How to Make Fairy Dolls
What you will need:
2 -12 inch pipe cleaners (color is not important, though colors similar to floss colors are easier to cover)
1 or 2 skeins embroidery floss, 1 skin colored, and 1 of another color of you want different colored legs
Wood bead (3/8 to 3/4 inch depending on your doll size)
Tapestry needle
1 silk flower
yarn, wool roving or more floss in a hair color
glue gun
1. Fold both pipe cleaners in half.
2. Twist the top 1/4 inch of bend together and fold sides of pipe cleaner up as in picture.
3. Bend wire back towards the center to make an arm that is about 1 3/4 inches long on each side.
4. Twist the wire of each arm together.
5. Now take the other folded pipe cleaner and fold the ends back in towards the center as shown. Twist each leg like you did with the arms.
This will become the legs.
6. Twist the arm section and leg section together.
7. Twist both wires together completely to make the torso.
Now you are ready to wrap the wire with floss.
8. Thread tapestry needle with a 4 to 5 ft length of skin colored embroidery floss, so thread is doubled. Beginning in middle of arm, wrap floss tightly around wire to cover end of thread, then wind sparingly down to the loop a the hand. It’s best to wrap the end of the loop at the hand first, and then continue up the arm to the neck and torso.
9. This is where the tapestry needle comes in handy. Using the needle, pull thread through the center of the fold at the hand and wrap the end of the loop, continuing to insert needle in center of loop and wrapping the end loop entirely.
10. Once the end is covered you can being wrapping the arm, making sure to wrap tightly and that the thread is not twisted so it lays flat.
11. Wrap all the way up the arm criss-cross at the neck and wind sparingly down to the other hand and begin covering the end of the wire loop. Then wrap all the way back up the arm to the neck Your floss may run out, in which case you will need to cut a new piece and overlap the old end and new end with the beginning first wraps of the new thread. When the arms are done, wrap the torso up to the waist area, pulling the needle under the wrapped threads to secure when done. Snip off extra thread.
12. The legs are wrapped in exactly the same way as the arms. When all the arms and legs are wrapped bend up the wire at the end of the legs to form feet. Now this doll needs some clothes…and a head!
13. To dress your doll like a flower fairy you can use silk flowers. Take a silk flower apart and take one layer of petals. Cut from the edge into the center and then cut a half inch circle from the center. Using hot glue, attach the petals to the waist of your doll.
14. Try adding another layer of flower petals on top! The leaves from silk flowers work for shirts, or you can cut them from felt. make sure to add all the clothes before adding the head! Just add some glue to the loop of wire at the neck and add wooden bead.
15. Glue some wool to the top of the head, making sure to keep the front clear of the eyeline. Glue the wool to the back of the bead and pull the sides of the hair to the back. You can braid the hair, or if you have felting needle, needle the hair to keep in a style you like.
16. You can glue an acorn cap to the head if you want a hat. I like these dolls with clear faces as children can imagine them having any emotion or expression they can dream up. If you want a face, though, you can use acrylic paint or even a fine point permanent marker.
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