Corn Husk Doll

Corn husk dolls are Native American dolls made out of corn husks that were traditionally used as toys and sometimes in rituals. They run the gamut from simple stick-like figures to ornate dolls decorated with colorful, dyed husks, beads, leather, and other items. One thing all traditional corn husk dolls have in common is that they have no face. 

The legend says that the Creator of the "three sisters" (beans, corn, squash) made corn into a doll at her request, so she could be a gift to the children. The doll played nicely with the children until the day she caught a reflection of her beautiful face in a pond of water. She then became extremely vain, wanting only to stare at her reflection all day, so the Creator punished her by taking away her face!

Corn husk dolls are a lot of fun to make and are a popular autumn craft. You can make them from fresh or dried husks. The dried husks are available at craft stores, and you can even use tamale wrappers from the grocery store. But I like the idea of using fresh husks from corn we eat on the equinox. Fresh ones probably won't last as long, however.

Here's what you need:

• Corn husks (I used husks from three ears of corn to make one doll as some of the pieces were too small to be useful)
• Twine (or some other material to tie the husks)
• Scissors

Here's what you do:

1. If your husks are not pliable (especially if they are dried), soak them for 10 minutes, then dry. You might consider sorting by size to reserve wider pieces for the skirt later.

2. Bring the tips of two pieces of husk together, then wrap a third piece around them.  

2. Pull the first two pieces down over the bulbous part to create a head. Tie off with twine.

3. To make arms, take three small pieces of husk, tie one end together, braid the pieces together, then tie the other end.

4. Then, tuck the braided piece between the two pieces of husk and push up near the head.

5. Next, take two more medium-sized pieces, and cross them over each shoulder to form a shirt, then tie off with twine. Tying here will also keep the arms in place.

6. For the skirt, take the widest pieces of husk and arrange them pointing up around the doll, then tie off. By arranging them this way and then pulling them down, you'll create a fuller skirt and hips. If you have gaps, just lift the pieces back up and add in another piece or two. Once satisfied, you can trim the ends of the skirt to be the same length.

6. You may wish to tie another piece of twine around the skirt pieces at the waist to help secure them. I then tied a piece of husk around the waist over the twine to create a belt.

That's it! Isn't she beautiful? At this point, you could decorate the doll (or let the kids decorate it) with all kinds of items, such as dried flowers, feathers, felt, or paint. But I think the fresh husk dolls look good with their natural, unadorned look. 

You can make male dolls, too. Instead of a skirt, you would make two additional braided pieces, similar to but longer than the arms, then tie those to the waist. You might also wish to put legs under the girl's dress, but I didn't find it necessary.