Corn Husk Dolls

A few days ago I read about corn husk dolls at Little Jenny Wren. She reminded me of two of the dolls in my collection. I have had them for years and years, for so long that I do not remember where the first one (little one) came from for sure, but I think it was from Colonial Williamsburg.

When I was in college my parents took a trip that brought them through Mitchell, South Dakota. And you don't go through there without seeing the Corn Palace. It was there that they found the larger corn husk doll, an angel of the harvest.

Both are beautifully crafted souvenir dolls. They are fragile. When I think about little girls loving them, cuddling them, feeding them, and otherwise playing with them, I wonder if they would last a week! Rag dolls would be so much more durable for child's play, but one works with the materials one has.

I found instructions for making corn husk dolls here. Is it just me, or does it seem too easy to start with "bags of corn husks, most easily purchased (dried, cleaned and in uniform sizes) at a local craft store."? Did colonists and pioneers go to the local craft store? I'm sure this would be a fun activity for a teacher to bring into a class room in any case.


For the doll fanciers here are some various photos. I love the angel's long fine corn silk hair. The little lady with the parasol has the finest, smoothest hair. It it tightly glued and does not move around much. I'm not sure what the yarn is made from. Silk? That seems unlikely, and it is not glossy. Linen thread? Perhaps. It does feel like a natural material. In case you wanted to try your hand at making a doll you may be interested in another detail. One doll 's skirt is filled out with husks. The other is built around a cardboard core.