This idea came to me like most good ideas do: in an instant and clear as can be.
For last week’s baby shower, I knew I wanted simple vases of flowers for centerpieces, but needed a little something extra.These swaddled peg doll babies are cute and babyish, but still simple and modern. They were just the touch the flowers needed.
I started by painting peg dolls (the same ones like I used here). They are available at craft stores for just a dollar or two a pack. You could also leave them the natural or spray them with a clear sealer to bring out the woodgrain.
I left mine faceless. (Actually, I tried drawing some simple eyes and they looked pretty wacko, so I painted over the faces and left them blank.)
Then it was time to get those babies dressed! I cut some thin cotton fabric into squares approximately twice the height of the peg dolls. I folded all the edges in and pressed them with an iron. This is just so the raw edges of the fabric would be hidden.
Then I swaddled the peg doll just like you might swaddle a real baby. For those unfamiliar with the process, you:
1. Fold the top corner of the fabric down and put the baby in
2. Fold over one side
3. Fold up the bottom
4. Fold over the other side and tuck in.
Except instead of tucking, I used hot glue to tack every step in place. I used very very small dabs of glue, hardly pressing the hot glue gun trigger at all.
For the first one, I was very concerned about getting it swaddled tight and correct and when that was done, I reminded myself that this was, in fact, not a real baby and didn’t need to be swaddled properly and granted myself some artistic license. I don’t think any of them are exactly the same, but that was more by accident than by design.
These weren’t difficult to make, but they didn’t go as quick as I might have liked. I wouldn’t sign myself to make hundreds of these or anything; a handful was enough for me.
Then it was time to create some sort of pick to stick these babies in the vases. I found this floral wire at the dollar store. (It’s also available at craft stores, but this smaller package was all I needed.) This wire is very soft and easy to bend, but it holds its shape well.
I cut small lengths with a scissors, then I simply wrapped one end around the peg doll baby.
Yep, that’s it! Stick in the flower arrangement and done!
