Cartoon Doll Topiary

This adorable and fun "Doll Topiary" is great as a gift to for a little princess, or as a craft for a slightly older princess. It uses basic items, and recycles that cute sock you can never find the match to.

What you need

1 Styrofoam topiary craft bush (about 1 and 1/2 feet tall, the basic pot, trunk, and ball look)
Yarn (colored yellow, brown, black, or red for hair. Need a full ball depending on hair length desired)
1 – small round bead (1/2-1 inch big, becomes the nose)
2 Eyelashed googly eyes, (1 and 1/2 inch big)
1 pink foam circle, cut in half (2 inch big)
3 ribbons (each about 1 ft long)
1 large, super-stretchy sock (this will be the dolls shirt and body)
Beige craft paint
Paintbrush
glue gun

Instructions

1. Paint your topiary a fleshy color. Depending on what your dolls shirt is made from, you may need to paint the bottom “pot” part, or you may be able to leave it plain. Paint small bead matching flesh color. Let dry.

2. Cut long strands of yarn for the hair. I cut 40 strands, each 2 feet long. Even the strands of yarn up, then break them into bunches of 6-10.

3. Using a hot glue gun, make a line in the middle back of the dolls head, right where the hair part would be. Press each yarn bunch into the glue, placing the yarn evenly at the same length on each side of the head, and push it flat. Repeat the process until you have covered the back half of the ball with yarn. Let dry.

4. Gather yarn together on each side of the dolls head and pull it into two pigtails. Trim yarn as needed for even pigtails. Tie with bows. For the best results, comb the yarn hair out evenly with your fingers, then gather it carefully into the tie. This will give a smooth and neat hair-do, instead of a ratty and ugly looking one.

5. Using hot glue or craft glue, paste the eyes, nose, and mouth onto the dolls face. Paint or glue on rosy cheeks. Add eyebrows, ears, earrings, big smiles or real eyelashes if desired.

6. Now take your sock and make it into the doll’s shirt. I used a “toe-sock”, but any stretchy kind will work. Pull the sock up over the dolls body and part of the neck. Cut the bottom of the sock off, and neatly glue it under to pot. Make sure the topiary can still sit upright. Fold the top of the sock inward, then tie together with a bow, this makes the collar.