Painting wooden peg dolls at a busy time of year is probably not what I needed to be doing.

I don’t know why I do this to myself sometimes, when time feels eternally short.

Oh, actually yes I do, because she LOVES them.

And I want her to play in the magic for as long as she can. Even if they sometimes get lost in the forest or garden.

But that’s what fairies should do.

I set out to Buy Natural Wooden Peg Dolls in NZ.
Actually, at first I looked to buy some Wooden Peg Dolls in New Zealand that were already painted, but they were either out of stock, or mass produced, or way more than my budget, so I thought I’d paint some wooden peg doll flower fairies myself.

Natural wooden peg dolls can be felted, coloured with pencil, embellished, or even left natural.
I wanted some painted ones that I could coat with a clear lacquer to seal them, so that they can be taken outside into nature spaces.
Namely the garden, so she can play while I work. Well she already was imagining and building houses for fairy friends.

I had previously made some forest fairy bendy dolls (with this kit) for the inside doll house. They were well loved, but impractical for outside play, getting bits of nature in their hair.

So I painted a whole little family of flower fairies with matching toadstools, a strawberry gnome, a honeybee gnome, and two fairy doors.

And popped them all in a little a carry pouch, so they can come on adventures and be safely tucked away afterward.

These wooden peg dolls are flower fairies that have been to al sorts of beautiful places AND are well accounted for at the end of play – popped safely away – a rarity I can tell you!

It took a couple of days to paint and seal, but they came out beautifully and have potential to become a special handmade heirloom that she could pass down to her own children.

Wooden peg dolls are also perfect for a nature table, forest school, nativity scene, or even a fairy garden terrarium.

There are many painted peg doll designs about, but below I share mine, for your inspiration.

(Scroll to the bottom to read the painting process).

THE PEG DOLL PAINTING PROCESS:

1. I started off with a sketchbook plan. There are SO many inspiring wooden peg doll designs out there that I felt a bit overwhelmed. A quick sketch made it clear and easier.
2. I penciled the design onto the doll, making sure to outlne the hair around the forehead, rough dress, wings, and other details.
3. I painted them with acrylic paint and a teeny paint brush.
4. I sealed them with a clear gloss sealer.
5. That’s the short instruction version, they turned out pretty great!

Are you inspired to paint your own peg dolls?
You can grab some natural wooden peg dolls n NZ >here<

AND PS: If you are after an easy painted peg doll design to begin with – the bee and strawberry designs are straightforward, and all came out looking pretty cool!

Happy making xx