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Classes 

 A portion of all sales support student scholarships!
Also check out Mercurio's Curios: Artist Giftshop!

 

Welcome to the The Puppetry Institute online store! 


- Classes fit for every age and skill-level!
- Learn VAPA and STEAM skills through creative fun! 
- Learn with us in-person or order an online kit!

Drop-by Family Fun!

Whether you're a local or just visiting the Santa Cruz seaside for a day -
join us for a creative class! Drop by for a single class 60-90 minutes long,
and leave with an amazing one-of-a-kind art piece you create in our workshop!

Drop-by classes are perfect for a family day out!

Make an appointment with us!
Monday- Saturday, 10 Am -4 Pm

Family
Workshops!

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Call for appointment: (831) 601 9822 

Drop-by Family Engagement Experience - 60 minute class
$60 for up to 4 people! +$20 per each additional student


 

Create 9 puppets in 6 different styles!
Make a paper-pocket family, a paper-bag super hero and nemesis, a paper plate theater, a paper plate big-mouth critter, a jointed dragon shadow puppet, and a sock puppet design!

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Drop-by Make-A-Muppet Experience - 90 minute class
$100 per student

Take one of our beautiful hand-made blank muppets, add your own creative flair, then get a crash course in performance. What do you get? A colorful character that is positively uniquely you - inside and out!

Drop by to select a base color muppet, and decorate at our accessory and glue-gun table!

Drop-by Cricut Design Experience - 90 minute class
$150 per student

Create a 12x12 custom decal sticker sheet, a T-shirt iron-on, shadow or finger puppets,
or a  custom mug or water bottle! Our class includes professional instruction to create your own digital design that will then be applied to any of the above projects! Print high-quality vynal stickers, custom T-shirt iron-ons and so much more!

 

Drop-by for an hour and a half, leave with something one of a kind!

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For Beginner Artists

Projects for artists aged 4+!

Join us in person or request a kit delivered to your door!

 Puppetry for beginners - $25
(Recommended age: 4+)

 

Create 9 puppets in 6 different styles!
Make a paper-pocket family, a paper-bag super hero and nemesis, a paper plate theater, a paper plate big-mouth critter, a jointed dragon shadow puppet, and a sock puppet design!

 

Buy as a kit:
I
ncludes: Physical paper kit, blank sock puppet, online printable coloring templates,

& online videos. 
VAPA & STEAM curriculum.
Requires: Scissors, school glue, crayons & adult supervision!

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Sock Puppet Duo - $20
(Recommended age: 4+)

A great introduction to puppets for wee-folk. Decorate a pair of new sock-puppet friends, name them, and give them a story!

Buy as a kit:

Includes: Physical kit with two sock puppet blanks, decorative materials & online videos.

VAPA & STEAM curriculum.
Requires: Scissors, glue-gun & adult supervision!

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Make-A-Muppet - $100
(Recommended age: 6+)

 

Take one of our beautiful hand-made blank muppets, add your own creative flair, then get a crash course in performance. What do you get? A colorful character that is positively uniquely you - inside and out!

Buy as a kit:

Includes: Physical kit with puppet blank and decorative materials & online videos.

VAPA & STEAM curriculum.
Requires: Scissors, glue-gun & adult supervision!

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Stitchy the monster pal - $80

(recommend for age 6+)

In this class we'll learn about how to make your own stuffed creature doll. "Stitchy" is an adorable little whatchamacallit that you can customize to your liking with just a few added steps. You'll also learn some basic sewing skills such as pattern making and hand sewing, so you can create more creatures for Stitchy to befriend!

Buy as a kit:

Includes: Physical kit  & online videos. VAPA & STEAM curriculum.

Requires: Scissors, glue-gun & adult supervision!

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Puppetry Projects

Bring anything you imagine to life with classes customized for your vision!

Puppets From Scratch - $500+
(Recommended age: 8+)

 

Create a memorable character in your mind, and bring them into the world as a living, moving, 3D being! We will provide instruction and materials based on YOUR idea, and help you make it a reality!

 

$500+ for fleece puppets, $560+ for faux fur creatures.

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Tabletop Puppets - $450+
(Recommended age: 12+)

 

Workshop participants will be constructing simple table top puppets! Students will learn easy construction techniques as well as instruction on how to bring them to life with the flick of a finger.

