Dolls From Recycled Materials

[Liz in Kansas]

Have you thought about making a doll using recycled and "found" materials?  There are a lot of examples of dolls made with sticks, feathers, leaves, etc.  What I'm thinking of is the stuff you don't really want to put in the trash.

 

For instance, the computer group where I used to work gave me a bag full of outdated computer parts.  There are circuit boards, wires, funny adapter pieces and several unidentifiables.  How could I make a doll from these parts?  Wire in her hair.  Maybe wings from the circuit boards.  Ah - shoes out of the chips on the boards.  I'll get a photo of some of the parts up soon.

 

What other trash can we turn into treasure?

[mauvedragon]

I've got an idea for a Daiad doll. Embroidered with blue lines in geometric patterns, with yarn and audio tape hair. I haven't had time to create her yet.

[Elena Malec]

I made a bunny from rags, here it is.This is a birtday gift for a friend in Austria.

[Liz in Kansas]

Oooh, mauvedragon! I think the audio tape would make great hair! Hmmm. Wonder where I can scrounge an old tape. You may have unleashed a monster!

mauvedragon said:

I've got an idea for a Daiad doll. Embroidered with blue lines in geometric patterns, with yarn and audio tape hair. I haven't had time to create her yet.

[Liz in Kansas]

Elena, your bunny is so cute. Those flowered ears are darling. Your friend will love this.

Elena Malec said:

I made a bunny from rags, here it is.This is a birtday gift for a friend in Austria.

[mauvedragon]

Op shop/thrift shop is where I get mine. $1 per tape.

[Elena Malec]

thanks Liz; my bunny girl got stranded on her way to Austria with this volcano in Island crazy delays and i have no clue when she will get there.BTW the flowery part was a bikini never used but in the fabric scraps sack;)

Liz in Kansas said:

Elena, your bunny is so cute. Those flowered ears are darling. Your friend will love this.

Elena Malec said:

I made a bunny from rags, here it is.This is a birtday gift for a friend in Austria.

[Liz in Kansas]

Cool! I bet I can find some in my cabinets, though. Like the box of vinyl records, the technology goes away but somehow my house keeps the "stuff". LOL!

mauvedragon said:

Op shop/thrift shop is where I get mine. $1 per tape.

[Judy B]

I have used audio tapes for hair of witches, and I wondered if it would work for hair and beard of a wizard.

I have a collection of craft stitcks, formerly used as icecream sticks which will become little people to hang on a Christmas tree. I have also used old and new broomsticks as doll bodies. (I ran out of old ones and had to buy more!)

Cardboard thread cones are perfect for pop-up dolls as well as forms for a standing doll.

I have used a lot of mop string for hair and beards, but that was never recycled, thank you!

[Annie Thomas Wall]

I'm a weaver and I keep the "thrums" (warp left over from projects) to use as hair. I've never thought of making dolls from the kind of re-cyclables that you're talking about. Have to think about this!
Annie

[paperpest]

This doll
is made from the liner of an old curtain and an old blouse of mine. I've been working on stash reduction and I keep rethinking about the things I have. I loved that blouse, but somehow I got a stain on the front.

[Yoby]

I want to make dolls that have a torso made out of old altoid mints cans. They come in all sizes and shapes. I actually bought a mold for doll faces made out of clay, but would rather experiment with paper m ache.

[Liz in Kansas]

Yobi, I love the altoid tins! I've made a couple of dolls using them. One was for a "box" challenge and I made her body from a box and then her head from an altoid tin with the face sculpted on the lid. It's fun to experiment with these, isn't it?

Yoby said:

I want to make dolls that have a torso made out of old altoid mints cans. They come in all sizes and shapes. I actually bought a mold for doll faces made out of clay, but would rather experiment with paper m ache.