This week I successfully taught peg doll making to children. The children were in awe of the handmade examples that I had to show, but for me the best part was watching them sit down and have a go at sculpting and sewing different shapes of felt material onto their individual pegs.
No two dolls were exactly alike, which was the intended result. I could easily have instructed the children to make the dolls in my vision, but that wasn't the outcome I was looking for. It was more important for the children to make the peg dolls in their own personal way.
I present to you a tutorial, which was very loosely used as a basis for the above mentioned doll making class. It is for people who want to make a peg doll and don't know where to begin. I recommend reading the notes, and you have two options: make what your see or sculpt the doll as you imagine it. Remember, there is no right or wrong of making a peg doll. There is only... the fun way!
Materials & Tools
Threading Needle
(1) Push the threader through the needle eye, insert the thread into wire threader loop. Pull the threader back through the needle.
(2) Bring the ends of thread together and tie a knot.
Making Doll Hair
(3) Cut 5 pieces of yarn, each roughly 30cm in length.
(4) With the 5 pieces of yarn together, wrap around the middle of the peg and bring the ends of the yarn together up above the head of the peg.
(5) Cut another length of yarn and tie this around the yarn above the head, and knotting it off.
Additional Note: You can also make hair for the doll by colouring in the head with textas, or gluing/sewing felt to the top of the peg.
Doll Clothes
Making Doll Hair
(3) Cut 5 pieces of yarn, each roughly 30cm in length.
(4) With the 5 pieces of yarn together, wrap around the middle of the peg and bring the ends of the yarn together up above the head of the peg.
(5) Cut another length of yarn and tie this around the yarn above the head, and knotting it off.
Additional Note: You can also make hair for the doll by colouring in the head with textas, or gluing/sewing felt to the top of the peg.
Doll Clothes
(6) Choose a piece of felt and wrap it around the body of the peg
and cut off any excess that you don’t need. Play with different
lengths of fabric – to make shirts, pants, skirts and coats.
(7) Feed the threaded needle
into both sides of the fabric to
close the opening. Repeat the
stitch pictured. This diagonal
sewing will create a row of
visible parallel stitches. Tie a
knot in thread when done. Cut
the thread close to knot.
Doll Arms
(7) Feed the threaded needle
Doll Arms
(8) Cut out 2 small, narrow
pieces of felt fabric roughly
4cm by 1cm. These will be the
doll arms.
(9) Ensure your thread is knotted at the end. Stitch the arm pieces to the sides of the fabric wrapped peg.
(10) Your peg person is finished and ready for play.
Additional Note: Experiment with your peg doll designs. With freestyle doll making there is no right or wrong way of creating. You can draw faces, use glue, sew accessories, use buttons, feathers, or anything that makes your peg doll uniquely yours.
Bonus Material: Reference Card
(9) Ensure your thread is knotted at the end. Stitch the arm pieces to the sides of the fabric wrapped peg.
(10) Your peg person is finished and ready for play.
Additional Note: Experiment with your peg doll designs. With freestyle doll making there is no right or wrong way of creating. You can draw faces, use glue, sew accessories, use buttons, feathers, or anything that makes your peg doll uniquely yours.
Bonus Material: Reference Card
