This Artist Is 3D Printing Custom Puppet Prosthetics

Imagine a 3D-printed Pinocchio with a customizable nose. He won't be a real boy, but he'll definitely be futuristic.

by Beckett Mufson

September 12, 2014, 5:00pm

Images via

Breathing life back into old puppets, artist Laurie Berenhaus has set out to become the 21st Century equivalent of Gepetto the puppet-maker—by 3D printing limbs, joints, and various other apendages.

Known as BYOPuppet, Berenhaus' latest project, which draws technical inspiration from moving sculptures like Theo Jansen's Strandbeests, melds the tried-and-true traditions of puppet theater with the cutting-edge customizability of Maker culture. To help her fellow storytellers strengthen their craft, these prosthetic puppet parts are incredibly versatile—they can aid worn-down wooden actors, and fulfill a whole host of string-drawn needs.

"Before I got into 3D printing, it was always difficult to find parts that would serve the function I’d need," Berenhause told 3DPrint.com. “I would take hinges, tubes, plastic spheres, etc. all designed to do something else, and I would have to spend hours altering what already existed so my puppet’s elbow can move just like that for a scene. That time and energy took me away from rehearsing and from strengthening the story I’m trying to tell in the first place.”Through her BYOPuppets catalog, Berenhaus has even enabled fellow puppeteers to search for the precise parts they need, empowering amateurs and professional puppet-makers alike to open-source the art of puppet-making.

The true power of BYOPuppets lies in the ability to create whole, infinitely customizable "actors," who can transform easily from role to role with simple pops and clicks—when anything you can imagine is just a button-press away, there are no "rare parts" or "impractical designs"—meaning that finally, the puppet rendition of Snowpiercer we've been dreaming of is now within reach.

Take a look at some of Berenhaus' models and 3D printing gear in the images below: