I am currently on my second generation  puppet hand.  The generation  is based  on  a sandwiched foam hand with a copper wire skeleton.  At the wrist there is a brass tube that will facilitate easy  insertion and removal of the  arm rod.  The copper wire is soldered to the brass tube and then it is dipped in plasti-dip (great stuff).

Eye construction:
The eyes are custom made and hand painted to give the puppet its own distinct personality.

We are currently on the third generation of mouth plate.  Each one keeps getting better.  I use foam core for the base.  The mouth is sewn felt.  The inside is felt lined with elastic grips to hold the hand firmly in place.

The noses are carved foam covered with felt.  They are attached to the puppet with a doll joint to ensure that they will not fall off.

Since there are no puppet supply houses, we have to make our own arm rods.  This one is made with spring steel and wood grip that is coated in plastic.  The arm rod then attaches to the puppet through the brass tube in the wrist.

Everything is then assembled onto the puppet body.  When finished the puppet will stand a little over 18 inches from base to head. 

The finished puppet is then given a personality and a voice.  This is up to the puppeteer to determine.