Elizabeth's Pegdoll

I love pegdolls! I love that there are endless ways to express your own personality with just a clothespin and a bit of fabric. I thought I would share my pegdoll voice with you in the hopes you will join the chorus!


Gather your supplies, and set aside an afternoon. The wooden pieces can be found at your local craft store. A few basic paint colors, craft varnish, paint brushes (use what you have), felt for this version, and your trusty glue gun. Pipe cleaner, embroidery floss is optional.


I love my efficient system for painting the pieces. (Otherwise you have heads and bodies rolling everywhere!) For our pegdoll today, paint white for her boots at the bottom of the pin. I paint three coats of each color.


Transfer your base to your pin, and paint the bottoms same color as base. When the paint is thoroughly dry, glue the head in place. Your doll is ready for a face.


My face is very easy to paint. Eyes are the distance apart of the body opening. Cheeks just to the right of each eye. Mouth begins in the center of the eye, sweeping to the left. Notice the brushes? Easy, peasy! Two coats of varnish, drying between each coat. It is time for a basic dress pattern that I have used in many variations for my dolls.


Click on pattern to enlarge, print. Look at finished photo for colors.


Center and glue sparingly the bodice to body, butting edges in back. Center skirt on bodice, stretch felt around waist to meet in center of back, glue. (NOTE If you want a white trim, do that step first.)


The sleeves have also been embroidered as a detail but not necessary. Pipe cleaner is cut just a bit longer than sleeve.Two mitten shapes are free cut and glued to each side of pipe cleaner. Roll one side of felt around pipe cleaner adding a thin line of glue just before reaching the other end. Make sure your thumbs are facing the right way! Bend arms slightly and glue in place on bodice
.

The uniform front is embroidered and glued in place. Little details are also made. A tooth pick and tiny poms for the baton, floss tied in a knot and trimmed for boot tassels.


Hair that you can glue on? How wonderful! Strips are rolled in the fingers. Apply a dot of glue to the last turn to secure and on the back of the remaining tab to glue in place. Two strands of floss tied at one end and twisted in opposite directions, bring ends together to form a braid for the hat.


Dolls that are not going to wear a hat have curls that cover the entire head.


Hat band proportion is just slightly narrower than sleeve width. After gluing to hat top and brim, I trimmed any excess felt. A feather, a little sparkle, this majorette is ready for a parade!


I love that you can identify the creative voice behind each pegdoll by specific details they incorporate. My voice is a simple one. I want the doll to immediately capture a remembered moment by their clothing alone. If I do add a prop, just one. The hair? Well I have been known my whole life for my hair; so that is my signature touch. I hope will be inspired to create your own pegdoll voice!