With just a few basic supplies, you can transform a stray glove into an assortment of whimsical toys that will provide your children with hours of amusement. As Martha demonstrates, you can use the basic butterfly technique (below) to create other charming creatures, including dragonflies and bumblebees.

Tools and Materials
Glove, or sewn felt fingers
Needle and thread
Small buttons
Scissors
Toile rounds in various colors
Iron
Adhesive felt or felt scraps (optional)

Insect Finger Puppets How-To
1. Create the insect body. Begin with the finger of a stray glove. Or, using a sewing machine, sew two pieces of felt together in the shape of a finger. Sew one end closed, and leave the opposite end open, allowing space to insert your finger into the puppet. Once you have sewn the body together, turn the body inside out.

2. Make the eyes. Using a needle and thread, sew on small buttons for eyes (Martha uses coated Hy-Mark Thread for the eyes because it is stronger than regular cotton thread and will allow the antennae to stand up better.). Leave the knotted ends long and sticking upright over the eyes, simulating antennae.

3. Make the wings. Fold four toile rounds into quarters, then eighths, creating wings. Iron the wings with a dry medium-set iron. Cut into wing shapes. To attach the wings to the body, sew two wings to each side of the body at the same point, using a needle and thread. (It helps to hold the points of the wings together at an angle.) Fold in the point a few times, and then sew onto the body.

4. If desired, embellish the body or the wings with adhesive felt or felt scraps. (For example, Martha adds markings to the wings of the butterfly and black stripes to the bumblebee.)