Sunday, July 12, 2009

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!


20 comments:

  1. I've alreeady saved this tutorial-thank you for sharing it E. I don't know if I have your patience to make one of these little beauties but I will enjoy keeping the directions to drool over. You DO have a special knack with the hair....and the crooked smile makes all the difference. I love your talent!
    xoxo
    Joyce

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  2. The details you put into yours are just so amazing! That hair! Thank you so much for the wonderful tutorial. Twyla

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  3. Oh Elizabeth I love your pegdolls! The little Dutch girl is standing in the billy bookcase next to my bed, she makes me smile every morning when I open my eyes.
    Thanks so much for this tutorial.

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  4. Elizabeth, thank you so much for sharing how you make your precious dolls! Please share more of them!

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  5. I love the clock.


    Oh and the peg dolls are cute. Maybe..Just maybe I will try this and make superheroes.

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  6. Elizabeth, I just love your pegdolls. I feel so very honored to have done sitting on the self in my sewing room. Your detailed work is just exquisite!! Thanks so much for sharing.

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  7. Oh Elizabeth! She is so darling! And thank you so much for the tutorial - I love peg dolls and so want to attempt one.

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  8. Elizabeth, you are so talented. Thanks for sharing this, pegdolls will be my next creative project and I think my young daughter will be thrilled to help mommy with the doll's fashionable clothing!
    Maureen

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  9. Wow! I had no idea a pegdoll could look so cute! That is adorable and great instructions. Thanks!

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  10. Oh, she is oh so cute Elizabeth! Thanks for sharing just how you make her. I'm going to give this a try. And the hair is just darling!!

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  11. Thank you so much E for the helpful hints on clothespin doll making. I've tried my hand at a few, but mine are not nearly as beautiful as yours. Now I will try again. It's really nice of you to share.
    Marcy

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  12. These are so cute - I have always loved your peg dolls - now I have no excuse not to try making one. Wish me luck!!

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  13. Love her! Now I really want to make one! the hair on yours is sooo adorable. Thanks so much for sharing the directions! Where do you find the larger balls with th bigger holes in them?

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  14. Thank you so much for sharing this! It was very timely, as I had started painting heads and bodies for some pegdoll this last weekend!

    I am at the point of doing the face and wondering how I could get nice round eyes! Your system is so brillant and yet so simple!

    A BIG thank you!

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  15. I've loved your blog and flickr images for a long time now...almost the start of your blog. This is a gorgeous doll. You are so generous to share it with us!

    Thanks!!!

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  16. What an amazing tutorial! You are such a fantastic teacher. I can't wait to make some of these for my Christmas tree with all my wooden friends. Once again, you amaze me!

    xoxo~Bekah

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  17. What do you use for the base?

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Your kind words mean so very much to me. Thank you for your visit! Elizabeth