African Wrap Dolls Carol Duvall Show : Episode CDS-426 -- More Projects »
Artist/dollmaker Angela Briggs seems to be on an inspired mission as she creates her wrap dolls in a style that originated during the time of slavery, and also as she shares these dolls, and their respective stories, with children and adults. Briggs's characters reflect her history, as well as her love for nature and dedication to recycling. She combs outdoor locations for branches, twigs, leaves, pods, etc., to use as accessories for her dolls, and she gathers beads and buttons from a local thrift store. In the garment district where she lives, she rummages through fabric dumpsters for scraps and remnants to be used as filler and clothing for the dolls. Briggs also teaches her craft at her local art center, the Pasadena Art Armory. Wrap Doll Materials:
yarn
lint - for stuffing
cloth - 18" square, 5" square, 20" square
bottle - 8 oz. Aleene's Tacky Glue or glue gun
beads and shells
seeds
buttons
baskets (optional)
wire
branches
pine needles
synthetic hair
fabric trim
raffia
leather trim
Steps: - To form the head, place a ball of lint in the center of a small square of cloth (figure A). Gather the cloth together and tie a piece of yarn around it, letting excess material hang out. To form the body, repeat the preceding process with a large square of cloth around a bottle. The excess material will create the arms of the doll.
- Place the head on top of the body, and secure with yarn by criss-crossing the yarn over the shoulders and around the waist until the cloth is no longer visible (figure B). Continue wrapping the yarn up and around the neck, continue down to the waist.
- Tie another piece of yarn to the first piece and wrap around one shoulder. Continue out to the arms, working your way down the arm, and leaving some of the cloth to form the hand. Continue back up the arm, wrapping the yarn around until the cloth is no longer visible. Wrap around waist and tuck end of the yarn into the body.
  Figure C |
To wrap the garment, place a ball of glue in the corner of the fabric. Place glued fabric to the chest area and proceed to wrap the fabric around the chest under the arms, while creating folds to look as realistic as a draped garment (figure C). Use tacky glue to attach hair, beads, buttons, etc., as ornaments and facial features. Bend the arms to produce movement. Baskets, head wrap, etc., can be added to provide personality. Angela's Tips: - The sizes for the fabrics are approximate. Sometimes Angela uses old blouses or scarves, and the measurments wind up being more or less. Any fabric size that will produce a realistic draped garment is fine.
- If the baskets are not available, use large bottle tops or mussel shells.
- Recycled water, soda, and juice bottles may be used for the body.
Resources tacky glue - Aleene's Original
Available at local art and craft stores.
Duncan Enterprises
Website: www.duncancrafts.com
Guests Angela Briggs
Doll Maker, Teacher, Khatiti Wrap Dolls
PO Box 452405
Weschester, CA 90045-2405
Phone: 310-418-8839
URL: khatitiwrapdolls.com
Also in this Episode
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