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one of the halves of the foam "skull"
My next step in the process is cutting out all the foam pieces. Laying out the patterns on the foam, I try to get the least amount of waste as possible. For one puppet of this sort, I usually end up using about 16" wide x 27" long of foam.  (Save the little bits- I'll show you later some fun things you can make with them.) Watch carefully when putting down the pieces, some will need to be flipped over to get the parts to lay out correctly (ie- the head pieces will need to have a left and right side) I usually use a sharp scissor, but have used a good utility knife for cutting, also. After cutting out all the pieces, apply the contact cement to the edges indicated on the pattern. I usually let it dry for about 15-20 minutes before gluing the edges together.

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the foam "skull" put together