How to Make a Clothespin Doll

Clothespin dolls are inexpensive and fun to make. They can be dressed for any occasion and can even be made into ornaments. Here's how to make them.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Wooden clothes-pin (straight kind without spring)
• Coping hand-saw or electric scroll saw
• Drill with 1/16-inch drill bit
• 12-inch piece of cloth-wrapped floral wire
• Flesh-toned acrylic paint
• Small paint brush
• Colored pencils
• Quick-drying fabric glue
• Hair-colored embroidery floss
• Scissors
• Fabric scraps
• Fray-stopping liquid or white craft glue
• Black craft foam

1. Be sure that your clothes pin is the type that is carved out of a single piece of wood, not separate pieces held together by a spring. Cut off the curved ends with the saw, so that the clothes pin can stand up. The round knob will be the head, the split ends will be the legs, and the arms will stick out of the wooden area just below the "head."
2. Drill a 1/16-bit hole below the round knob and above the split. This is where the arms will be positioned.
3. Insert the floral wire into the drilled hole, so that the clothes pin is in the middle with equal lengths of wire on each side. On each side, about two inches from the clothes pin, bend the wire back. Leaving a small loop for a "hand," wrap the remaining wire around and around the "arm," until you reach the clothes pin. Insert the remaining end into the drilled hole, trimming if necessary.
4. Paint the clothes pin (now a doll's body) flesh-colored. Don't forget to paint the cloth-wrapped wire arms and hands.
5. Use colored pencils to draw the doll's face.
6. Where you want hair on the doll's head, first put fabric glue on the wooden knob, then apply short pieces of embroidery floss. You may wish to place the floss so that the doll has a "part" where the ends meet in the center of its head. To prevent your finger from sticking to the glue, wrap your finger tip in plastic wrap. When the hair has dried, you may trim it with scissors.
7. Cut a doll's shirt out of fabric scraps, using the photo as a guide for the pattern. A dress should be in the same shape, but will be longer and flared. Apply fray-stopping liquid or white glue to the edges of the fabric, especially at the cuffs. Put the shirt or dress over the doll's head, and use fabric glue to secure the sleeve and side seams.
8. Cut a doll's pants out of fabric scraps, using the photo as a guide for the pattern. Hold it to the doll to check for length. Apply fray-stopping liquid or white glue to the edges, especially the waist and cuff edges. Placing the pants on the doll, use fabric glue to secure first the inseams, then the side seams. Cut areas will go in front and back, with the flaps getting tucked down between the legs.
9. Use black craft foam to make shoes for the doll's "feet." Cut them nearly the same size as the legs, but longer in front to create "toes." Make sure that the doll will still stand stably; trim the shoes to be flat. Glue them onto the legs. (Other colors of craft foam may be painted, or you may use cardboard as a substitute.)

Tips & Warnings

• You may use pipe cleaners as arms, but if a child plays with the doll, rubbing the pipe cleaner may cause the plush to wear off.
• Think about your doll's hair style as you plan what length you want the embroidery floss. Long braided hair for a pioneer girl will require fairly long pieces. You can always cut them shorter, but you can't ever cut them longer!
• Children under age 8 will need adult supervision and help to make these small craft dolls.