A corn husk doll is a traditional doll made by Native American children and also children of Colonial families in early America. No facial features are painted on the doll, also called the “faceless” doll.

The Native American legend says that the Creator made the first corn husk doll to help watch children while the parents were busy gathering food and doing other adult activities. The doll had a beautiful face and the power to walk and talk. One day after a rain, the doll saw her reflection in the water. She was so beautiful that she spent all the day gazing at her reflection in that pool of water instead of caring for the children and the Creator punished her by taking away her face and her ability to walk and talk.

To make your corn husk doll you will need cleaned and dried cornhusks. You can save your own the next time you buy corn from the farmstand and dry them in the sun or you can purchase them at craft stores.

You will also need:

*Twine or string
*Scissors
*Pipe Cleaners (optional)

1. Soak the dried cornhusks in warm water until they are bendable and soft.

2. Take six husks and arrange them with all the tips at one end and all the large ends at the other. Tie a string around them a about an inch from the top of the large ends.

3. Trim the large ends with scissors to make them straight and even.

4. Holding the cornhusks by the knotted end, turn down the corn husks over the knot to form the head.

5. Tie another length of string at the “neck”.

6. For the arms, take a pipe cleaner and roll another of your husks around it to make the arms. Tie the ends with string at the “wrists”. This will make the arms poseable. An alternative method is to take three strips of husk and braid them to make the arms.

7. Slide the arms between the husks under the neck knot.

8. Tie another string below the arms for the waist.

9. Take two thinner husks and tie criss-crossed across the chest and back and tie at the waist to form shoulders.

10. If this is a boy doll, divide the husks hanging down from the waist into two and tie with small strips of husk at the ankles, knees and hips to form legs. You can use pipe cleaner here too, to make the legs poseable.

- or-

If this is a girl doll, take some more husks and tie them at the waist to form a full skirt.

11. Tie small strips of husk around the neck and waist to cover the strings.

There are only two more weeks to Halloween. The time leading up to it is exciting for children, the anticipation second only to that of Christmas.

To keep little hands busy until they can get them on that Halloween night candy, here are some crafts that are fun for kids and require only occasional parental supervision. From macaroni skeletons to windsock ghosts, this site has spooky ideas for kids of all ages. Check out the costume ideas for great spooky looks kids can create themselves. Also fun are the games and “rancid recipes” but the ghost stories might be too ghoulish for young children.

Halloween is Here.

This is an easy craft for kids to do with a little supervision and makes use of simple things and the natural products of crisp, fall days.

Have the kids go out into the yard and find the prettiest fall leaves they can. Give them each a paper bag or plastic shopping bag to collect them in. The hard part of this activity is stopping, since yet another beautifully colored leaf will always strike the eye. When they have gathered enough, it is time to begin.

For this project gather together the following:

* Roll of white freezer paper or kraft paper
* Roll of clear Con-Tact paper
* Scissors
* School glue or glue sticks

Measure the size of your placemats by cutting equal size sheets of Con-Tact paper and the kraft or freezer paper. Con-Tact paper backing is marked off in inches so this makes it easy to do without rulers. Cut the Con-Tact paper first and lay it on the kraft or freezer paper to measure equal size sheets.

Next, have the kids glue the leaves to the paper, arranging them with their own artistic eye. They can add other items to their masterpieces, such as construction paper cut-outs of pumpkins or pieces of ribbon. They need to leave space between the items so that there is contact between the adhesive side of the Con-Tact paper and the bottom sheet. To make the mats personalized, you can include a wallet size picture (such as a school portrait) or have the children write their names on the paper. Make sure they secure the edges of the leaves with glue to make it easier to apply the Con-Tact paper smoothly.

The last step is where they need Mom the most. Peel the backing paper off the pre-cut pieces of Con-Tact paper and press it over the top of the creation. Go slowly and smooth carefully as you go, working out air bubbles. If you want to, you can put another piece of the clear Con-Tact paper on the bottom to seal the mat and make it last. For a nice effect, trim the edges with pinking shears.

There’s nothing like Autumn in New England. Nightfall comes earlier each day, and the cool, crisp air gently rustles red and orange leaves that crunch under your feet. The roadside farmstands sell Indian Corn and squash and apple cider.

And pumpkins. Lots of pumpkins. Every house must have at least one, and come Halloween, jack o’ lanterns will glare and wink out from every doorway at wary trick-or-treaters.

Pumpkin carving is a fun and creative craft for the whole family. Whether you make your own designs or use patterns to create frightening faces, vampire visages or whimsical welcomers, carving your pumpkin can become a family tradition.

When picking out your pumpkins, remember that lighter color pumpkins are softer and are easiest to carve. Whether small or large, choose a pumpkin with a shape that will accomodate your design well.
Before carving, wash any dirt off the pumpkin and let dry.

Prepare for carving by cleaning out the inside of the pumpkin. Cut the top of the pumpkin in a circle around the stem and pull the top off using the stem as your handle. Then remove the soft guts and seeds using a strong-handled spoon or an ice cream scoop. Leave the inside wall of the pumpkin smooth and not too thick. You can save the seeds to roast for a hot treat or to dry and plant next year for your own pumpkin patch.

Purchasing a carving tool set will make the project a lot easier than trying to use kitchen knives. Also available is a battery powered carving tool that will make carving quicker and easier.

Little ones can draw a face on their own small pumpkins that you can carve out for them. Another cool way for them to make their own pumpkin faces is with special facial feature stickers that let them create funny or spooky faces. Never let young children use the carving tools.

If you are an accomplished pumpkin carver, try using a carving design pattern. I found great patterns available for free at (where else?) Pumpkin Master. Download free designs and get tips for creating your pumpkin masterpiece.

Here are some other sites with free carving patterns

SpookMaster

Fabulous Foods

Rock N Roll Heaven Collection

The Pumpkin Wizard

And don’t forget the tea light candles!