Make Your Own String Doll!

Forget those expensive string dolls! Make your own, personalized string dolls! (Not intended for voodoo! ;P)

Posted by Jenevieve E.

About

I've been making these for a while now and I figured I better share how I make them so other people can enjoy making them, too! I know it looks like a lot of steps, but a lot of them go fast and there was really no easier way for me to explain it. :/ anyhow, enjoy!!

Share

You Will Need (7 things)

  • 1 Pony Beads
  • String
  • what ever color Crochet Thread optional
  • 2 any color Seed Beads
  • 1 Scissors
  • 1 Hot Glue Gun
  • to add to your doll Odds And Ends optional

Steps (30 steps, 15 minutes)

  1. 1

    create a base to make your string doll's body on. use Styrofoam and glue a guide on top so you know where to put your pins. the measurements for where the pins should go is in the image.

  2. 2

    now we begin to make the head. this is the brand of yarn/string I use, but anything you think will work can work. just be sure that your string isn't too thin, or your project will take twice as long to make and look half as nice!

  3. 3

    to start wrapping the head, it's easiest if you take a pony-bead and tie the string in a knot through it.

  4. 4

    now start wrapping around the bead, forming the head. make sure to wrap it tight and secure so it doesn't unravel! (I should know. It's a pain in the behind.)

  5. 5

    keep wrapping until your ball of string is a little less than an inch wide. Then, cut the string about a foot and a half or so away from the ball. add two seed beads of your choice and continue to wrap the head until it is about and inch wide.

  6. 6

    secure the end of the string to the heat with a dab from the hot glue gun, then cut off the access when the glue has completely hardened.

  7. 7

    set the head aside. Now we begin on the body! :D get out that pin board you made earlier. start wrapping your string around the pins until there are 3 or 4 loops around each pin.

  8. 8

    LISTEN UP! Here is where everything starts to get confusing!
    once finished, loop the string near the white pin on the board around each of the groups of loops (heh heh that rhymes!). Then tie that string and the string attached to the ball of yarn together. DO NOT CUT ANYTHING! the string attached to the yarn will be used to build up the rest of the body! remove the loops from the pegboard, like in the picture. see how it looks a pit like a person?

  9. 9

    we are starting by wrapping the leg. wrap the leg with the loops tight together. do this until you reach the end of the leg.

  10. 10

    now start wrapping back up the leg, with the loops tight as before. congrats! You've just completed the first leg! (No pun intended!)

  11. 11

    loop the string twice around the waist of the doll.

  12. 12

    Now wrap the other leg as you did the first leg. Yay! Now you've completed leg two!

  13. 13

    wrap the string twice over the opposite shoulder of the leg you just wrapped.

  14. 14

    wrap the same arm as the shoulder. You've probably got the hand of it by now! ;) then loop the string twice over the opposite shoulder.

  15. 15

    wrap the final arm.

  16. 16

    now wrap around the legs to create the torso.

  17. 17

    cut the string a ways from the body and thread your blunt needle. at the back of the body, draw the needle up under the tors you just wrapped. this kind of keeps it from unraveling. secure the string with a drop from your hot glue gun, then trim the access string.

  18. 18

    now grab the head you made earlier and secure it in the loop for the head.

  19. 19

    pull the head back and dab a bit of hot glue where the head joins to the body.

  20. 20

    once the glue hardens, turn the doll around and push it's head forward, repeating the step before except for the back of the head.

  21. 21

    now to further secure the head, dab glue around the top and sides of the head loop so the head doesn't unexpectedly pop out. (Trust me on this! it's pretty freaky, i'm saving you of a heart attack!) Yay! you can stop here if you want, but if you totally want to embellish your doll keep going!

  22. 22

    to make hair for our doll, loop crochet thread around three of your fingers.
    (Hint; more fingers to wrap around= longer hair)

  23. 23

    pull the loops off your finger and cut a string that's pretty long.

  24. 24

    tie the string into a knot around the loops.

  25. 25

    now cut the loops so they look like this.

  26. 26

    I can't really explain this next step, so use the picture as guidance. you sort of lay the strings flat so that they are radiating from the center.. does that make sense? :/

  27. 27

    maybe this picture explains it better?

  28. 28

    anyway, glue the hair to the doll's head. make sure all of the 'hairs' are thoroughly glued down. you don't want any flyaways.

  29. 29

    now just cut and style how you want! I gave the doll bangs in this picture.

  30. 30

    for clothes, wrap crochet thread around the body as you did the limbs. secure the thread in the back with dabs from the hot glue gun. then, add a keychain, a jump ring, whatever! just make it yours! ;D