Little Mermaid Stick Puppet

Inspiration

ike most little girls, I love mermaids. So, I have done extensive research on merfolk. I based my depiction of this Little Mermaid Stick Puppet figurine on my interpretation of my research. And also based upon my careful study of masterpiece paintings and sculptures depicting mermaids. My vivid imagination that helped me fill-in the voids of my mermaid knowledge.

My Inspiration

Mermaids Masterpieces

Mermaids are fantastic sea creatures, that for many years have inspired many authors and composers. Hans Christian Andersen, who wrote The Little Mermaid in 1837 (Andersen, H C, W H. Robinson, and H P. Paull. Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tales, 2018. Print.), documented some of the mysteries surrounding these beings. Likewise, Sir James Matthew Barrie, who wrote Peter Pan in 1904 (Barrie, J M. Peter Pan, 2015. Print.), detailed some of these enchanting creatures’ playful habits. Similarly, Felix Mendelssohn captured their soothing melodies in his Die Schöne Melusine overture (Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix, and Christopher Hogwood. Die Schone Melusine: Ouverture Op32. Kassel: Barenreiter, 2003. Musical score.)

The Little Mermaid Statue

Unfortunately, I have not been lucky to meet these mysterious creatures. By and large, the closest I have been to a mermaid was when I visited Copenhagen’s Langelinie promenade when I was in my early twenties. There she was, plopped on a rock, the magnificent statue of Edvard Eriksen’s The Little Mermaid. I do hope that Hans, or James, were lucky enough to have met them. Especially, since their tales are full of such vivid details which would be hard to know if one had not been there.

Little Mermaid Stick Puppet Ornament Design Process

Mermaid Facts

Noteworthy, the term Mermaid is occasionally used interchangeably with Sirens. Although, let us be clear, Mermaids are not Sirens, and Sirens are not Mermaids. Mermaids are benevolent creatures that usually lend their helping fins to sailors in need. Instead, Sirens, on the other hand, are malevolent creatures who lure humans to bottomless waters. Therefore, I focused my design in exalting their benign nature.

The Design

As I designed the character, I needed to find a material that would resemble scales. So, I used colorful stretchy fabric with silver scale-looking print to make their tails. Then, I gave them long hair of unusual tones that coordinated with the color of their fins. I added gemstones and seashells to decorate their bodies and included multi-colored ribbons springing from their waists resembling the froth trail that they leave behind as they swiftly cut through the waters. Finally, I gave them a dainty pearl tiara to complete the character.

Like all the other members in the Stick Puppets Collection, the Little Mermaid is on a long stick. This way, a child’s small hands can hold the stick without harming the ornament.