Making a Tassel Doll

One of the earliest dolls I ever made was a tassel doll.  A very simple little doll made of yarn.   If you can wrap yarn around a piece of cardboard and tie a knot, you can make this doll.

Tassel Doll

All you need is a piece of cardboard (or you can use a book or CD cover, anything to wrap yarn around.  The first one I made I used an old cassette tape cover), some yarn and a pair of scissors.   The card board I used was about 9 inches by 5 inches.  You an use any size but know that the smaller the item you are using to wrap, the smaller the doll will be.  

Cardboard and yarn

Now wrap the yarn around the cardboard (or whatever you are using) 50 times.   Make sure you have enough yarn left over to use as ties to make the different parts of the doll.  You will see what I mean  in a couple of steps.

Also once the doll is taken off the cardboard and it is completed it might be a bit smaller then the item used to wrap.  The cardboard I started with was 9 inches, my doll ended up being about 8 inches.




Wrap yarn 50 times around cardboard

Take a piece of yarn and tie it around one end of the bundle of yarn.  You can take it off the cardboard if it is easier but make sure not to drop it or you will have to wrap it all over.

Tie one end of the yarn bundle

At the opposite end of where you tied the bundle, cut the yarn so all it is loose like a tassel.

Cut end of bundle

                                                

With another piece of yarn, wrap it and then tie around the bundle where you would want the doll’s neck to be.  It is best if you wrap it a couple of times before tying it so it gives the appearance of a neck.  With all these yarns I use to tie, I hide the tail of the ties inside the rest of the yarn strings.  I think it helps secure the knots better than cutting the yarn close to the knot.

Tie yarn at neck

Once you have secured the neck, separate 15 strands of yarn from each side of the bundle.  These will be the arms.

Separate arms

Now take some more pieces of yarn and tie where you would want the wrists to be on each arm.

tie at wrist

Close up of wrists

Determine how big you want the hands to be and cut off the excess. Remember to do it for both arms.

Cut below the wrist to make the hands

It is now time to determine the waist line of our little doll.  Wherever you want the waist to be, that is where you put another tie.

tie at waist

Due to all the moving and cutting done with your doll, some of the yarn strings might have moved a bit so the edge of her ‘skirt’ might be a bit uneven.  Just take your scissors and even the yarn out.

Bottom of skirt

Trimmed skirt

You have now made a doll.  If you want the doll to be a boy, just divide the yarns of the skirt into two bundles and tie them at the ‘ankle’ like you did at the wrist.  It makes it look more like pants than a skirt.

The completed doll

Depending on the size of the item you used to wrap, you can make different size dolls and create a whole family of dolls.  Or with a small doll, attach a pin to the back and make a piece of jewelry or attach it go a package instead of a bow. Just remember to have fun.

 

©2018  - Cheryl Fillion