Wee Girl

I haven’t been feeling well lately and I’ve been confined to the house. As cabin fever was really setting in, I decided to do something crafty. Brandon’s been teasing me because it is on the whimsical side, which I usually hate.

Wee Girl

The whimsy factor gets worse too. This project was based on a chidrens’ craft project… for making flower fairies. You’re supposed to make little wire bodies and then take apart fake flowers to make the clothing. I instead chose embroidery thread, felt, and fabric to make mine.

Little Wire Bodies

The Body for my Wee Girl

I actually made two heads (wooden beads, paint, and more embroidery thread) because I didn’t like the way the first one turned out. Too smug.

A Head for my Wee Girl

I gave her a little paper flower to hold, glued her head on, and she was finished.

Wee Girl

She’s just under 3″ tall, so my Wee Girl is indeed very wee.

What do you think? I’m afraid Brandon’s right. I’ve gone whimsical, haven’t I?

Comments

88 responses to “Wee Girl”

  1. jenni s-g Avatar

    Super cute! And there’s nothing wrong with a little whimsy in your life! :)

  2. Elizabeth Avatar
    Elizabeth

    Yes. There is a place for whimsy in all our lives. This is a great project and a great outcome.

  3. Sam Avatar

    I think she’s whimsical and wonderful:) I think whimsy is just a natural part of my life and design now that I have kids.

  4. marzi Avatar

    very cute and not that whimsical. i think your edits and changes kept you just a hair to the left of whimsical! ;)

  5. elizabeth Avatar

    I love her! She reminds me of the worry dolls I made as a kid. Great job!

  6. Mandy Ford Avatar

    She’s adorable! And I tend to like whimsy :)

  7. megan Avatar

    feel better, nicole — and your wee girl is indeed wee and adorable!

  8. sunny Avatar

    awww..hoping you get well really quickly!!

    and what a beautiful doll! whimsical is good sometimes, right? I love all the colors you used, the cute (modern!) bangs, the little face. I love it all. Didn’t know I loved it until I saw it! Am in love. Did I mention I love it? :)

  9. Mrslimestone Avatar

    I really hate all things cute but that is just adorable. (in a totally cool way). Provided you don’t make 200 of them and line them up for display, I think you are safe from being uncool.

    Would it be wrong for me to suggest you make a guy one too? She seems lonely. hehe

  10. Genevieve Avatar

    I think that this is cute and cool, and very lovely as well.. Plus you’ve got yourself a pretty nifty pair of scissors there as well.. im deff. jealous ;)!

  11. katelynjane Avatar

    Definately whimsy. But not bad! I think she’s really cute (:

  12. Laura Avatar
    Laura

    I love her! She’s great!

  13. teaorwine Avatar

    A wee girl would be so cute tucked into the ribbons on a gift!

  14. wendy Avatar
    wendy

    I think whimsy is good when used in moderation. For me it is the subtle reminder that life isn’t always hard and to take a moment to smell the roses. I think on guy to match the girl and you are good, any more than that then you cross the line into crazy :)

    Feel better

  15. Memphis Mary Avatar
    Memphis Mary

    I love your wee woman–and it is good for your mind and soul to revert back to play. Sorry you haven’t been feeling well. Do you have some chicken soup?

  16. Had Avatar
    Had

    Forget the girl, those scissors are amazing.

  17. amy purple Avatar

    Where are those scissors from? They’re really cool! The girl is too – how creative!

  18. luuve Avatar

    i second the none too whimsy! lol but umm im with the others…whhhhheeeerrreee did you get those scciiiisssooorrss!!!

  19. Making it Lovely Avatar

    Everyone loves the scissors! I think I got them at Hancock Fabrics, so I’m sure they’re readily available at your local fabric store. :)

  20. Claire Gaston Avatar

    Adorable! Really perfect job!

    (Yes those are standard embroidery snips, crane, available anywhere. They are just perfect for trimming little hair.)

  21. Claire Gaston Avatar

    Duh, me! Hope you’re feeling better soon!

  22. joyce Avatar

    She’s great! Ive been playing with making some of these too…also from the instructions for flower imps or fairies. Mine look different from that…and different from yours too. Love that about handmade stuff!

    Hard for me to have too much whimsey….as long as it’s not too cutsie, I’m in.

  23. Anna Avatar

    She is simply lovely!

    What talent you have for the creative!!

  24. southern hostess Avatar

    Now that, as my mom would say, is “cute and darling!”

  25. lyndal Avatar

    just stumbled across your page and wanted to say how beautiful it is. Also my husband, baby and i are moving to illinois from australia in 6 weeks although we will be in peoria. cant wait to get there and explore chicago. the dolls are devine…

  26. All Things Lovely Avatar

    Nicole, I hope you’re feeling better.

