Rapunzel's Blonde Highlights

By the time I finished making Rapunzel, I wanted to give her a haircut in the worst way. Personally, I'd think she'd be gorgeous bald. Ok, maybe not. But all that hair was definitely a challenge! Usually, I make curly hair by wrapping thread around a toothpick, soaking it, & removing it when it's dry. Of course, that wasn't good enough for Rapunzel. She was a high-maintenance gal. To get her look, I wrapped the thread around wire that was slightly smaller in diameter than a toothpick, to get smaller curls that would look better in volume. I wrapped thread around those wires for close to an hour to get enough curls, using two different colors of blonde to give her a more natural look.

If you look closely, you'll see that the curly tendrils that frame her face are smaller than the rest of her curls. I love that wispy look when small fly-away pieces escape and frame the face (clarification: I love it on dolls; I hate it when it happens on me!). To get that look, I made MORE curls, this time with a much smaller size of wire. Each of these curls had to be placed individually in particular spots to get that "the wind just did it" look.

To see more pictures of Rapunzel, stop by to visit her! It does get lonely in that tower...

Have you seen a doll on this blog or on my website that you'd like to know more about? Let me know! I'll feature her in a future post.

Why 'The Elegant Toothpick'?

I am a dollmaker. You can make dolls out of all sorts of things - clay, cloth & porcelain are the usual suspects. I use toothpicks. Look closely at Rapunzel here. Imagine the head stripped down to a single toothpick. Under the dress are two spindly little toothpick legs (thank goodness for floor-length skirts). Each arm is two pieces of toothpick, attached to look bent at the elbow. Everything added to the toothpick skeleton: the head, the body structure, the gown, the hair, the flowers, is all embroidery floss, or thread. Yes, I'm nuts; yes, I love it.

I've been making toothpick dolls for about 15 years now, & would love to share some of the techniques I've come up with. Got a trace of insanity running through you? It really does help. If you'd like to learn, stick around. Toothpick dolls are tiny, fiddly, exasperating, & oh-so-fun.

Oh, by the way, there is an easier version. Toothpick Doll Lite. A little more basic, but with just as much personality. I teach this version to girls at Birthday Parties & other get-togethers. If you want to learn, this is what you start out with. Someday I'll post a photo of the first doll I ever made. The sad little thing. In the meantime, check out more photos of both kinds of dolls at http://www.angelamichelledolls.com/