Camp Kawartha campers who are part of Session N or “Nature Camp” got to try their hand at making their own corn husk dolls as part of an art elective called “Pioneer Crafting with Natural Materials” led by Jessica Lindeman. It’s a fun way to use those left over husks from your next corn roast.
Materials:
- Corn husks ripped in half long ways – about 6-8 per doll
- Medium bowl and water for soaking if necessary
- Pieces of leftover string,any thickness or colour will do
- Bits of scrap fabric, felt, wool and any fuzzy fibres for hair and clothing
- Scissors
- Markers for facial features if desired
Directions:
1. 
Soak your dried corn husks for about 20-30 minutes to soften them. or, use moist husks freshly peeled off the cob.
2. Head: take 6 or 8 husk pieces and tie tightly together with string about 1 inch from one end, turn upside down and fold each husk down like you are peeling a banana (trimming the top of the bundle in a semi-circle shape will make your head rounder).Tie off with string to make a neck.
3. Body: Take a half of a husk, split longways, fold in half and twist it. Divide body in half and insert piece horizontally to make arms.
4. Take 2 husk pieces and crisscross each piece over the shoulders like a shawl.
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5. Grasp the front and back of the shawl with your fingers and use string to wrap tightly close to the arms to create a waist. 6. Fold the arms in at the end and tie with string to create little hands if desired. 7. Create legs by dividing lose husks into two bundles and tie with string at ankles, or if you know you’ll be adding a skirt, keep husks undivided and neatly trim the edges along the bottom of the skirt. |
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8. Now you can get creative adding any clothing,hats and accessories that you like.
9. Create facial features with a marker or, for a more folksy feel, just leave the face blank.
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