Make Pantyhose People!

Image Gallery Save those old panty hose! Each of these unique dolls is tangible proof that you should never throw anything away. GUY HARRIS

Being blizzard-bound can frazzle almost anyone now and then, and I'm no exception to the rule. I do try, however, to keep myself occupied during the cold season with a variety of interesting projects that help drive off the "midwinter blahs."

And the inspiration for one of my most entertaining endeavors came to me as I flipped through an article on how to make a comforter by stuffing old panty hose into squares pieced from material scraps.

Well, since I had sacks full of old nylons, and plenty of odds and ends in my scrap bag, the notion appealed to me. I didn't, however, relish the thought of cutting out 300 identical squares of fabric. So I twisted the idea around and stuffed the panty hose instead!

Once I'd gone that far, my imagination took off. Before long I found myself holding an odd little person fashioned from the piece of stuffed legwear. I went on to add arms and legs (giggling as I worked) and decked out the "stocking being" in homemade clothes. I knew I had a winner when my ornery old dog Omen began to growl at the funny little intruder.

I spent the remainder of that winter adding new, and often stranger, additions to the panty hose "family." When spring finally arrived, I herded my created crew into the nearest tourist town. The dolls proved to be extremely popular, and I suddenly found myself with a pocket full of cash and orders!

Actually, old stockings have been used for hundreds of years in the making of dolls (remember the sock monkey?). And the invention of nylons brought about a whole new range of design possibilities. The elasticity of hosiery material makes it perfect for molding facial features, and the simplicity of the technique guarantees that just about anybody who wishes to make his or her own dolls in this manner can expect to be pleased with the results.

Gather the Basics

You'll need only a few basic items to create your first stocking person: a needle and thread, a pair of unwearable panty hose, material scraps, scissors, a popsicle stick or tongue depressor, white glue, and a bag of polyester fiberfill. Try to use thread that closely matches the shade of hose you'll be working with, since by doing so you can make the stitches all but invisible.

Before you begin, you should also gather up a few buttons, some yarn, feathers, ribbon, or bells. Let your imagination be your guide, but remember to exclude tiny beads or buttons (or anything that could be swallowed) if your doll will be used as a gift for a young child.

A sewing machine can be a great help when assembling the doll's clothes, but if you have the time and enjoy stitching by hand (or if you lack electricity), it is quite easy to sew the togs manually.