DIY Network

Recycling Jeans Into Dolls From "DIY Crafts" episode DIC-145

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Although Judy's dolls are large and lifelike, they're easy and inexpensive to make from recycled materials. Figure A Figure B Figure C Figure D Figure E Figure F Figure G

Professional artist Judy Mulford has come up with a great way to recycle old jeans that you've outgrown or that have gone out of style: turn them into life-size dolls that can serve as decorations around your house.

Materials:

Six to eight large sheets of newspaper
ScotchB. tape
CrayolaB. crayon or pencil
Scissors
Old bed sheet
1' of stacked newspapers shredded into small strips
Old clothes: shoes, socks, hat and wig
18" stick or straight branch
Ruler or short stick
Straight pins

1. For the pattern, tape four to six large pieces of newspaper together at the edges.

2. Have a subject lie down on the newspaper with arms and legs spread out. Trace around the person with a crayon or pencil. Avoid using a marker, which would seep through the newspaper to the surface below (figure A).
   

3. Cut out the head and body to the crotch. Cut out legs and arms separately. Angle feet sideways before cutting out (figure B).
   

4. Fold the sheet in half, and pin on the pattern pieces. Cut around the pieces 1" from the pattern edges. Cut four pieces for the arms and legs (figure C).
   

5. Machine or hand-stitch the pieces together, and clip the curves (figure D).
   

6. Stuff the body with 1/2"-wide strips of newspaper. Stuff three-fourths of the head, and add a stick. Stuff solidly around the stick in the head and the neck. The stick will add support to the neck. Use the ruler or shorter stick to solidly pack the newspaper. This is important to keep the head upright (figure E).
   

7. Finish stuffing the body, and whip-stitch the lower body together. Stuff the arms and legs.

8. Tie strings around the elbows and knees. Sew the arms to the top of the shoulders and the legs to the bottom of the body.

9. Dress the doll with your subject's clothes. Wigs and hats are important to the character of the final piece. If the doll is female, create breasts by adding a bra and stuffing the cups with old socks. Faces may be left blank, or you may draw on features (figure F).
   

• These soft "people" are great fun to make and place around your house. You can make one in less than a day.

• If you're a woman and drive long distances alone, leave the legs off a male doll, and place him in your passenger seat.

• To make the dolls look more real, purchase a lifelike head mask (figure G).