CraftyFileCo planning guide

Christmas Puppet Crafts for Storytime

Use Christmas finger puppets for dialogue, articulated buddies for poses or paper-roll figures for a standing story scene. Assemble a small cast before storytime so children can use the finished characters as they narrate.

Give finger puppets speaking roles

The Christmas finger-puppet set contains 120 named puppets across ten character pages, plus a how-to page. The full-colour files come in A4 and US Letter. Themes include Santa and friends, winter animals, a gingerbread family and Nativity characters.

Print the pages you need for the story rather than all the characters. Cut each puppet, wrap its band around a finger and glue or tape the ends. The listing says ages 3+, with adult cutting help for little ones.

As a storytelling suggestion, let each child choose one character and one line it will say. Keep a spare character nearby for the adult narrator to introduce a new event.

Use moving buddies for actions

The articulated Christmas Paper Puppets are ten separate buddies. Each has a body, two arms and two legs. The listing supplies full-colour A4 and US Letter files, but the paper fasteners are not included.

To make these, cut the five pieces, make the marked joint holes and attach the limbs with four brads per buddy. The listing recommends ages 4+ with adult help for cutting and brads for little ones.

These figures suit a story where a character waves, dances or changes pose. That movement comes from the fastened joints; the finger-puppet bands work differently.

Build a standing cast for a tabletop scene

The Christmas paper-roll download makes eight characters, including a Nutcracker, Elf, Polar Bear and Snow Owl. Each full-colour character page has a head, two arms and a body wrap. A picture how-to page is included.

Roll and glue the body wrap into a tube, then attach the head and arms. The listing recommends card and says little ones need adult cutting help. An empty cardboard roll is optional, rather than required for every figure.

Use standing characters when children want to arrange a scene while one person narrates.

Keep the story manageable

Try this suggested sequence after assembly:

1. Name the characters in the scene.
2. Decide where the story begins.
3. Let one character ask for help or suggest a plan.
4. Give the others a turn to respond.
5. Choose an ending together.

Keep making and performing as separate stages. Loose limbs, unjoined bands and wet glue can interrupt the story. A small completed cast gives children something to use straight away, while extra characters can wait for another session.

By CraftyFileCo · Published 2026-11-07 · Updated 2026-11-07