How to Make a Cute Lady Pilgrim Yarn Doll

Guest post by Julie Anne Eason of SeriousSewing.com

Nothing makes a Thanksgiving table look more festive than handmade decorations. These cute pilgrim dolls are a great addition to your feast, and they're so easy even a child can make them. In fact, once my little girls figured out how to make these, we had yarn dolls everywhere! They learned how to be careful with scissors, and working with yarn was great training for their fine motor skills.

Materials:

• small skeins of white, brown or black yarn
• scraps of white and black paper
• small beads for eyes (and some thread to sew them on)
• 12" piece of cardboard or thin book for a tassel form

Girl Pilgrim Doll:

1. Start by making a large tassel. You'll need a form--something stiff to wrap your yarn around. You can use a piece of cardboard, wood, a thin book, just about anything. Your doll will end up about the same size as the tassel you make. So, pick the right size object to wrap. Using white or cream colored yarn, wrap around your form a few dozen times. Start and end your tassel with the loose ends of your yarn at the bottom of the form.

Wind yarn around a form. Cardboard will do.

Hints: The more you wrap, the larger and puffier your doll will be. Don't stretch the yarn as you wrap it or you'll end up with a shorter doll.

2. Cut your yarn (with the end at the bottom) and slide the ring of yarn off your form. Using smaller piece of the same color yarn, tie a tight knot at the very top of doll. Then tie another knot where the neck should be.

3. Cut the bottom loops so they are all free strands. Separate out two small sections of yarn for the arms. Cut the arms to the right length and tie knots at the wrists. Then tie another knot at the waist. Now you're ready to make the dress.

Tie tightly at top of head (through the loops) and at neck, waist and wrists.

4. Wind another tassel in black or brown yarn. This one doesn't need to be quite as full. Slide the loop off the form and divide the top strands in half. Slip the divided strands over the doll's head and pull down so both halves are resting on her shoulders. Tie a knot at the waist to hold the skirt on. Trim the skirt to the same length as the rest of the doll.

Split the brown tassel and slip over her head. Secure at waist.

5. To make her bonnet, take a small trapezoid-shaped piece of paper. Fold an inch back on the long end to make the brim. Fold the back edge (the shorter end) in half and tape or glue together. If the top is too pointy, fold the point down and secure with some tape. That should make it look flat across the top. Glue some ribbon or yarn ties to the sides.

6. Sew on small beads for the eyes.



Boy Pilgrim Doll:

To make a friend for your pilgrim, just follow steps 1-4 for the girl doll. Then separate the skirt section into two legs and tie knots at the ankles. Make a paper hat for him by cutting a trapezoid out of black construction paper; tape it together; trace a circular brim and tape it to the bottom of the hat. Then decorate by gluing on a yellow band and buckle.