make a peg doll
Making these peg dolls is a lovely opportunity for you to reminisce. What did you wear to go out dancing on a Saturday night? And what did your partner wear? You can try recreating your outfits on the dolls.
This make was inspired by our Pictures of You vignette Domestic Demi-Gods which reflects the many stories of mangles and washing lines with their wooden pegs that stretched across the gardens or yards and the importance of a clean and welcoming home.
INSTRUCTIONS
Paint or colour a hairstyle onto the top, round section of a peg. If you want to you can add a face – maybe add a favourite lipstick, a moustache or a beard.
Paint the body of the peg with acrylic paint, we’ve used white but you can use any colour you like and even paint on patterns.
For the arms cut the sharp ends off of two toothpicks, paint on short or long sleeves with a felt tip or acrylic paint, and glue one on either side of the peg when dry. If you want to use a pipe cleaner instead place the centre of the pipe cleaner behind the neck of the peg and wrap it around the neck once, this will give you an equal length of pipe cleaner on either side which will become the arms.
For the skirt, cut out a circle of fabric with scissors or pinking shears using the template. Cut a cross shape in the centre just big enough for to push the peg through then push it onto the peg and glue it in place if needed. You can also make a net petticoat to go underneath the skirt using the same template.
Wrap a piece of felt or material around the neck of the female peg doll to create a pretty neckerchief and glue it in place in the front where the pieces cross over.
Use a strip of felt or material to make a cummerbund for the male peg doll and glue it in place at the back.
Paint on the trousers and shoes with acrylic paint, a marker pen or felt tips.