The Craftiest Thing I Have Ever Done, Take 3, Fairy Dolls

Alternate title: We're Not Broken, We're Just Bendy Dolls..(sing it.  Like I did no less than 1,000 times while making these dolls.) 

Also called bendy dolls, flower fairies, or "faeries" if you are truly in the know, tiny dolls, or Waldorf dolls.

How did this start?  You ask, I ask. With most of my follies, it started by imagining a lunch.  A table that was Spring Woodland: mossy, green, woodsy, fairies hiding under ferns.  Then, wait, what if the little girls attending each got a jar that contained not a captured bug, but a tiny fairy, content to be adored?!! A fairy lunch! Not the glitter and sparkles and Disney music playing in the background type fairy party, but a more subtle and imaginative version.  I was really excited but knew Violet was way to young to appreciate any of these details.  I don't want her growing up just assuming that handcrafted little dolls are always just sitting around the house at her disposal, because then she would not appreciate them.

This was one of my early prototypes. Notice how her arms are big and bulky, as if she has been burned in a fire and bandaged. (No offense to burn victims)

But.. my niece Vivian was about to visit, almost age 8 and at the tail end of when she might play with these tiny dolls, so for her, I learned to make them. At first I was tempted to order a couple off of Etsy and call it a day. There are plenty to chose from. But they are expensive and I often wanted to modify them in some way.  So I bought a pattern and taught myself to fish*. 

These were not easy to learn how to make.  The pattern didn't help much. A Craft Expert Friend came over and tried to help me make sense of the instructions. They were still tricky. These sights helped the most: the enchanted tree and the breezy tulip.

Now let's take a look at these dolls!!

In case these don't look impressive enough, know that they are a slender 3 inches in height.

 When I first started, I foolishly thought I that, because they were small, I could keep all my supplies in one shoe box. Ha. This large cookie sheet has been sitting on top of my book shelf for months. And this doesn't even include the sacks of fake flowers.  That's right, fake flowers. What once I abhorred, I now embrace.  I have spent many trips to the craft store combing over the very "silk" flowers I use to condemn. You see, their skirts are made of disassembled fake flowers.  And I am not ashamed.(maybe a little)

 If you look closely, you can see two "boy dolls" made in an effort to include Davy and Whitman in the festivities. Justin made me stop calling them "fairy boys". (no offense to fairy boys)

If I ever give you a tiny doll, know that I must really, really like you, and I must be feeling very generous.  Or I'm trying to win you over.
It took me several tries and some experimenting before I got what works down. (Necklace beads and extra fine tipped oil pens for the face-that was a break through.) But once I showed how to make these to my sister and to my two teenage nieces, they picked it up immediately and made their own variations. If you want to have a tiny doll making party one night at my house, say the word. I have lots of supplies.

I started this in late spring and haven't touched it since then.  I have lots of ideas for Autumn dolls: fall leaves, acorn hats, felt riding coats, etc, but fear I may never get to it. You see, since being pregnant, I like to sit at night. And do nothing. Like a vegetable.

You must have a million questions for me.

And if you sweet talk me, I'll show you pictures of the lunch(es).

*I would have saved a load of money if I had purchased the already made dolls. But just think of the skills I've learned in the process and how far they will take me in life!