Create a wooden doll decorating kit. A simple gift.

I came across these small wooden dolls about a year ago. They are quite popular amongst parents and teachers following the Waldorf method of parenting and education, which at the time I was adding to my own parenting repertoire.

The dolls can be purchased already painted and made up through Etsy, but with my creative children I knew that this just wasn't an option! So I decided to put together boxes, including all that they would need to decorate the dolls themselves. 

It is a fun gift for children who like to create their own toys. I made them for Christmas presents last year. Lucy has decorated and redecorated hers many times. Isabel has spent hours on one doll at a time, measuring, cutting, recutting, gluing, changing her mind and redoing. She still has a few dolls undecorated because she is 'saving them' for later. I don't think she wants the project to end. Over the year the girls have created beds, homes etc. for the dolls out of recyclable materials (many times because I relocate the recyclables to the bin often.)

The Wooden Doll Box

Materials:

- A box

I chose a red cardboard boxes for my girls. These small boxes came with the writing boxes I made previously, and were perfect. As the boxes are all on our study shelves they look great together.

- Wooden dolls. I chose dolls that resembled the members of our family at the time, including a little baby. I found raw wood versions on Etsy. I searched for about 20 minutes to find the best group of dolls. This was a great mindless job for the end of the day after the kids were in bed. The little fabric bags came with the dolls. My only advice would be to check the postage before you commit to a purchase. Some sellers are really reasonable, but others charge a great deal for international postage.

- Felt. Lots of sellers on Etsy sell off cuts or scraps of felt, so I bought a small bulk lot. I was really surprised at the quality, the vast array of colours, and it was so much cheaper than buying the rectangles of felt from Spotlight. Again, check postage costs.

- Material for the lid. This only needs to be a scrap of material. I used pinking shears to cut around the edge so the fabric wouldn't fray.

- Lace and fancy string or wool. This I purchased from the Kmart scrapbooking section, but could be purchased at other department stores, craft stores, or sewing stores.

And that's it! Just arrange everything nicely in the box and make sure you have craft glue and scissors ready. I chose to make them a paint-less experience (we paint enough!!) although this would improve the overall look and provide another dynamic for older children.

Below are pictures of the boxes a year on (tidied by me) and the scraps I am not allowed to throw out because they both claim to have plans for.

Jen.x