After transforming this house shelf into a simple play dollhouse for my toddler daughter, I figured I should probably also make her some dolls to go with it. She has a lot of plastic figurines (a la Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, which I’m sure will make their way into the house too), but not any people.
I bought these small wooden peg dolls at Hobby Lobby on sale, so I got two 5-packs for $1.50. I should note the package states these aren’t toys. (But neither are milk caps or clothespins, and she plays with things like that everyday.) Use your judgement, people.
These are the tiny 1.5 inch “boy” size. I went with the small ones so they wouldn’t be banging their heads on the ceilings. But as I was painting them, I started to think I should have upgraded to the slightly larger “man” size. (Peg dolls with more feminine tapered bodies are also available.)
I painted them with a bunch of different craft paints and latex paint samples. I kept them simple and monochromatic, leaving the faces as natural wood.
I was going to leave the dolls with eyes only, but they started to look sorta alien.
So I added subtle pink smiles. They look a little goofy (and Elise is probably going to nail me about the missing noses), but they don’t look so buggy-eyed anymore. After a coat of glossy sealer, they were looking pretty cute.
See the “trash to treasure” dollhouse transformation >>
I remember that house! It’s super cute. And love the people. I bought some wood forms awhile back…maybe I’ll craft some ornaments. xoxo
Oh, the craft supplies you can find at Value Village! Ornaments would be cute… I saw some peg doll necklaces on Pinterest!
These are just beautiful. I was wondering if you could tell me what you used as the top coat glossy “sealer”. I bought some little peg dolls and I’m planning to make the for my little toddler and her sister for their upcoming birthdays. You did a fabulous job, I’m sure your daughter treasures them!
Thank you!
The clear sealer I used was just a clear acrylic spray sealer you can get from a craft store. I forget which brand I used here, but I have used Krylon and also the Hobby Lobby house brand with good results. You may have to do two coats depending on how glossy you want them. Good luck!