| Tomato-Cage Dolls |
From "DIY Crafts"
episode DIC-123 |
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Dian Thomas, author and craft demonstrator representing VisionsB. Air-Painting System, has come up with a way to make dolls using a tomato cage, a wire hanger, paint, plastic foam, hot glue and a few other decorative pieces. Dian begins with a Father Christmas doll. Materials:
Tomato cage
Wire hanger
Masking tape
Thin wire
Newspaper or brown paper
Paper for template
Scissors
Sewing machine
Wire cutters
Craft doll eyes
Pins
Hot glue and gun or Tacky Glue
6" plastic foam ball
Plastic foam egg
16-oz. string mop head
Visions Air-Painting System, flesh color, red, and black
1/4 cup white glue plus 1/4 cup water
1 3/4 yards heavy fabric
2 feet of 4"-wide fake fur
Gold felt
8" x 8" piece of muslin
Floral wire
Optional: cording or rope, floral spray, eyeglasses, ribbon
- Pull the wires at the top of a tomato cage together and tape in place. Cut off the tops of the wires 4" above the tape so a plastic foam head can be secured on them (figure A).
- Straighten a wire hanger. Bend it into an L shape for the arms.
- Fold brown paper or newspaper around the arms, and tape in place with masking tape (figure B). Tape the arms to the top of the tomato cage.
- Using one yard of 54" fabric, seam along the selvage edge to make the robe. Turn under a 3" hem. Use fusible webbing for the hem if desired. Turn the robe right side out (figure C).
- To make sleeves, cut fabric pieces 20" by 30". Fold in half widthwise, and sew seam (sleeves will be approximately 10" by 30"). Make a 6" hem on one end of each sleeve. Turn the sleeves right side out (figure D).
- Cut a right-triangle shape, and sew along the short bottom side and the longest side to create a hat. Turn the hat right side out (figure E).
- To make mittens, cut a paper template approximately 7" by 5", and round the top of one of the shorter edges. Place the curved top on the fold of a piece of gold felt, and cut out the mitten (figure F). Stitch around. Turn right side out and stuff (figure G).
- To make the head, indent the middle of the 6" foam ball by rolling it on the edge of a countertop (figure H).
- Cut a foam egg in half lengthwise. Push one half into the head below the indented line and secure with pins. Pinch the top half of each side to make it look more like a nose (figure I).
- Cut the other half egg in half again lengthwise, and pin each piece onto the head horizontally above the indentation for the brow line. Squeeze the foam pieces together with your fingers to make them thinner, as eyebrows would look (figure J).
- Combine 1/4 cup water and 1/4 cup white glue. Dip the 8" x 8" piece of muslin into the glue and let soak until the fabric is saturated. Squeeze out excess glue, place the muslin over the foam face (figure K), and pin into place. Cover only the face. Let the muslin dry overnight. Remove pins after muslin has dried.
- Paint the entire muslin face with flesh-color paint, using the Visions Air-Painting System. Add a little red to the flesh color for blush on cheeks and nose. Paint the mouth red, with black in the center.
- Once the paint has dried, cut a slit in the muslin where eyes should be. Pull back the muslin and insert the eyes. Position muslin over and under the eyes to look like eyelids. Brush a small amount of black around the eyes to create the appearance of lashes, being careful not to get paint on the eyes.
- To make the beard, fold the mop head in half, and glue it along the fabric band. Attach the beard to the face along the chin, using pins to keep it in place (figure L). Cut a few strands of the mop to fashion eyebrows (figure M). Cut a few longer strands and glue under the nose for a mustache (figure N). For a fuller beard, hot-glue separate strands of the mop head, and trim as needed.
- Glue the hat onto the doll's head. Use pins to hold it in place. Glue fur trim around the hat and face. Glue small pieces from the mop around the face at the hairline so that some "hair" shows under the hat (figure O).
- Drape the robe over the tomato cage, and secure it to the top with floral wire. Place each sleeve on an arm, and wire in place with floral wire. Wire a mitten to the end of each arm.
- Push the head into place onto wires. Put wire glasses on the doll. Add a floral spray and ribbons, and place a wreath or any desired items in the doll's arms to create a festive look (figure P).
RESOURCES :
air painting system
Testors "Visions" Air-Painting System.
The Testor Corp. (Visions, Aztek)
Rockford, IL 61104
Phone: 815-962-6654
Fax: 815-962-7401
Email: testors@testors.com
Website: www.testors.com
Dian Thomas Communications
Dian Thomas Communications
Website: www.dianthomas.com
Holiday Fun Year-Round With Dian Thomas
ISBN: 0962125725
Fun at Home
ISBN: 0962125792
Author: Dian Thomas
Dian Thomas Communications
Website: www.dianthomas.com
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