Hook-and-loop fastener — Velcro is the best-known brand — is used in puppet building anywhere something needs to come apart and go back together repeatedly.
Removable costumes
are the main job. A costume that opens with hook-and-loop can be washed, swapped between characters, or changed mid-show. Sewn-on clothing means the whole puppet goes in the wash, which is bad for foamFoam is the structural material most soft puppets are built ... More.
Interchangeable features
are the more interesting use. Swappable eyes, brows, noses or mouths let one puppet play several characters, or let a single character register a change of expression between shots. Attach the loop side to the puppet and the hook side to the part, so the puppet is left with the soft half when nothing is fitted.
Which side goes where
This is worth getting right. The hook side is stiff, scratchy and will grab and pill fleeceFleece is the knit fabric used as the outer skin on most mod... More on contact. The loop side is soft and harmless. Put loop on the puppet, always, and hook on the removable piece.
Sew it, don’t glue it
Adhesive-backed hook-and-loop peels off fabricFabric is the outer surface of a puppet — the skin, the cl... More within weeks, and the adhesive contaminates the surface so nothing else will bond afterwards. Sew-on versions last for years. The adhesive kind is fine on rigid parts.
It wears out
The hook side fills with fleece fibres and stops gripping. Plan for replacement on anything used in every show, and check it during pre-show rather than discovering it on stage.
Alternatives worth knowing
Magnets are cleaner for small features and do not abrade fabric. Snaps are lower profile under a costume.
The hack: round the corners of every piece you cut. Square corners are what catch and start peeling.