Pinocchio the Puppet by Hi Sibley

Sizing the puppet.

        "Pinocchio, the wistful puppet created by Geppetto, the wood carver, in Walt Disney's second full-length production, is an inviting subject for either a homemade puppet or an amusing and companionable little doll. The accompanying illustrations show how to go about making one patterned after the original, which was created by the Disney model department as an inspiration to the animators drawing Pinocchio.

       If you are an expert wood carver yourself, the head might be fashioned from a solid block of soft white pine and the nose inserted (Fig. 1), but a surer way to achieve a fair likeness is first to make a clay model. From this a plaster-of-Paris mold is taken, and the head is cast in plastic composition wood (Figs. 2, 3, and 4). The hat is made in the same way as the head and glued on.
       The casting process will be found simple if the steps are carefully carried out as illustrated. Note, however, in the step marked Fig. 4E it is not necessary to fill the mold with watery plaster. Just pour a little inside and swish it around to form a coating and prevent the wood composition from drying and shrinking. The joint where the two halves of the head come together should be filled and the whole sandpapered before painting.
       The torso is carved from a solid block of soft white pine (Fig. 5), and holes are drilled as indicated for the thongs to which arms and legs are attached, and for the elastic in the neck. The latter is a sort of ball-and-socket joint so that it may be turned and twisted within reasonable limits.

The Casting Process for Pinocchio.

String the marionette.

       Legs and arms are of maple, although if they are to be painted flesh color, white pine will do. These pieces are slotted and jointed as in Fig. 6. For a doll, make the slots fit snugly so they will remain in any desired position, but for a marionette the joints should be very loose.

       Hands and feet are cast in the plastic composition like the head, and the shapes are given in Fig. 7.

       The assembly is illustrated in Fig. 8. Rawhide thongs are driven into holes in the upper arms and thighs, and fastened with glue or thin wedges. Costume and coloring are shown in Fig. 10.

       There are various methods of attaching strings to a figure of this kind if it is to be used as a marionette, but one of the simplest is shown in Fig. 11. The wire extensions for the shoulder cords have the advantage of giving better control and hold the strings clear of the stiff white collar.

        Geppetto, the indefatigable wood carver who made Pinocchio, filled his shop with all manner of unique cuckoo clocks. This one can be adapted to serve as a desk ornament. A hand-carved background of rushes supports a dollar watch, and in the foreground is a painted pool with a pair of ducks, one of them ‚"headin' south." Jig-saw the back wall from white pine and carve in the design. The watch is set in a circular opening, being held in place by a brass spring. If a lathe is available, turn the retaining ring of hardwood; otherwise carve it out. The ducks are whittled from white pine." Modern Mechanix

And Here Is a Colorful Little Clock by Geppetto.

  Return to the Doll Guide Index Page