Spool Baby

Height 3 1/2-inches (including hair)

Materials:

  • 6-inch square of printed fabric (for skirt)
  • 4-inch square of coordinating plain fabric (for arms)
  • Scrap of 3/8-inch wide lace
  • 6-inch piece of 1/8-wide ribbon
  • 2-inch length of 3-ply jute (hair)
  • 1 1-inch (25mm) wooden bead with a 3/16-inch hole (head)
  • 4 wooden spools - ¾-inch tall, ½-inch dia. (arms and legs)
  • 2 3/8-inch (10mm) wooden beads (hands)
  • 2 ½-inch wooden balls (feet)
  • Acrylic paint (black, white and red)
  • Fine point paintbrush
  • Blush
  • Hot glue gun and glue sticks
  • Needle
  • Thread
  • Saw

Instructions:

Head: Using a saw, cut 1/8-inch off one side of the 1-inch wooden bead. This will be the base of the head (see fig. 1). Take a 2-inch length of jute and twist one end. Place a small amount of hot glue on the twisted end of jute and poke it through the hole on rounded end of the bead. Fray the jute so it looks like hair. Tie a small bow with ribbon and glue it to the top of the head. Set aside.

Arms: Cut 2 pieces of contrasting fabric to measure 5/8-inch by 2-inches. Glue a piece of fabric around each spool. Glue flat ends of the two fabric covered spools together. Glue a 3/8-inch wooden bead to the end of each spool for hands. Set aside.

Legs: Glue two remaining spools together side-by-side. Glue a ½-inch wooden ball on the top of each spool (see fig. 2). Set aside.

Skirt: Cut a 4-inch circle out of print fabric. Sew a gathering stitch around the edge of the circle (see fig. 3). Pull the threads so the edges meet in the center (see fig.4). Tie threads and clip.

Finishing: Glue legs to ungathered side of skirt so the feet meet the edge of the skirt (see fig. 5). Turn piece over so the gathered side of skirt is up and the legs are on the bottom. Glue arms to the center of skirt. Glue the head to the center of the arms. Cut a 3 ½-inch length of lace. Stitch a running stitch along unfinished edge. Wrap lace around the neck of the doll and gather evenly. Tie threads together in back of the doll. Paint face and let dry. Brush a small amount of blush on cheeks.