2.EDGARDEGASARTPROJECTS:SEWYOUROWNDEGASDANCERDOLLSThisisafunprojecttodowithyourkidsthatallowsyoutoworkalittlearthistoryintoyourhands-oncreations!Ratherthanbuyacookie-cutterdollatthestore,youcaninvolveyourkidsinmakingtheirown,uniquetoy–thattheywillcherish.

Beforestartingthisproject,IliketoreadDegasandtheLittleDancertomykidssotheyhavealittleinspirationfortheproject.Ittellsthestoryofalittlegirlwhowantedtobethemostfamousballerinaintheworld.Sheachievedhergoal,butnotquiteinthewaysheplanned…

Forthisprojectyou’llneedfabricmarkers,canvas(orheavyfabric),sewingthread,sewingneedle(orsewingmachine)andstuffing.

First,you’llwanttoplanwhatyourdancerwilllooklike.Thenyou’lldrawthatdancerdirectlyontothecanvasusingfabricmarkers.Icreatedthesewithmy4yearoldandherfriend–theyhadablast!

Cut out the design and leave a little edge to sew on.

Then you’ll need a back. Place your dancer design onto another piece of fabric and trace around it and cut it out. You’ll then pin those pieces together with the drawing portion of the dancer on the inside – after you sew you’ll turn it inside out (like sewing a pillow).

Sew around the dancer, leaving a small space to stuff the doll.

Start adding the stuffing into the doll – if it’s really long use something like a stick or pencil to push the stuffing toward the bottom and work up to the top. Keep feeling the doll to get the amount of stuffing you’d like to have in the doll.

Once it’s full, close up the opening, either with your sewing machine or by hand.

If you have some tulle then you can take a needle and thread and sew on a tutu!