Hollyhock dolls have been enchanting folks for generations. They make delightful table decorations and are fun for the whole family to make. This old-fashioned craft is easy, requiring only blooms from a hollyhock plant and some toothpicks! Here’s how to create a hollyhock doll.
Supplies
- Hollyhock blooms both small and large
- Toothpicks
- Hollyhock leaf
Instructions
Break off an open bloom including the green sepal, and invert it for the skirt. You can use multiple blooms for a layered effect.
Push a toothpick horizontally through the sepal to form arms.
For the face, push a toothpick vertically through the middle of a green (unripened) seed pod, with the seedpod in the middle of the toothpick; then attach to body by pushing it down through the middle of the sepal.
For the hair/hat, attach a small, barely opened bloom to the toothpick sticking up past the face.
We’d love to see how creative you get with your hollyhock dolls. Hashtag your creations with #botanicalinterests on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
We made Hollyhock dolls in summer camp in McHenry County, IL in 1958. Take the completed doll and set her gently on top of the water in a pan of water. They will turn in circles; the main point of making the dolls was to watch them spin and dance for you!
Wow Brigitte, thanks for sharing!
🙂 Brings back memories of spending summers with my grandmother.
I grew up playing with Hollywood dolls. I am 84 and have good memories of beautiful Hollyhocks.
We played with hollyhocks as a child too. We caught bumblebees in them and let them go after shaking them up. I wish I had known about the dolls. But we all loved the hollyhocks.
My mother who was born in the late 1920’s told me about making and playing with hollyhock dolls. I love seeing this.
We use to play with the hollyhock dolls too in the late 1940’s. Their skirts were so beautiful. We also ate the seeds removed from the unripened seed pods. Guess it was okay. I’m 79!