string a few dangling nut head people

Nut head dolls, strung seed bodies
by kathy grimm.

Brief Description: These dangling nut head dolls were made from natural materials. I loved to spend time with my children gathering from the wooded areas during a Fall walks. This craft brings back to mind fond memories. Natalie helped me collect the acorns yesterday and then I strung these dolls together on my own. Had she still been a little girl, this activity would have elicited much excitement. I think that should she ever have little ones of her own, she will enjoy the project again someday.

Supply List:

• a handful of small wooden beads
• two acorns, include their caps
• dental floss
• an embroidery needle, not too large (some of these have blunt ends more suitably designed for young crafters)
• wood glue as needed
• soft bristle tooth-brush

Directions:

1.  Clean and dry all to the seeds and nuts that you have collected in advance with a soft tooth brush. I have already included directions in an earlier project that explain how to string pumpkin seeds.
2. I decided to string together my selection in a pattern. This reinforces important concepts about design to small students. You can also talk to them about simple math during this activity as well.
3. Thread your needle with dental floss and string together the bodies.
4. I attached the acorn heads with wood glue after stringing the bodies. Parents may decide that this requires a bit of patience. They may wish to hot glue the acorns to the seed bodies instead so that there is less drying time needed before the project is finished. Sometimes little folk get very anxious about playing with these nut head dolls so, parents may hurry the craft along in order to please their interests.
5. A word of warning. Do not give these little dolls to infants who may choke on the nuts! This project is appropriate for five year old children and up.

Additional Suggestions: Sometimes parents get interested in crafts that they intend for their children. This is often the case in the making of nut head dolls! So harvest enough seeds and nuts to make a few for yourself. I enjoy hanging my own samples on the Christmas tree every year. This is, in fact, a very old folksy tradition. Craft artists living in the Appalachian mountains used to make this kind of folk doll to sell to tourists. It was a popular craft around 1910. I still can find nut head dolls in flee markets on a rare occasion.

The nut head people finally rest after I have spent an
hour in the park looking for their heads.

I chose to string these dangling nut people with a
variety of pumpkin seeds, wooden beads, and acorns.

wrap and tie a prairie yarn doll

Brief Description: These kinds of rag dolls were made by American settlers. They have an old-fashioned charm. My daughter took this one as soon as it was photographed.

Supply List: 

• One skein of yarn if it is bulky and soft
• scissors
• small piece of cardboard
• scrap fabrics and lace trims
• needle and thread that matches the yarn

Directions:

Twist the yarn around a notched piece
cardboard, first one way, then another.

Soon you will have made a tight ball
the size of my doll's head, approximately
one inch in diameter. This solid
ball will add weight and substance to
the doll. I want this doll to stand
up to a three to five year old's rough play.

Use a large book to twist the yarn around
repetitively (about 35 times) until
there is enough yarn to create a full
body with. My book measured
approximately eleven inches long.

After removing the yarn from the book carefully
tuck the ball of yarn beneath it. Pull the yarn
over the "head" and tie around the bottom with more yarn
to create the neck. Then thread a long needle
with matching thread and sew in and out of the head.
The thread should disappear into the yard but
if you continue to do this the doll's
head will become firm and compact.

Run your fingers through the yarn body and
clip the looped bottom apart. Gather up the
yarn ends and trim these ends off evenly.

You will need to repeat the third step above
(about 17 times).Tie off the yarn edges.
Braid the yarn to create the arms.
The braid is shown above
along with the yarn doll body. Divide
the doll's body in two even sections
and then position the arms between the sections.

Wrap more yarn around the doll body
to create a waste just below the doll's arms.
Thread a needle and sew in and out of the
waste, the wrist joints, and arms of the doll.
Sewing ensures these ties are firm and will
stand up to rough play.

Now you are ready to dress your prairie doll.
I gathered and sewed onto the body a skirt.

I added a lace shawl and mop cap.

Additional Suggestions: Yarn dolls are dressed in a variety of ways. Scarecrows and clowns are popular costume choices. Some crafts people prefer just to leave them without clothing as well.

photographs and written craft pages copyrighted by Grimm 2011 

Want something more contemporary? 
SoCraftastic makes a octopus doll from yarn.