Dolls Made From Stockings

Don't throw away ripped stockings -- make a doll instead.

Ripped stockings don't have to be thrown away; they can be recycled into a versatile doll. Pantyhose dolls are made from materials that can be found around the house. These dolls are soft and machine washable. With a little creativity, pantyhose can be transformed into a doll in just a few minutes. Pantyhose dolls can be given to children as gifts, made with children as an art project or given to adults as decorative objects. After making a basic doll, make pantyhose doll men, women, old people or children.

Things You'll Need

• Pantyhose
• Scissors
• Cotton or fabric scraps
• Thread or string

Instructions

1. Use scissors to cut half of the foot section from a pair pantyhose. Stuff the inside of the foot with scraps of fabric or cotton. Tie a knot in the open end so that the stuffing doesn't fall out. The knotted end will form the bottom of the doll's head.

2. Use fabric paint to draw two eyes on the face of the doll. Place fingers on the area under the eyes in the middle of the face where the nose will be located. Pinch the pantyhose and a small amount of stuffing that will serve as a nose. Wrap a piece of thread around the nose and tie the end in a knot. Wrap the thread around the nose again and tie it in a knot again so that the fabric nose is securely formed.

3. Pick up a section of yarn and pull it so that it is double the length that the doll's hair will be. Cut off more yarn of the same length so that there is enough to simulate hair. Lay all of the hair on a work surface so that all of the yarn strands lie facing the same way. Tie a piece of yarn around the middle of the yarn. The tied area will serve as a part down the middle of the doll's hair. Use a needle and thread to sew the center part of the doll's hair to the head of the doll.

4. Cut the lower portion of the other leg of the pantyhose into five sections of equal length. Cut the sections so that they are at least as long as the section used to make the head. Tie a knot at one end of each of the four stocking pieces with two open ends. These will form two arms and two legs for the doll. Stuff the insides of each of the five sections with cotton or fabric scraps. Tie a knot at the end of each of the five sections of stuffed stockings. The stocking section with only one knotted end will form the torso.

5. Use a needle and thread to sew the head to the torso section of stuffed pantyhose with only one knotted end. Sew two of the remaining stuffed pantyhose sections to the torso on opposite sides of the body to serve as arms. Sew the last two stuffed pantyhose sections to bottom of the torso to act as legs for the doll.

References

• Mother Earth News; Make Pantyhose People!; Deborah Goehring; November 1981
• PBS Kids: Pantyhose Face Doll

Resources

• Fur Face Boy: How to Make a Stocking Doll