Ages school-age
Made from clothespins and bits of colorful yarn and fabric, these little dolls are great fun to fashion at a slumber party, or any other occasion when friends just want to hang out.
by Cindy Littlefield
What you'll need
- package of wooden clothespins
- package of thin (skinny) wooden craft sticks
- scissors
- glue dots
- cotton yarn
- embroidery floss
- curling ribbon (optional)
- scraps of fabric and cloth ribbon
How to make it
1. Cut a bunch of 1 3/4-inch lengths from the craft sticks to use for the dolls' arms. Then use glue dots to attach a pair of arms to each clothespin.
2. To create wigs for the dolls, simply gather strands of yarn, embroidery floss, or even curling ribbon into bunches and tie the middles, as shown. If you start with strands that are 8 inches long or so, the kids can trim them later to any length they like. To attach each wig, simply cover the upper edge, sides, and back of the clothespin tops with glue dots and stick the yarn in place.
3. For each outfit, kids can wrap yarn or embroidery floss and/or bits of fabric and ribbon around the upper and lower doll. Advise them to start and end at the back of the clothespin, using glue dots to secure the ends and edges. For short-sleeve tops, simply wrap the material of choice around the outer shoulders/arms and torso, as shown. To create a long-sleeve top, you can wrap the arms and torso individually (before attaching the arms) and then add a broad ribbon collar around the shoulders.
4. For finishing touches, kids can add tiny bead necklaces, belts, and any other accessories they dream up. If you have a spare old glove, you can even snip off a fingertip and roll up the cut edge to create a doll-size hat.
Crafts
