Making Peg Dolls & More

Since an early age I’ve been telling stories through dolls I’ve made myself. It’s such a part of my life that all these years later I still do it, whether it’s with my daughters or on my own. My latest book, The Stumpers, isn’t any different in spirit from the fairy houses and families of dolls I made as a child. To me, this kind of storytelling is a way to dream out loud, to bring my vision of a beautiful life into the world.

This is probably why I fell in love with the peg dolls of Margaret Bloom. Her dolls have been part of the magic at Castle in the Air for years. All of us at the shop adore the interpretations of classic stories, complete with directions for making them yourself, that she included in her first book, Making Peg Dolls.

That book gained such a following that Margaret has collected 15 new projects and techniques for a second book, Making Peg Dolls & More, just published by Hawthorn Press.

Taking her simple and sweet scenes as a starting point, Margaret is quietly creating an entire world that shares borders with our own. Making Peg Dolls & More includes toys such as marionettes, spool snakes, and tops alongside ornamental and practical projects like pincushions, wall hangings, and the delightfully scented “comfort friends” dolls that are filled with soothing herbs. Art takes new meaning when we incorporate it into our lives with projects like these.

Castle in the Air is glad to help spread the word about Making Peg Dolls & More as part of Margaret’s blog tour. You can check out other people’s posts about her work at the links below.

2/2: The Crafty Crow
2/3: Clean
2/4: Castle in the Air (you are here!)
2/5: Salley Mavor / Wee Folk Studio
2/6: Remedial Eating
2/9: Forest Fairy Crafts
2/10: Bella Luna Toys
2/11: Ben & Birdy
2/12: Twig & Toadstool
2/13: Wee Wonderfuls

Are you ready to welcome Margaret’s magic into your life? Get your copy of Making Peg Dolls and Making Peg Dolls & More at the Castle in the Air Online Shoppe.