Cookie Monster from Sesame Street is known for his signature googly eyes. This post will show you one way to make those type of eyes.
Supplies you’ll need:
• 2 Ping Pong Balls
• 2 Large Googly Eyes
• 2 Black Round Head Pins
• Felt Scrap
• Thread
Tools you’ll need:
• Cardboard
• Hammer and Nail or Dremel
• Scissors
• Tape
• 2 Needle Nose Pliers
• Hot Glue Gun
• Needle
• Marker/Pen
How to Make Cookie Monster Eyes:
Use scissors to cut open the googly eye and remove the black disc.
Tape half of the disc to the cardboard.
Use a hammer and nail to punch a hole just near the top rim of the disc.
Or use a dremel to punch the hole.
The hole should be near the rim and not centered, so the disc rotates better when moved.
Place the pin through the disc hole and punch through the ping pong ball. Remove the pin. Lightly mark the ping pong ball hole, so you can find it later.
Place both needle nose pliers right under the pin head. Bend the pin at a right angle using the top plier while keeping the bottom plier stationary.
Pin should look like this.
Use pliers to bend the pin about an inch from the first bend and in the opposite direction.
The pin should have an elongated Z-shape.
Place the disc onto the pin through the hole.
Poke the pin through the ping pong ball hole made earlier.
Push the pin into ping pong ball until just a bit of the pin sticks out. The disc should be able to spin around the small bit of pin behind the head.
Hot glue a piece of felt to the back of the ping pong ball. You can hand sew the felt to your puppet to attach the ping pong ball eyes.
Note: For safety reasons, I don’t recommend using these eyes on puppets for small children. The pin isn’t permanently attached inside the ping pong ball. Both the pin and disc could be easily removed and are safety hazards.