How to Make a Corn Doll

Corn husks can be turned into a loveable doll for your child.

We eat corn-on-the-cob slathered with butter, we pop it and we even use it to help fuel our cars by using it to make ethanol, however, the husks from corn can also be made into dolls for children and decoration. Originally made by Native Americans, these corn husk dolls were introduced to the first white settlers by Native children and resembled members of their own tribes. Both the Iroquois and the Seneca tribes have their own legends explaining the origins of the corn husk doll.

Things You'll Need

• String or twine
• Scissors
• Bowl of warm water
• 9 to 12 pieces of corn husk

Instructions

1. Separate all of the corn husks and place in a bowl of water to let them soak. This will make the husks soft and pliable.

2. Overlap four corn husks on top of eachother with the pointy ends on one side and the wider ends on the other side. You will want to find husks that are similar in size.

3. Take a piece of string or twine and tie the pointy ends of the corn husks tightly together. This will become the body of the doll.

4. Trim any excess corn husk above the string area. This will make room for the head.

5. Take the two corn husks, one in each hand, and fold them over the stringed area on each side.

6. Tie a string around the top of this area to form the shape of the head. The lower portion will be the body.

7. Flatten another corn husk and smooth it with your hand, rolling it into a cylinder shape. This will form the arms of your doll.

8. Tie the ends of each arm with a string.

9. Weave the arms through the two loose corn husks below the neck of the doll. Tie a string around the center of the corn husk. This will create a waist for the doll and it also holds the arms in place.

10. Create shoulders for the doll by taking another corn husk and wrapping it around the back of the neck and then crossing both ends across the chest area. Tie this area with a string to hold it together.

11. Take four or five more husks and place them around the entire doll to form a skirt. Tie this with a string to hold the husks in place.

References

• Snow Owl: How to Make Corn Husk Dolls
• Michigan Kids: Make a Corn Husk Doll
• Snow Owl: Corn Husk Dolls