Hellobee

When she was little, my younger sister loved playing with toy people.

Anna was a very active little girl, and “playing people” may have been when she was the most settled and focused. She loved the activity so much that pretty much anything could become people to play with. Tall blocks, crayons, anything that was approximately the right shape. Anna is all grown-up now, but she still got excited when she saw these peg dolls.

Older children can help make them and younger children can choose colors and styles for you to paint. Or, make a set as a gift! And because they can slide into a little felt pouch, they are perfect for keeping in your bag for those times when your child needs something to help pass the time (and keep them focused!).

You will need:

– Peg or Doll Style Wooden Clothespins
– Acrylic Paint
– Paintbrush and Toothpicks
– Scissors
– Felt
– Craft Glue
– Embroidery Floss
– Needle
– Button

Paint the faces if you want, or leave them plain. A tooth pick works well for painting tiny eyes and expressions. I left mine with only eyes, but however you add the face, try to keep a steady hand.

If you are painting the whole head, wait until the paint dries to add the hair.

Paint some clothes on. Try different styles, but remember that this is pretty basic. You don’t need to be intimidated. If you can paint a semi-straight line, you can paint clothing on a clothespin!

When you paint the “legs” on the dolls, remember to paint between the legs too.

Some colors may need more than one coat of paint, but after all of the coats have dried, consider adding a few little details. Oh, and don’t feel locked in to using certain colors for hair. Go with whatever colors you have on hand!

Let the dolls dry thoroughly. You can coat them with sealer if you want, or use them just as they are.

For extra details and texture, grab some felt scraps. They make excellent skirts, accessories, patches, and capes!

With a little glue, this average peg doll becomes a super hero! When you’re attaching the felt, hold the felt on the glue for a minute or so until the glue starts to set up.

This ballerina has a little felt skirt, and tiny circle for her hair bun!

To make the pouch, cut a 5×12 inch piece of felt. Round the corners at one end, and fold the other end up 1/3 of the way.

Thread the needle with embroidery floss and stitch the sides on the folded area with running stitch.

Sew the button toward the top of the sewn pouch section.

About one inch from the top flap edge, cut a slit that is just a little wider than your button.

The goal is to have the flap hold the peg dolls safely and snugly in place when it is buttoned closed.

Slide the peg dolls inside…

…and button them in for travel!

The pouch should easily hold five peg dolls, although these clothespins do vary in size. If you want your pouch to hold more or less dolls, adjust the width of the strip of felt.

My favorite part is when the peg dolls come out to play. There’s always so much imagination that shows up, and I confess, I love to listen in on what’s going on!

A few more ideas…

– Try making a set of peg dolls of your family!

– Look for clothespins with flat bottoms and the dolls will be able to stand up.

– Make more peg dolls than will fit in the pouch, then switch in different dolls to keep the travel pack exciting.

– Even your littlest kids can make their own peg dolls. I recommend crayons because they work well on wood, but are less messy. (And don’t worry if your 2-year-old’s people don’t come out looking exactly like people!)

Happy crafting!