Total Time Needed: 2-3 Hours
Staging a neighborhood show was a favorite ritual of mine as a child. My friends and I would spend countless summer days dreaming up plots, characters, and costumes. Designed to fit in a doorway, this pillowcase theater captures the simple joys of those hazy afternoons. The clever quick-change backdrop will inspire hours of performances - and after the show, the whole stage can be packed up in minutes. Stash the puppets inside the pillowcases and store the theater in a closet or toy chest.
Materials
- 3 white standard pillowcases
- Fabric markers
- 3 small tension curtain rods
- 1 blue standard pillowcase
- Felt
- Glue (we used Beacon's Kid's Choice, which works well with felt)
- At least 2 yards of fringe trim (see tip below)
- Gold cord
- Small nails or removable adhesive hooks
Instructions
1. Stage Front Lay one white pillowcase flat. With the fabric markers, write your theater company's name on the case. Snip open the top corner opposite the pillow opening and insert a curtain rod.
2. Two-in-One Backdrop - Front Lay the blue pillowcase flat. Slit open the entire seam opposite the pillow opening, creating a tube of fabric that can roll over the rod for scene changes. Decorate the front side first, cutting shapes from the felt and gluing them in place.
3. Two-in-One Backdrop - Back When it's dry, flip the pillowcase over and turn it upside down so that the second scene will be oriented correctly when the case is turned. Cut and adhere more felt shapes. Let it dry, then slide the backdrop onto a rod.
4. Curtains Lay the other white pillowcases flat with the openings along the bottom. Glue the fringe trim along the edges as desired, then let the glue dry. Cut open both pillowcases' top corners and slide the cases onto a single rod.
5. Assembly Secure the rods in a doorway. Loop the gold cord to make curtain tiebacks, securing them to small nails or removable hooks on the doorframe.
Crafts
