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This Mermaid Clothespin Doll proves that clothespins have a lot more uses than just hanging out the laundry. The kids probably don’t even know that everybody used to hang clothes on a line to dry.  Does this mean I am getting old?

Trivia:

Clothespins have been around since at least the 1700’s in their simplest form, the one-piece wooden pin with two prongs and a knob at the top, created by the Shaker community. More interesting history involves the Romani folk, or Gypsies, who made them out of hickory, ash, or willow branches and sold them throughout the 19th and into the 20th centuries. Source: Heroes, Heroines & History – The History of the Humble Clothespin

Supplies

• Flat Slotted Clothespins
• Wooden Kitchen Matches
• Acrylic Paint
• Assorted Silk Flowers
• Embroidery Floss
• Glitter
• Fine Point Black Marker
• Hot Glue or Fabric Glue and Toothpick

Instructions

1. Paint the slotted part of the clothespins with acrylic paint. Let them dry completely.

2. Cut the wooden clothespins to a length of 1-1/4″ at an angle. These will serve as the doll’s legs. Paint them with acrylic paint and let them dry.

3. Paint the matchsticks for the doll’s arms with acrylic paint and let them dry.

4. Wrap the torso part of the clothespin with embroidery floss to give it a more finished look. You can also wrap the legs with floss if desired.

5. Cut apart petals from silk flowers. Starting from the bottom of the clothespin, glue individual petals all around to resemble scales. Glue larger petals at the bottom to create fins. Use two small petals to make a bikini top.

6. Create the doll’s hair by wrapping embroidery floss around three of your fingers. Slide it off and tie a piece of floss around the looped part. Cut open the other end of the loop to create strands of hair. Glue the floss hair onto the doll’s head.

7. Glue glitter onto various parts of the doll to add some sparkle and decoration.

8. Finally, use a fine point black marker to draw the doll’s face, including the eyes, nose, and mouth.

Remember to let the glue dry completely before handling the doll. Enjoy your crafting project!