Punch and Judy Dolls

These quaint characters that have been passed down to us through the years still retain their distinctive appearance and have not deviated at all. The dolls can, of course, be bought at the large stores, but they can also be made very simple by any boy that is clever with his hands and has done a little wood cutting.

Punch and Judy and the Hangman, etc., are illustrated in the diagram and these famous characters can be made from pieces of soft wood and carved out with a very sharp pen-knife. Roughly shape out the head and the shoulders making these not more than 6 in. in length and proportionately wide. When you have the broad shape, start making the features of the head, nose, ears and mouth. Take a lot of time over the carving and you will find that it is not at all difficult to do. After you have completed the carving to your satisfaction, sandpaper the surface the very gently to remove odd pieces and possible splinters. Now paint the head with those very bright enamel paints and the doll is ready for dressing.

For the dresses, use ordinary material, cut to shape, and sewn as illustrated, fitting the dress over the head and shoulders so that it is as lifelike as possible. The head and shoulders are now mounted on to a stick and the show is ready to begin.

Should you feel that carving the characters is a little too much for you, make a substitute by drawing the heads and shoulders on plywood and cutting round these in silhouette form and painting with bright colours, adding a touch of varnish to brighten parts of these. The heads are then mounted on sticks as described.