DIY – WOODEN PEG DOLLS

Wooden Peg dolls also known as Dutch dolls are made of wood. They are usually are sold undressed and the children playfully make dresses or paint on the wooden dolls to decorate their Doll houses. This is fun project as the kids love to play with water and paint. So, let’s make some Wooden Peg dolls!

I really love this art project because it’s made of wood. Now don’t get me wrong, we do have some plastic toys at home. But the fact that this project will not pollute the earth is a big plus for me. Another plus is that we can create any characters by painting and dressing them up so the child is happily engaged. Once the project is done, the child will be ready to play with these wooden peg dolls or use it in nooks and crannies as decoration.

Krishna and Radha Wooden Peg dolls

Sourcing of the wooden peg dolls are also easy. You can visit sites like Amazon or flipkart and purchase them for very little amount. Once you have sourced your main raw material for the project, you can begin.

Things needed for the project

Wooden peg dolls

Paint brushes

Acrylic Paint (as per your choice of character)

Water

Rag cloth

Satin varnish

Start by Sanding your peg dolls. Generally, the peg dolls are smooth and you can begin painting on them immediately. But sometimes, they are rough, if so sand the peg dolls to give a smooth finish.

After you have done sanding, you can move to the next step. You can choose what characters you want to paint. The characters can be anything from human to animals and birds. I usually narrate a lot of stories and my daughter and I end up painting our favourite characters from the stories.

Once you have decided on the character, you can use a pencil and draw the outline on the peg doll. You can add as much of detail you want now. This is in fact an important step and helps shape the doll. Don’t worry, the pencil marks will not be shown once you have finished painting.

wooden peg dolls - pencil sketch

After you have outlined with pencil, you can actually use the acrylic paint to paint your wooden peg doll.

Lord Rama and Lord Hanuman – Wooden peg Dolls – Inspired by Ramayana

Finally, use a top coat on your peg doll to give you the glossy finish.

Admire your work!

How to care for your wooden peg dolls

Always tech your children to play responsibly. To take care of the peg dolls so that they are always in pristine condition. Since they are tiny, they can get lost and you can give a basket or a pouch to store the peg dolls safely. Also keep looking at the state of the peg dolls. Sometimes, the top coat gets worn out. Keep applying fresh varnish to give the dolls a new and a fresh look.

Now that you have read how to make your own Peg Dolls, I can’t wait to see your creative work. Send me some pictures or your peg dolls or leave your comments in the section below. You can also follow me on Facebook or Instagram for the latest DIY projects.