Go On,
Make Faces

Intuitive Face Play

A live online face-making workshop for spirit dolls, art dolls, and imaginative mixed-media figures

Want to make your own expressive little clay faces instead of relying on store-bought ones? I got you.

In this online make-along workshop, I’ll show you how to create quirky faces you can use for spirit dolls, art dolls, and all kinds of imaginative figures.

Saturday, October 24
1:00–5:00 PM Eastern · Live on Zoom
$97 · Recording included, yours to keep and rewatch anytime

Purchase here — $97

To review my cancellation policy for live online classes, click here.

Hands shaping a whimsical face from white Model Magic clay for a spirit doll.

Face Making Doesn’t Need to Be Scary

Faces are often what gets people stuck in doll making. They want to make something all their own, but then think there’s no way. I’ve heard all the worries: I’m not artistic, I’m not a sculptor… I have no idea how.

So what often happens is folks find a face they like on Etsy and use it over and over. And I’m not saying that’s not OK. It is. But wouldn’t it be fun to learn how to make a face of your own?

It is. And I’ve got you!

In this workshop, we’re setting aside the fear to have fun making a few different kinds of faces you can use for a variety of projects… from fun and abstract to a little more life-like.

Now, this isn’t a watch-and-do-it-later kind of class. It’s a make-along. So, over tea and giggles, we’ll create together. You can ask for help in real time and leave with a few faces to use on your next project.

And best of all, you can let go of whatever face fear you might have. Because faces really don’t need to be scary. They can actually be fun!

Join Intuitive Face Play — $97

Live online workshop · Recording included, yours to keep and revisit any time.

Whimsical handmade clay face with closed eyes and wire decorations emerging from the top.

What If You Didn’t Have to Be Good at Faces?

For a long time, faces intimidated me too. But you know what changed? I stopped thinking I had to be Michelangelo, and started to trust that somehow my fingers would find their way.

When I stopped trying to make a face “correctly” and started approaching clay the way I approach the rest of my art — with curiosity, experimentation, and play — things changed.

A little bit of clay became a nose. A couple of shapes suggested cheeks. An expression appeared that I hadn’t planned.

And suddenly there she was.

That’s the approach we’ll take in this workshop. There’s no pressure here; the goal isn't to teach you to become a sculptor. It’s to give you space to play, with a few guidelines, and see for yourself that you can make something fun. A little quirky. But oh, so spirit-doll-perfect.

But Let Me Say This…

If you're after perfectly smooth, symmetrical results, a mold is a great option. Here, we’re leaving room for crooked little smiles and faces with wonderfully quirky personalities.

Three Ways to Make a Face

During our afternoon together, we’ll move from very simple face-making into a more dimensional clay head. Each approach builds on the last.

1. Playful Faces with Model Magic

We’ll begin with Crayola Model Magic, a lightweight, easy-to-use clay that's a great place to start.

This clay is super fun to work with because it literally sticks to itself. We’ll grab our scissors, cut up some shapes, and voilà—a face will be born. Faces like these are perfect for bundle dolls and Tree Spirits.

Finished whimsical face made from white Model Magic clay with exaggerated features.

Sculpting a simple face from white Model Magic clay with a small tool.

2. A Simple Flat or “Mask” Face

Next, we’ll move into air-dry clay and make a mask, or flat, face. We’ll use some of the same ideas from our Model Magic face, but now we can blend the clay, soften transitions, and experiment a little more with expression.

These faces are wonderfully versatile. I’ll show you how to take a face like this and turn it into a whole head!

Sculpting details into a small handmade clay face with a modeling tool.

Handmade clay face attached to a colorful fiber-wrapped Bundle Doll.

3. Build a Dimensional Head and Face

Finally, we’ll take those ideas and make a little spirit doll face and head. Yep, you’ll be ready!

I’ll show you how I think about the basic forms beneath the face and how I add features little by little.

We’ll work slowly enough for you to understand what I’m doing, and try things out yourself. But this still won’t become a lesson in perfect anatomy or classical sculpture because that’s just not how spirit dolls roll.

We’re using what we’ve learned to make a face with character. And you never know who will show up.

Sculpting the eye area of a handmade clay face with a small modeling tool.

Smoothing and blending features on a handmade clay face with a small brush.

Adding and shaping the mouth on a handmade clay face.

Finished spirit doll with a hand-sculpted clay face, closed eyes, rosy cheeks, and a deep red fiber hair.

Four-step process showing a handmade clay face being sculpted and smoothed, followed by the finished spirit doll.

Join Intuitive Face Play — $97

This Is a Make-With-Me Workshop

We’ll make these faces together in real time. I’ll demonstrate a step, give you time to try it, and then we’ll move on from there.

There’ll be time to ask questions, hold your work up to the camera, troubleshoot, and see what everyone else is discovering too.

We’ll meet from 1:00–5:00 PM Eastern with a short break in the middle. The workshop will be recorded, and the recording is yours to keep and revisit anytime.

What Can You Do With the Faces You Make?

A handmade face can become the beginning of all kinds of things: a spirit doll, stick doll, bundle doll, angel, mixed-media figure, or a character you haven’t imagined yet.

Once you’re comfortable creating your own faces, you’re no longer limited to the ones you can buy. You can start making characters that feel entirely your own.

Finished painted clay face with closed eyes, rosy cheeks, and a spiral detail.

Handmade clay face attached to a small felted angel with golden wings.

Finished felted spirit doll with a handmade clay face, wire arms, and gold wings.

The finished dolls shown here are examples of ways handmade clay faces can be used. This workshop focuses specifically on creating the faces.

What Women Say About Creating With Me

“I am so very grateful for the time spent with you in the spirit doll class. It was full of laughs, insight, freedom from rules, and an explosion of creativity. I needed that day so much.”
— Leah

“This workshop awakened unseen facets of myself. Stacy provided a calm, nonjudgmental space to explore while creating these dolls. She truly loves the process.”
— Val

“This workshop was just what I needed at just the right time. I loved seeing my doll evolve week by week and how she reflected things back to me.”
— Mary

What You’ll Need

I’ll send a complete materials list before the workshop. The supplies are simple and easy to find. We’ll work primarily with:

Crayola Model Magic
Paper clay or DAS air-dry clay
A few basic clay tools
A small Styrofoam ball or an aluminum-foil form
A small amount of wire
A few other simple studio supplies

I’ll include specific recommendations and links where helpful. Materials will cost about $30–$40, depending on what you purchase.

Is Intuitive Face Play For You?

It is if you've ever wanted to make your own clay faces but weren't quite sure how to begin. It's especially suited to beginners — no experience sculpting, doll making, or working with clay required, and you definitely don't need to understand facial anatomy.

Maybe you already make spirit dolls, art dolls, stick dolls, or mixed-media figures and want more freedom with your faces. Or maybe you just want to spend an afternoon playing with clay and see what characters show up.

You don’t need to make something perfect. If you can roll, pinch, flatten, press, and play with clay, you can begin making faces.