If you want to create glasses for your puppets, then here’s an excellent video tutorial created by Sharon Ojala. I just followed her instructions to make my step by step photo tutorial below.

My goal was to create black glasses to transform my elephant puppet into Gerald from Elephant and Piggie by Mo Willems. Check out my How to Make Gerald from Elephant and Piggie post for those instructions. Use whatever color of yarn you want for the look you want, but black was what I chose.

What you’ll need to make glasses:
• 12 gauge wire – 2 feet – I bought mine from a local 99 cent store for about $5, it is cheaper than Ace Hardware
• Yarn – about 2 yards
• Wire cutters
• Needle nose pliers
• Fabric Tac
• Scissors
• Thread spool – to wrap wire around
• Tape measure
• Cutting mat, cardboard or paper bag to protect table

Gather all of your materials together.

Cut about 2 feet of wire using wire cutters.

Find the middle of the wire and center between your puppet’s eyes. Use needle nose pliers to bend the wire up 90° creating the bridge of the glasses.

Slowly bend and wrap the wire around thread spool until you get a complete circle shape. You’ll end up wrapping the spool one and a half times.

Use needle nose pliers to bend the wire 90° to make the arm.

Repeat the wrap on the other side of the bridge.

Your glasses should look like this. Practice makes perfect, so try a bit of wrapping and bending on spare wire first.

Place the glasses on the puppet and trim with wire cutters to fit.

Turn the wire ends in a small circle to prevent sharp edges. Just grab wire end at the tip of needle nose plier and wrap around the plier. Then squeeze the circle in the pliers to close.


Cut two 10″ lengths of yarn. Add a small dab of Fabric Tac to the single wire by bridge. Press the end of one 10″ length of yarn to Fabric Tac to bond.


Tightly wrap the yarn around the single wire until you get to the other side. Use a small amount of Fabric Tac as you go to secure the yarn to wire. Add a larger dab of Fabric Tac at the end to make a nice bond. Trim excess yarn when bond is secure. Repeat with other 10″ yarn and single wire.


Cut 45″ length of yarn. Add a dab of Fabric Tac near small circle end of wire. Lay the yarn as shown and press down to bond. Let set for a bit before starting to wrap.


Wrap the yarn working in small sections. Add a bit of Fabric Tac, wrap, repeat.


The glasses are done and ready for your puppet.


The small wire circles are perfect for hand stitching the glasses to the puppet.