Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Mini Dolls

Use your sense of style and a few spare craft supplies to whip up a collection of these colorfully clothed dolls.


CRAFT MATERIALS:

Pipe cleaners in 6-inch and 5-inch lengths
Embroidery floss
Wooden beads (3/4-inch plus smaller sizes)
Felt
Markers

Time needed: About 2 to 3 Hours

1. For the basic doll, bend a 6-inch pipe cleaner in half around the middle of 20 pieces of embroidery floss, as shown. (The strands should be of equal length and twice as long as you'd like your doll's hair to be; ours ranged from about 4 to 8 inches.) Slide a 3/4-inch wooden bead onto the pipe cleaner and up to the fold so that the floss pokes out the top like hair.

2. Wrap a 5-inch pipe cleaner just below the bead for arms. For legs, bend up the ends of the first pipe cleaner, as shown, then wrap them completely around a folded 5-inch pipe cleaner.




3. Now you can explore different clothing options for your doll. Pants: Cut out a 6- by 1 1/2-inch felt rectangle. Mark and cut a 4-inch line down the middle, 2 centered legholes, and a waist hole on one end, as shown. Fold the pants in half and thread the doll's legs first through the waist hole, then through the 2 legholes. Secure the pants in place by wrapping a 3-inch pipe cleaner around the waist and folding a 2-inch pipe cleaner around each of the doll's knees.


4. Shirt: Cut a 2-inch felt square. Mark and cut 2 small holes 1/2 inch apart and 1/4 inch from the edge, as shown. Slip the doll's arms through the holes, then cinch the shirt closed with a 3-inch pipe cleaner belt.

5. Dress: Follow the shirt directions above using a 2 1/2- by 3-inch felt rectangle, then secure the dress with a 3-inch pipe cleaner belt.

6. Once your doll is dressed, use markers to draw on a face, and attach small wooden beads to the ends of the pipe cleaners for hands and feet.

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