's suit next. Saving the hair for last on both puppets.

 

[IeatherfaceIX]

Very nice, would love to have a set of these.

 

[vaderdarth]

These take longer than building a bridge. LOL

 

[BrundelFly]

Yes! You Must MAKE one for ALL OF US!!

 

[vaderdarth]

I wish I had the time.

 

[Pumpernickel]

When it comes to the hands, what is the glove material? It almost looks like the stretch knit part of my sock... Any ideas?

Here's a nice shot of Santa's glove, in addition to one of his face and beard. You're right--the glove material is sock-like.

What do you all think the original beard was made of?

Pumpernickel

 

[vaderdarth]

same hair as a santa wig.

 

[vaderdarth]

The material is called a knit. That photo makes the material look huge like a sock, but keep in mind that santa's hand is only 1/4" square. So it's a very tight knit. If anyone can figure out how to make flexible wire filled hands, let me in on it.

Dave

 

[GBrittelleJr]

1/4 inch square?! That seems SUPER tiny, especially if the estimations of Santa being 11-12" tall.

 

[BrundelFly]

He had SMALL HANDS..hhmmm

Carve hands out of clay, MOLD them, then cast them in Silicone with WIRE embedded.

Easy.

 

[GBrittelleJr]

I would say 3/4-1 inch square. I mean, look at the close up of the glove- the seam is machine sewn so it cant be that small.

 

[vaderdarth]

maybe 1/2" I scaled it on paper, but don't have it here at work.

You'd be surprised what can be done on a machine. There are entire Barbie wardrobe patterns available. These are machine sewing patterns. You can change the stitch length on a standard machine. That makes the sewing pretty tiny indeed.


Dave