Print a puppet: the One Way way

Print a puppet: the One Way way

Three printers are busily working away in a Grimsby workshop, producing parts for the world’s first 3D-printed Christingle puppets. 

Each puppet takes over 50 hours of printing to create the separate items which are then carefully put together with additional work on the foam and fabric.

‘When we were asked to make a puppet specifically for Christingle we couldn’t believe the interest it created!’ said David Jones, son of One Way Puppet’s managing director, Ian Jones.

‘We had the vision for the puppet some years ago but simply did not have the time to plan and create it until a church contacted us and commissioned something specifically for Christingle. Afterwards they agreed we could make it available to other puppet teams and churches.’

Within a short time they had more than 80 orders – with more coming in. 

One of their 3D printers will be working on the One Way stand at CRE National 2021 next week. The Christingle puppet, alongside a wide range of other resources, will also be on hand and the One Way UK team will be there ready to demonstrate how effective their puppets can be!

But it’s not just Christingle puppet components their printers are used for. From complex mechanisms to butterflies and keyrings, a huge range of things can be created. During the first lockdown the 3D printers were part of a larger group in Grimsby utilised for five months to help produce 11,000 faceshields which were donated free to the NHS, GP surgeries and care homes. Concerned about more plastic waste? The team at One Way UK are too, so their 3D printers use a filament called ‘PLA’ which is biodegradable and actually made from plant-based resources so no plastic waste is created!

Ian Jones has been leading a puppet team in his church in Grimsby since 1998 and the team of 20-plus have a busy programme in churches, care homes, schools and other community events, including trips to Romania, Bulgaria and Burkina Faso.

‘I am passionate to inspire others to share the Gospel,’ he said with the company not only utilising puppets but gospel illusions, drama, storytelling and other creative arts.

• One Way are on stand C9 at CRE National 2021

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