Learn skills in design, character/story development, sculpting, and costuming.

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Lifelike Shoulder Dragon- $550+
(Recommended age: 12+)

 

Have you ever wanted your own pet dragon? Create a realistic dragon puppet that looks, feels, and moves like a living creature! Amaze onlookers with a living dragon riding on your shoulder - customized and built by you!

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Lifelike Hand Dragon - $325

(recommend for age 8+)

This newborn baby dragon will sit right on your glove, appearing to move in its own! Smaller and easier to manage than a big dragon.

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Puppetry for teachers & Therapists - $550
(Recommended for adults)

From arithmetic to zoology - teach and engage students with a puppet in the classroom! Puppetry can be extremely helpful to engage with therapy patients and special-needs individuals. You will learn how to design, construct, and find your puppets voice while finding a way to integrate your character into your teaching/session plans. 

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Costumes and Cosplay

Transform yourself with makeup and costumes!

Fursuit Construction - $500+
(Recommended age: 12+)

 

Fursuits are mascot-style animal costumes that blend cosplay and puppetry!

 

Create a mask and tail based on your own furry character design to become your Fursona!

 

Add a set of wearable paws for $500! 

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Cosplay Armor or Sword- $400 
(Recommended 10+)

Create a piece of cosplay armor or weapon in our four-week in-person course! Create a helmet, chest piece, sword, or similar costume piece
 

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FACE PAINTING 101 with Star - $325
(Recommended 10+)

 

Learn the basics of the art form that will get you invited to all the best parties and events! Professional Makeup artist Star Hagen-Esquerra will show you the basic techniques and tricks of the trade. Students will learn 3 basic designs and take turns practicing what they've learned on family members.
 

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Upcycled Fashion with Tess- $400
(Recommended 10+)

 

Create customized costumes and fashion using upcycled clothing materials modified and restitched to fit your own vision!
 

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Advanced Fashion with Tess- $500
(Recommended 10+)

 

Create your own outfits and cosplays from scratch!
Design your own patterns, cut out fabric, and learn to use a sewing machine, to create your own custom clothing!

 

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Fine Art

Learn skills that bring creative magic into your world!

OOAK ("One of A Kind") Art Doll  - $300*
(Recommended age: 10+)

 

Create a realistic, expressive doll that is part fine-art sculpture and part stuffed animal! OOAK art dolls are a popular among professional fantasy artists as a way to bring magical creatures to life. Includes a flexible armature to allows the doll to be posed for  awesome creature photography sessions!
 

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Resin Dragon Egg Casting Workshop  - $400
(Recommended age: 10+)


Students will learn Hollywood FX techniques to cast their own realistic dragon hatchling and glow-in-the dark
egg using a one-of-a-kind mold, and sculpt a beautiful base to display their new "pet" at home!


This class uses specialty materials and equipment avalible for In Person classes only.

Includes: Materials, safety supervision and instruction included at our in-person workshop

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Digital Art with Shark - $300
(Recommended age: 10+)

 

Design your own characters for a fantasy or science fiction setting, and bring them to life with digital painting techniques!

Learn to use a digital art tablet, photoshop tools and layers, and basic drawing, coloring and shading techniques!

Saturdays only!
with teaching artist Shelly "Shark" 

 

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Still Life Painting with Star  - $120
(Recommended age: 12+)


Learn the basics of painting with acrylic paint! Take a still-life photo and learn how to replicate what you see on canvas, along with the basics of working with acrylic paint!

Beginners Class

Students will paint a still life from start to finish and learn the basics of painting composition, and color theory! This is a class for beginners that is fun and challenging. A large focus on this class is color mixing, learning about paint pigments, and the importance of color values. 

 

Intermediate class

Students will paint a still life from start to finish and go more in depth with rendering textures and complex geometries.  This is a class for those who are at an intermediate level and want a more challenging reference.

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Drawing With Elliot - $200+
(Recommended age: 12+)


Draw from photo references or imagination using pencils and pen on artist quality paper! 

Beginners Class - $200

Learn the basics of drawing!

 

Intermediate class - $250

Advanced drawing and shading techniques

Monday/Wednesday/Friday afternoons only
With teaching artist Elliot

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