Make your own Flower Doll
One of my earliest memories of life on our Indiana farm was of my aunt showing me how to make a doll from the flower of the Althea Rose of Sharon bush growing in the front yard. The petals made a lovely long dress and the doll’s head was the unopened bud of another flower. While visiting my husband’s family I noticed the same flowers blooming all around and took advantage of the opportunity to make a doll for you.
To make the doll, pick a flower with the longest petals that are not fully opened. Pinch the stem off completely and use a toothpick to make a small hole into the base of the flower where the stem had been. Then pick a green bud that is still tight for the head. Peel away the green sepals to leave only the round green ball of the bud. Trim the stem to about 1/4 or 1/8 in and poke it into the hole you made with the toothpick, and voila, your have a lovely princess doll.
Can you share some other simple and fun outdoor activities you can try with your children or grandchildren?
by Janice D. Green, author of The Creation and The First Christmas.
Ooooooh! I love this!
One thing I’m going to do with my YA fantasy novel comes out is painting maple seeds and make them into fairy wings, which I’ll put in a jar. This will go great with my novel since the witch in the story collects fairy wings.
Also, making fairy houses out of pine cones and tree bark and/or leaves is also fun.
I love it! Nature has a way of inspiring ideas doesn’t it. Have you ever dropped the maple seeds out a second story window or other high spot to watch them spin as they drift to the ground?
no – we’d just toss ’em up and they’d spin down.
One year, when my grandson was five, he was helping me turn over the garden in the backyard. He wanted to take a rest, so he brushed off all the maple seeds from the bench and said, “What are these things, Grandmom?”
I said, “Helicopters.”
“Why are they called helicopters?” he asked.
I said, “WATCH!” and I grabbed 2 handfuls and threw them up.
He stood in amazement and watched for a second. Then he shouted, “COOL!” And we threw maple seeds up for the longest time. 🙂
I can see that so easily. What fun!
What a lovely idea! I will have to share this with my four granddaughters!
Blessings,
MaryAnn
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MaryAnn Diorio, PhD, DMin, MFA
http://www.maryanndiorio.com
Thanks MaryAnn
Thanks for sharing this idea, Janice. I love how you turn everyday things into something extraordinary!
Thanks Crystal. I remember playing with those flower dolls as a little girl.