    And dam, I want those scissors but of course Hancock Fabrics don’t ship to Australia!

    Ah ha, never fear! I found somewhere. :)

  27. All Things Lovely Avatar

    I hope you don’t mind, but I thought I’d post a link to where I got them for those not in the US. :)

    http://www.123stitch.com/

  28. drey Avatar

    how incredibly cute, nicole!!!! woah. (and yes, whimsical) :)

    GET BETTER!

  29. Erin Avatar

    She would make any little girl smile. I would have loved her as a little girl (heck, I’d like one right now!). Do you plan to sell them?

  30. Benita Avatar

    You have, you have! Love her. Or is it a self portrait?! :)
    I want to make one tooooooo!

  31. Priscilla Avatar
    Priscilla

    These, with appropriate clothing, would make great wedding cake toppers. I love it.

  32. Alison Avatar

    Definitely cute and not too whimsical since the fabric is so fun. These would make adorable Christmas tree ornaments.

  33. chanelle Avatar

    yes, but it’s a rockin’ kind of whimsy.

    ;)

    hope you feel better – and make more!

  34. ambika Avatar

    I love the detail and colors. I honestly think clothes from flowers would have been far more whimsical than this.

  35. Tatyana Avatar
    Tatyana

    I’m with Benita – is it a self portrait?
    It reminded me of your post about your grandmother asking you if the art in your house was you…
    Very cute!

  36. Tracey Avatar

    Very cute- I want to make one with my daughter right now- she collects flower fairies! By the way, Whimsy is a good thing…

  37. Kristin Avatar
    Kristin

    You could sell little Wee Girls they’re so cute! There’s nothing better than a little project to give you a feeling that you’ve created something, even if it’s a bit whimsy!

  38. susan Avatar
    susan

    Well, you arent feeling 100%. Have you been taking a lot of cold medication…I get all whimsical when i take too much. Just kidding…I love your wee creation…its whimsical sure, but a funky sorta 70s retro whimsy!

  39. cath c Avatar

    sometimes whimsy is a necessary thing. it’s like, growing up with brothers, always having male close friends, and raising 2 boys, i don’t do girlie. now i have a baby daughter,and with gift certificates in hand, we shopped for baby clothes. my husband looked at me cross-eyed when i suddenly squealed super girlie at all the cute little clothes. where did that come from?! but it was definitely a necessary whimsical moment! and your wee girl is just as adorable!

  40. Sarah Avatar

    Maybe if you’d kept it as a fairy craft I’d say, yes, you’d turned to whimsy, but this kind of cute and adorable is more folk art than fairy tale :)

    PS – I LOVE the way you worked with the embroidery floss! So perfect!

  41. Kim Avatar

    Oh, that is seriously fabulous!

  42. Melony Avatar

    Whimsical is wonderful:
    Happy, sweet, charming, and lovely!

  43. patricia Avatar

    follow your whims
    carefree and happy
    she is so very wee and sweet
    me wants one of those wee whimsy women.
    oh please do a give away….

  44. Rosa Avatar

    How adorable. I love anything little.

  45. At Home with Kim Vallee Avatar

    Your wee girl is so adorable! You should make more and start selling them. It would satisfy the envy of girls who are not crafty.

  46. Violet Avatar

    Very cute!! I want a purple one! =D

  47. K T G Avatar
    K T G

    I didn’t know you didn’t think you were already whimsical.

  48. Christy Avatar

    what a sweet dolly! she’s exquisite!

  49. Home accessories lover Avatar

    Wow, this girl is so ellegant and cute! Nice one:)

  50. Erica Avatar
    Erica

    I love her! I actually have a girl that is a pin that I have saved from when I was a little girl, and I was showing it to my daughter the other day. I was wondering about how I might go about making another. Now I know how! Thanks!

  51. kiwi Avatar

    She reminds me of Kenley from Project Runway.

  52. tanja Avatar

    It’s so cute! Thanks for sharing and greetings from Germany!

  53. Rebecka Avatar

    Thank you for sharing, it’s adorable and just a little bit whimsical… ;)

  54. Evelyne Avatar

    Just the loveliest wee girl ever!

  55. Meredith Avatar

    She’s just goregous!!

  56. Kel Avatar

    I love her. For some reason she is crying out for me to make for a couple of old friends.

  57. Love Laurie Avatar

    I love it! No surprise though because everything I make has a bit of whimsy to it. Thans for the tutorial. Very sweet!!

  58. juliecache Avatar

    sew, mama, sew! had a link to this project. my 8 yo made a little wee girl today. she’s liking it enough to make more for her cousin’s christmas gift. thank you for posting your idea!

