This week, with the Olympics under way and many school and local sports events in the near future, Roy wanted to make some sort of mascot. He wanted it to be very simple to make though, because he was a little short of time. He asked me if I had any ideas, and I remembered a type of yarn doll which I used to make when I was little. I used to make this little doll in my school house colours and use it at School Sports Carnivals, and I suggested this might be perfect. The only problem was, it was years since I had made one, and I couldn't quite remember how to do it. A little experimentation jogged the memory though, and soon Roy had a cute little doll in Green and Gold to barrack for Australia. So this week, Roy Creates A Yarn Doll Mascot.
You Will Need:
- Wool. You can use whatever colours you like to make your doll, but Roy used Green and Gold as these are the Australian Olympic colours. You could make the doll in your school house colours though, or even in the colours of your favourite football team.
- A CD case to use for wrapping the wool. For a smaller doll you can use your hand, or for a bigger doll, cut a piece of cardboard. Whatever size the wrapping 'tool' is, is the size your doll will be.
Optional:
- You might like to give your doll hair or clothing. If you want to do this, you will need scraps of fabric and more wool, possibly in a contrasting colour. You will also need glue or needle and thread to hold them in place.
Method:
- If you are using two different colour wools, like Roy did, tie the ends together.
- Loop the wool around the CD case, and tie a knot to secure it in place.
- Now, wrap the wool around and around and around the CD case. The more times you wrap the wool around, the fatter your doll will be.
- Tightly tie a short piece of wool around the centre of the loops of wool, at the top of the CD case, as Roy is doing above. This will keep the loops together when you slide them off the CD case and also form the top of the head. You can tie this into a bow if you like, or make a loop so the doll can hang up. Otherwise, just trim the wool off near the knots.
- Carefully slide the wool off the CD case
- Take another short piece of wool and tie it around the loops of wool where you want the neck to be. Make sure you have pulled the tie tight and knotted it a few times to keep it from coming undone.
- Cut through the loops at the base of the dolly so that you have lots of 'ends'
- Separate a few strands out to make arms and pull them up towards the head. Make sure you use enough to make nice, fat arms. If you like, you can plait the arms.
- Tie a short piece of wool where you would like the end of the arms to be and then trim the ends to make short, wooly hands and to hold the pieces together.
- Tie another piece of wool below the arms to make a body and waist, as Roy has done above
- Now, to finish your doll. If you are wanting a girl doll, you can leave her as is, so she has a woolly skirt. If you would like to make legs though . . .
- Separate the loops of wool into two bundles. If you like you can plait the legs. Tie a short piece of yarn just above the ends of each and trim to make short, woolly feet.
- Now, go and support your favourite team!