Waxed Paper-Bag Art Dolls

One look and you understand these are not paper dolls in the true sense of the word. These are paper dolls only in that they are made of paper. Call them Art Dolls. And what do you do with them? You'll think of something.

By Carol Duvall • More from Carol Duvall Show
Filed under: Art, Stamping, How To, Crafts

Materials and Tools:

brown paper lunch bags
colored pencils
sewing machine
beeswax melted per manufacturer's directions *
aluminum foil
scissors
pencil
black permanent ink pen
face image from a photograph or magazine
glue stick
stickers, fibers, beads, stamps and ink (optional)
double-sided tape

* Note: Yes, you can use paraffin if you wish, but the beeswax is preferable because it leaves the paper more flexible, it will be less inclined to crack and the "doll" will hold her shape better.

Figure A

Steps:

1. Select an image of a face from either a magazine, clip art or a copy of a photo. Size is not crucial because there is nothing realistic about these dolls, but it should be large enough to see easily — at least 1 inch or more (figure A).

Figure C

2. Cut off the flat bottom of a paper lunch bag and cut out the seam that runs down the back (figure C).

Figure E

3. Spread the piece of paper out flat and fold in half vertically (figure E).

Figure F

4. Glue the face to the front of the sack (the top layer). Position it in the middle of the top third of the bag (figure F). This will leave room for you to add a crown, a headdress, or some such ridiculous item.

5. Draw hair or a hat or the above mentioned headdress, crown or whatever above the face.

Figure H

6. Give the face a neck and a body of sorts. The body lines down the sides should be at least 4 inches or more apart. They can be straight or curved, but should go all the way to the bottom of the bag (figure H).

7. Go over the pencil lines with a permanent black pen.

Figure J

8. Decorate your doll by drawing straight or squiggly lines; add geometric shapes and any desired decoration. You can also stamp images or words, and/or add stickers, beads, etc.

9. Color with pencils (figure J).

Figure K

10. Place a few short lengths of double-stick tape inside the doll to hold it together; then cut out around it, leaving at least a 1-inch border all the way around.

11. Making sure that the paper is still taped to hold the bag together, stitch around the doll — preferably on a sewing machine. Stitch on or very close to the drawn lines (figure K). Do not stitch across the bottom. A contrasting color thread is suggested.

Figure L

12. Cut away the excess paper, cutting about 1/8 or 1/4 inch outside the stitched lines. Cut across the bottom to make it straight. If desired, decorate the back of your doll (figure L).

Figure N

13. In an electric skillet, melt the beeswax to 200 F degrees. If you do not want to melt the wax in your skillet, pour in some water then place a small aluminum foil throwaway pan in the skillet, or use a standard baking pan or casserole dish lined with aluminum foil. You can also use a double-boiler filled with the wax. If using a double-boiler, you will dip your doll in the wax using tongs. If using the skillet, make yourself a holder from aluminum foil: Tear off a length of the foil, scrunch it up and roll it until you have a sturdy stick. Bend it up about 10 inches from one end. Insert the long end into the doll. Hold the shorter end in your hand and dip the doll in the wax (figure N). Make certain that the doll is completely covered on both sides with the wax. Hold it over the wax to let any excess drip off; then stand her up to dry completely.

14. If there are any white spots where there is a build-up of the wax, use a heat gun to melt off the surplus.

Figure Q

Once you have made one of these dolls, you will see how really easy they are to make and what fun they can be. Then make a bunch to use as: table favors (figure Q), place cards, on sticks as a centerpiece, a grouping for a temporary "art piece" or use longer bags to make wine bottle covers. See below for even more examples.