How to make a corn dolly

The best time to cut the wheat is when the stalks are just turning from green to yellow, and the stalks should be cut just above the ground. Look for wheat with long, hollow stalks. Make sure the wheat is thoroughly dried. Peel the outer leaves from the stalks and cut just above the joint closest to the head.Then soak the wheat for at least 2 hours, or overnight. If wheat is purchased from florists, it will generally need to be soaked for longer than two hours, as the freeze-drying process employed by florists tends to make it more brittle then if it is dried naturally.

You will need
(5-10) corn husks (makes 1 doll)
string for tying the husks (I used raffia so that it would blend in with the husks.)
yarn or other natural material for hair (like corn tassels or shredded husks)
dried flowers (optional)
scissors
bucket for soaking corn husks
acrylic paints (optional)
paint brushes (optional)

Directions:

Pick up dried corn husks at the super market in the Mexican food or produce section. They are used to make tamales. If you have corn in your garden, you can also dry your own. Simply remove the green husks from the corn and cut the bottom, wrinkled part off so that they will lay flat. Place them between 2 sheets of paper towels and then place the paper towels between the pages of an old phone book or dictionary. Allow them to dry for about 5 days to 1 week.

Before you begin making the doll, soak the corn husks in water for about 20 minutes to make them pliable.
Take four corn husks, set two aside, and place two flat on a table, one on top of the other.



Now place the pieces of yarn or other material that will be the hair down the length of the corn husks with just a bit extending over the narrow ends of the husks. If you plan on painting the hair you can skip this step.



For an optional fancy hat use a dried flower. Face the dried flower toward the wide ends of the husks with just a little bit of stem hanging over the narrow ends, same as the yarn. What you are aiming for is a little length of yarn and stem that you can secure in the husks with twine so that when it comes time to flip the corn husks over the “hair” and “hat” will stay in place.
Now, cover the bottom husks, yarn and dried flower with the two husks that you set aside. The narrow ends of the husks should match up.


Tie the narrow ends of the corn husk, yarn and stem of the dried flower together with a piece of string. I used raffia because the color blended right in with the corn husks. Tie it nice and tight so that everything is secure.



Holding the knot in your hand, with the open end of the husks pointing up, turn the husks down over the knot, like you are peeling a banana. So what you have now is all the husks pointing down and the yarn hair and dried flower hat sitting on top. You may need to adjust the hat a little at this point.

To create a head, tie a piece of string just below where you can feel the knot under the husks.
Make the arms by taking a single husk, rolling it tightly and placing it between the two sets of husks that comprise the skirt, and just under the string that forms the head.

Tie another piece of string under the rolled husk to hold the arms in place and create a waist.


This just leaves the hands. You can make these by tying a piece of string at the end of each arm.

For a finishing touch, snip into the ends of the corn husks at the bottom of the skirt with your scissors. As the husks dry they will curl giving your corn husk doll a fancy hem line.
To dress your corn husk doll in pants cut the skirt in half with scissors and then tie a little string around each “ankle.”