New to Honk! and wondering how to help your group go BIG for the parade? Want to take your veteran Honk! group to the next level? Here are some resources to help you get creative, go big, and be spectacular (all without spending much money!). Take these specific costume instructions as methods for making cheap and easy costumes… improvise!

• A great local resource in the Boston area is the Puppeteers Cooperative and the Puppet Free Library, both headed by Sara Peattie.  You can borrow puppets from the Puppet Free Library for any event, and Sara has shared many different plans for cheap puppet building that you can create on your own, or use to inspire your own inventions.  See their website for patterns, designs, photos, etc.
• Since 2011 community Lantern Parades near Davis Square have been an important part of our festival.  For information and inspiration about a lantern parade tradition in Baltimore (and innovative parades in general!), see the Nana Projects site.
• We conduct a lantern-building workshop on the Friday afternoon prior to that evening’s Lantern Parade.  If you are interested in participating, please contact us at .

And here are some simple, old school, do -it-yourself methods to pump up your parade!:

How to turn construction paper into a mask!
Paper Mask 1
Paper Mask 2

 

How to take a paper bag and make a puppet! What if one were to make a giant paper bag…?
Paper Bag Puppet 1
Paper Bag Puppet 2

 

Keep your eye out for loads of recycled cardboard boxes after sept 1st! And then make these! All you need is a box, some fabric straps, and stuff to decorate – and voila, you’re a horse/robot/etc!
Box Costume 1
Box Costume 2

 

Nothing says fall in New England like a leaf costume, but this costume idea could be worked many different way!
Leaf Costume 1
Leaf Costume

 

Easy way to make a papier mache mask, or accents to a float! Papier mache is a great, cheap, fun (and fun messy!), way of making all sorts of costumes! Any paper laying around will do, you don’t need to waste paper towels!
Papier Mache Head 1
Papier Mache Head 2

 

A video detailing one papier mache mask method:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCiYNE_hmNg&feature=relmfu[/youtube]

How to turn plastic bags into a strong costume material!! All you need are extra grocery bags, an iron, some wax paper, and some time! Check it out! Great free recycled material. 
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sB1mE8e35UY[/youtube]

 

Now that we’ve got some methods underway, where should you go to find materials you can’t find around your house? Here’s a list of local purveyors that should have you covered!

 

SEWLOW
47 Cambridge St
Cambridge, MA
617 661 861

 

SEWFISTICATED
1 McGrath Hwy
Somerville, MA
617 625 7996

 

WINMILL FABRICS
111 Chauncy Street
Boston, MA 02111
(617) 542-1815

 

WINSOR BUTTON
35 Temple Place
Boston, MA 02111-1373
(617) 482-4969

 

Boston Building Resources
100 Terrace Street, Boston, MA 02120-3418
617-442-2262

 

ARTISTS AND CRAFTSMAN SUPPLIES
580 Massachusetts Ave
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 354-3636

 

The Puppet Free Library
In the basement of 15 Newbury Street, entered through the back door.
This is in public alley 437, between Newbury and Commonwealth streets, in the block between Arlington and Berkely. It lends puppets and banners in the Greater Boston area.
Open Wednesdays 2- 8 PM
For more information, call Sara Peattie at (617) 263-2031, or (617) 536-3355 ext.26.
Check out The Puppeteers’ Cooperative Home Page for TONS of great puppeteering ideas!
http://puppetco-op.org/

 

 

if you have more to add to this page! We’d love to share whatever resources we can all come up with. The easier it is to go big, the bigger we will be!