How to Make a Wooden Spoon Doll
Throughout the ages, dolls have been made from a wide array of materials--porcelain, fabric and stuffing, yarn, wax, plastic and rubber, vinyl, wood, paper and even corncobs. A doll is almost any object that can be made to have the likeness of a person or a baby. Most dolls are meant to be toys--a child's plaything. They are also a popular item many people like to collect. Here, learn how you can make a doll using a wooden spoon!
Things You'll Need
- Wooden spoon (between 10" and 18" long)
- Scraps of fabric
- 2 short or 1 long pipe cleaner
- Yarn, twine or jute
- Needle and thread
- Scissors
- Fine-tip permanent markers or
- Craft paint and a small brush
- Glue or glue gun
- Lace and other embelishments (optional)
Instructions
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1
Use fine tip permanent markers or craft paint and a small brush to draw or paint a face on the lower two-thirds of the rounded outer part of the oval end of the wooden spoon. The doll's face need not be complicated. In fact, usually the simpler it is, the cuter the doll. You could make it as easy as two black dots for the eyes, a black dot for the nose, a simple little smile and two little round circles of blush for cheeks.
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2
Bend the long pipe cleaner (or two short ones twisted together on one end to make one long one) to wrap around the handle of the spoon about 1 1/2" down from the spoon's "face." Twist it several times in the middle so it will not come off easily and extend each end out to either side of the spoon. This will make the doll's arms. You may wish to secure the pipe cleaner to the handle of the wooden spoon so it does not slide down with a big glob of glue. Let it dry before moving on to the next step.
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3
Cut two scraps of fabric to make a fat "T" shape for a shirt for your doll. With right sides together, use a short running stitch (that's an easy in and out stitch that resembles the dashed lines in the middle of the highway) to sew the "sides" of the shirt together along the bottom of the "sleeves" and the "side" of the shirt. Turn the shirt right-side out and slip it over the spoon's handle so it is now positioned on the doll with the pipe cleaner arms sticking out of each sleeve. Carefully stitch the tops of the sleeves shut, right up to the spoon handle (i.e., the doll's "neck" area).
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4
Next cut a narrow rectangle of fabric about 4-inches-wide by about 12-inches-long to make a skirt for your doll. Use a longer running stitch, stitch along the top edge of the long side of the rectangle, about 1/2" down. When you reach the end of the rectangle, pull the thread tight so it gathers the top edge of the rectangle into a skirt and place it around the handle of the wooden spoon approximately where the doll's waist should be. Secure the skirt to the handle and stitch the ends of the skirt together. Secure the back of the waist with another drop or two of glue under the fabric so it does not slip off. You may also wish to wrap thread or jute around the shirt at the "waist" area for a belt.
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5
Add scraps of lace or other embellishments such as ribbon roses or bows at the neckline of the doll's shirt. (Optional)
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Cut 3, 6 or 9 pieces of yarn, twine or jute about 7 inches long and tie them together in the middle with another piece of yarn, twine or jute. On either side of the place where the pieces are tied together, braid the pieces of yarn working your way to the ends and then tie off the ends with another piece of the same material. Repeat on the other side. These braids will be the hair for your doll.
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7
Use glue to secure the braids to the top of the spoon doll's "head." You will probably want to use several drops of glue at the top of the "head"/spoon and down each side. Hold the hair in place until the glue dries.
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8
Give the completed doll to your favorite little girl to play with or tie it to the top of a stack of kitchen towels tied together with the same yarn, twine or jute for a cute and crafty housewarming or bridal shower gift.
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Tips & Warnings
Wooden spoon dolls make a fun, inexpensive craft project for groups of girls at a birthday party, 4-H, Girl Scouts, youth group or other gathering.
If you're making this project with young children, use washable glue, protect the child's clothing from permanent markers or paint with an old shirt or smock and be prepared to help with the drawing, stitching, braiding and gluing.