  59. Erika Chapin Avatar

    Thank you so much for showing this along with your process. I have spent all weekend making similar ones for my daughters Christmas tree and for my friends. Congratulations in advance on having a baby girl. Girls are so much fun!

  60. Bev Avatar

    I found your blog through a websearch for handcrafted dolls and I knew that my dd and I would have to try this one. I showed her the pictures (she’s 9) and she fell in love with your little lady doll! So today, we spent the afternoon crafting up a few of our own. She, too, wanted to make them to give as Christmas gifts to her girl cousins. Thank you for sharing!

  61. […] Teeny Girl Doll. A pocket-sized dollie for a little sister, cousin, niece, or babysitting charge. (from Making it Lovely) […]

  62. LilyBelle Avatar

    I noticed that you have become a “follower” of my blog so have taken the time to have a look at one of yours. This wee doll is adorable and well worth the time and effort you took to create her.

  63. jos Avatar

    that is absolutely gorgeous! i just found your site and i love it! erm, there’s nothing wrong with whimsical *looks down pensively and twiddles thumbs*

  64. PJ Avatar
    PJ

    This wee girl is awesome! My daughter is away at college and she always doodles on notes by drawing stick people and I always joke with her about that. This is a three-dimensional stick girl and I’m going to make her some so she doesn’t get lonely in her dorm. Any idea what gauge wire you used for this or the bead size for the head–or are you encouraging us to just wing it? Whichever way, I’m so happy I found your site. I appreciate your imagination and creativity.

  65. Jessica Avatar

    Aww… so cute! Are those scissors in the head picture? They are beautiful! Where on earth did you get them?

  66. […] next time I have cabin fever, I’ll think of Nicole’s Wee Girl and try to motivate myself to do something crafty. (via Making it […]

  67. mariabuenosaires Avatar

    Muchas gracias, tu muñeca esta preciosa y me guarde el paso a paso, te felicito, saludos desde Argentina
    Maryte

  68. susan Avatar

    such a sweet doll
    thanks for the tute

  69. gaga Avatar
    gaga

    Your doll is marvelous!! i try to make it, but i found trouble glueing the hair and the head….

  70. Catherine Avatar

    Love it. I have been trying to work out how to do those wrapped arms – thanks for sharing! I second the request to know what gauge wire you used.

  71. Natalie Avatar
    Natalie

    Please carry on being whimsy, I have just found your website while looking for things to do with dolly pegs, my husband wishes i hadnt, as i have now been on her looking at all the things you have made for nearly 4hours. You truelly are a domestic goodess. Can i adopt you as my mum? i’m 32 hahahaha. Natalie from England.x

  72. […] another tutorial on a variation of the wee doll, click here. Coming soon – wee pants […]

  73. […] Girl Nicole from Making it Lovely shows how to create a Wee Girl with embroidery thread, felt, and […]

  74. Gretna Avatar
    Gretna

    Very nice and lovely…:) I have a question, what kind of paint have you used to draw the face? to paint on wood…

    Many kisses! (from spain!)

  75. meriam Avatar
    meriam

    beautiful! i really want to make this can you post instructions please? from where you get the supplies to putting the wee doll together??

  76. Unusual Home Accessories Princess Avatar

    That is just SO cute! I’d love to make one myself!

  77. […] Se isso não te fez feliz, você pode fazer lindos bonequinhos com arame, tecidos, feltro e linha para bordado, olha só! […]

  78. Despina Avatar

    She is so cute!

  79. Taylor Avatar

    She is very lovely! Love the flower in her hand.

    Taylor

  80. […] Wee Girls – If your girl has a dollhouse, wouldn’t these look cute with it?  I don’t know if my crafting skills go this far, but I’d sure like to try! […]

  81. Irasema Avatar
    Irasema

    I have been looking for something like this. Lakeshore sells similar dolls for $5 a doll, which can get pricey when you want a whole family or two.

  82. […] can indeed come in small packages and Nicole Balch has certainly got me pro-minature with her recent Wee Girl project. I have some ideas about what I can use my mini doves for but given their cost […]

  83. Rose Marie Avatar

    Oh My , This doll are beautiful! Me encanta , la pinee en pinturest ‘, te felicito , eres muy creativa!!! Rose M .

  84. Shanda Avatar

    I would love to buy this cute little wee girls for my daugthers for this christmas…I went on Esty to see if you had a shop my girls love them and so do I very cute and adorable!!!

  85. Dorria Avatar

    Your doll is marvelous!! i’ll try to make it

  86. truthstalkerdollster Avatar
    truthstalkerdollster

    Adorable (but OHHHH, the tedium of threadwrapping—UGH)!