Painting these tiny little dolls was one of my favorite handmade Christmas gifts this year (along with the Thing Finder Necklaces). I've been planning to make peg doll necklaces for O and my niece since last Christmas, but I was not looking forward to it since I did not enjoy making the peg doll family for O's birthday in July. However, I really enjoyed this and plan to make many more (maybe this will be a good item to make and sell on Etsy...).
To make the dolls, I painted them with acrylic craft paint and then added details using paint pens. I painted the dolls to match the girls' Christmas dresses (yes, we have matching dresses for ALL 3 girls :). After I painted the dolls, Elliott drilled a tiny hole into the top of each doll and screwed a small circle screw into each hole. I then painted them with a coat of mod podge to finish and protect them. I threaded a thin ribbon through the screw to make the necklace, and they were done (I may switch the ribbon for a stretchy elastic cord).
I wrote the girls' names and the year on the bottoms of the dolls. After Christmas, we can shorten the ribbon and the necklaces will turn into keepsake ornaments for next year's Christmas tree. E (who is only 3 months old) is obviously much too young for a necklace, so her tiny doll is already hanging on the tree. My niece was SO excited when I gave her her necklace this afternoon. I'm already planning on making tiny birthday doll necklaces for the girls. These dolls would also be great additions to O and E's birthday ring!
Really darling!
ReplyDeleteWhat was the difference between this time and last time that made it more enjoyable this time?
ReplyDeleteLast time I was hugely pregnant, constantly nauseous, and on meds just to be able to get out of bed. I guess that's enough to make this time more fun :)
ReplyDeleteWhere did you find the peg doll people?
ReplyDeleteOh those are cute! I have a set of bare peg dolls that I want to paint into a nativity set but I have not worked up the courage yet :)
ReplyDeleteThe dolls came from Hobby Lobby. I've thought of making a nativity set, too. It is definitely intimidating to think about. I may wait until O is a few years older, so we can make it together.
ReplyDeleteI love the wee gingerbreads on their dresses. What a sweet idea that they can be turned into ornaments!
ReplyDeleteSo cute! I'm not the greatest painter, but maybe I could do these! :)
ReplyDeleteI linked to this on my weekly roundup, but I wanted to note that I used those people to make a quiet family for one of my nieces for Christmas. You can find it at my handmade Christmas post if you're interested, and there's a link to my inspiration at Scribbit. Fun stuff!
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