Clothespin dolls

How to create a doll out of a clothespin--easy and fun.

Enjoy!
Melissa
http://underconstructionblog.typepad.com
http://haworth.etsy.com

Step 1: Supplies

A round clothespin/doll pin (available at craft stores like Michaels)
Scraps of cotton fabric and felt
yarn or felt for hair
embroidery floss
ball point pen
school glue or tacky glue
scissors
drill
pipecleaner
needle and thread (optional)

Once your supplies are gathered, use a small drill bit to drill a hole through the pin just below the neck (as shown). This is for the arms.

Comments

[KatJanMar]

This was a fantastic show and tell. I love the dolls. Gave me lots of ideas. Thanks for taking the time to post the directions so clearly.

[courtzandme]

i'm going to try and make one! i hope it works!

[jmontanye]

These clothespin dolls are cute and a lot of fun to make. I've been making clothespin dolls since I was twelve. I used to sell them in the local mall until I was too old to escape the radar of the local mall cops and was kicked out. The biggest problems I faced when making the dolls were finding all the material under one roof. I had to go to four stores before I found everything I needed. Also, painting the face proved to be difficult. I used felt markers but the ink bled into the wood and distorted the face. I figured out that if I painted the head with flesh colored paint first, the ink didn’t bleed. Some people prefer to paint the face on. Still, it is not a simple task. There is a website that sells kits to make clothespin dolls and clothespin ornaments: www.clothespincraftkits.com. The kits have all the material needed to make the dolls. The face is printed on transfer sheets. You simply cut and rub. It makes a perfect face every time. Pretty cool!

[mylittleaura]

Love it! I'll try to make some with my kids, thanks :)

[BECKBERRY]

Can you still use them to hang clothes?

[KKD]

Fantastic! I'm going to try to make some of these for my kids! :)

[hoesayfina]

Thanks so much for posting these. We are working on a Davy Crockett project and were making clothespin dolls of him and people he interacted with. They are not as great as yours. But, they did turn out pretty good for a first grade project. I will try to attach a picture of Davy.

[mdhaworth]

Awesome! thanks so much for the feedback--glad it was helpful and your Davy looks great. Love the coonskin cap ;)

[JetnBird]

Very cute! I might just have to make some when I come across some clothes pins!

[Cees]

Thanks so much for this! My kids and I are into these lately and we love all the "how to" info we can get.

[mdhaworth]

Glad you like them! If you have trouble making small things, paint on the hair, leave off the arms and just roll some fabric around the clothespin for a very simple dress. Then they're ready to go out on the town!

[jessyratfink]

Awww, cute. I remember making these when I was little.

[Juklop]

I always have trouble making really small clothing so every clothespin doll I make end up naked.

[GorillazMiko]

the smiley face on the doll is just so cool! :-)

[cowscankill]

cool