MAKE APPLEHEAD DOLLS
(Page 3 of 3)
July/August 1980
By Julie and Robert Downes
In about three weeks, the appleheads will be totally free of moisture, and withered to half their original size. Take them down and give each one a thin coat of clear shellac or varnish . . . to protect the fruit from further deterioration.
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THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Next, it's time to make each of those wrinkled old faces into a "person". Pull apart a cotton ball and glue it around the face to form a snowy halo of hair. (If you're making a "granny" doll, you might want to arrange the fuzz into a tiny bun on top of her head.)
To form the figure's body, use pliers to twist a thin coat hanger into a simple stick figure. It's a good idea to shape the limbs with a double thickness of wire (as shown in the photo), so that the little fellow-or lady-will be sturdy. Next, wrap strips of old sheets around the arms, legs, and trunk of the figure . . . to put a little "meat" on the doll's bones! (You can secure the rags on the wire form with either rubber bands or adhesive tape.)
If there's a seamstress in your family (or if you're handy with a needle yourself), you can design simple down-home clothes for the miniature figures . . . to be made from blue denim or other fabric scraps, or the usable portions of wornout garments.
Once you've dressed your "pippin people", attach a head to each body by skewering it firmly on the protruding "neck" of the stick figure. You'll also need to make hands and boots for the doll (they can be carved out of wood, or made from chunks of dried apple). And finally-to give your applehead oldsters a healthy, back-to-the-land glow-you might want to "rosy-up" their cheeks with a small brush dipped in red acrylic paint.
And that's really all there is to it, folks. It's "as easy as apple pie"-and funto make one-of-a-kind dolls . . . with no more of an investment than a few common household supplies, a bit of your spare time, and some imagination. Give one of your creations to a child iwho's bound to be delighted with it - and then give yourself a pat on the back. . . you've s just allowed the youngster to experience the old-fangled tradition . owning a homemade, natural toy.
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