Make a
Stick Doll
The Online Stick Doll Studio
A live online stick doll workshop
Make a mixed-media spirit doll from sticks, a molded clay face, fabric, fibers, and a whole lot of meaning.
We'll start with simple materials, build slowly, and let the doll find her way to you as we work.
4 live sessions + prep lessons
Fridays, August 14, 21, 28 & September 4
1:00–3:30 PM Eastern/New York
Live on Zoom — recordings included
Cost: $179
Registration is open through August 7
What Is a Stick Doll, Really?
A stick doll is a handmade figure built from sticks and simple materials — clay, fabric, fibers, beads, charms, found bits, and thread.
You might also hear them called stick spirits or spirit dolls. The names vary. What doesn't seem to change is what happens when you sit down to make one.
As you wrap, shape, add, and adjust, the doll begins to take on its own presence. Some are wild and playful. Some are quiet and grounded. Some feel like protectors, companions, or little beings from somewhere just slightly beyond ordinary life.
No two are ever alike. Each one is a reflection of the person who made it, even when that person had no idea what they were making when they began.
Let the Doll Find You
You may come into this workshop with a word, a feeling, a color, a question, or an intention. Or you may come in with no idea at all. Both are welcome.
This is intuitive doll making, which means we do not have to decide everything before we begin. Sometimes the doll seems playful at first and then becomes tender. Sometimes she starts out quiet and ends up fierce. Sometimes you think you're making one thing, and someone entirely different shows up.
That is part of the magic.
We'll give the doll room to become who she wants to be. We'll listen through the materials, the
A Sample of Some of the Wonderful Dolls People Have Made With Me
What We're Making
In this live online workshop, we'll make a spirit doll using sticks, a molded clay face, paper clay, fabric, yarn, beads, charms, and any scraps or treasures you want to include.
If the idea of making a face stops you cold, I've got you. We're starting the process before we meet live, with a simple prep lesson on creating a clay face from a mold. Our first lesson will be how to alter that to make it your own. It's a great starting place for a unique face without having to know how to sculpt one.
From there, we'll build the doll one layer at a time. We'll add to the face, create the head, choose sticks, add clay if the doll wants hands or feet, and get her all clothed and embellished, ready for her to tell you her story.
These dolls are not about making something perfect. They are about following the materials, noticing what draws you in, and letting the figure become herself as you work.
How It Works
This is a 4-week live online make-along workshop, with short prep lessons before we begin.
Before the first live class, you'll receive a recorded lesson showing you how to make a molded clay face. I'll recommend the kind of mold to buy and show you how to press the clay, release the face, clean it up, and let it dry. You'll also receive a brief orientation to intuitive doll-making, so you can begin without having to decide too much ahead of time.
Each live session is 2.5 hours. I'll demonstrate the next step, and then we'll work together so you can ask questions, get support, and keep moving through the process. Bring your materials and plan to work on your doll when we meet. There will be simple work between sessions, mostly because clay needs time to dry and dolls like to unfold in layers.
You may not finish every step during class time, and that's okay. The live sessions are designed to get you started, help you understand the next layer, and give you the confidence to keep going between classes.
Recordings are included if you miss a session or want to revisit a step.
What We'll Cover
Prep Lesson — Make Your Molded Face
For this workshop, we'll begin with a molded clay face rather than sculpting one completely from scratch. I'll recommend a source for molds and show you how to make your face in a short prep lesson before the live workshop begins.
Your molded face is only the starting place. Once we meet live, you'll have the option to add more clay around it, build out the head, and soften or alter the expression, letting the doll become more personal.
Starting with a mold is a great way to create a spirit doll that you then make your own, and I'll show you how when we meet live.
You'll also receive a short video on intuitive doll-making and the "let her find you" approach, so you can begin with curiosity rather than pressure.
Live Class 1 — Face, Sticks, and Structure
We'll begin with your dried, molded face and start turning it into part of a doll. You'll have the option to add more clay, build out the head, shape the face further, or create hands and feet if your doll wants them.
We'll also choose sticks, look at posture and proportion, begin the basic body structure, and talk about how to attach things so the doll begins to feel steady and present.
By the end of this session, you'll have a head, face, and body direction started. Any newly added clay will need to dry before the next class.
Live Class 2 — Painting Clay and Building the Body
We'll come back to the dried clay pieces and begin bringing the doll into fuller form. I'll demonstrate painting the clay with soft pastels, sealing the surface, and beginning to build out the body.
We'll work with batting to give the doll shape and a sense of body, then begin wrapping over that to create a "skin" layer. This is where the structure starts to soften, and the doll begins to feel more embodied.
Live Class 3 — Clothing and Hair
This session is about dressing the doll and helping her become more visibly herself. I'll show options for simple clothing, including tunics, wrapped bodies, skirts, layered scraps, stitched pieces, and fabric that can be glued or sewn directly onto the doll.
We'll talk about decorative details before and during dressing, such as embroidery, beads, stitching, charms, or meaningful fabric scraps. I'll also demonstrate hair options so you can begin adding hair if there is time.
Live Class 4 — Embellish, Finish, and Meet the Doll
In our final session, we'll work with hair, beads, charms, headdresses, extra fabrics, symbolic objects, and finishing details. This is the stage where the doll often becomes very clear.
We'll also do a gentle "meet your doll" meditation and spend time listening for who has arrived. I'll guide you into simple questions and reflections so you can notice what your doll carries, protects, remembers, blesses, or asks of you.
Materials
A full materials list will go out when you register. You'll need sticks, a face mold, clay, wire, duct tape, soft pastels, spray sealer, batting, fabric, yarn, thread, glue, and simple embellishments.
You may already have many of these things. You'll also be encouraged to gather small scraps and treasures from your own life, such as fabric bits, old jewelry, beads, charms, stones, buttons, lace, ribbon, or found objects.
You do not need fancy materials. These dolls are made from simple things, and often the most ordinary scraps become the most meaningful parts.
Who This Is For
You, if you're drawn to handmade dolls, folk art, spirit dolls, found materials, intuitive making, and the kind of creative process where you do not have to know exactly what you're making before you begin.
It's also for you if you've wanted to make a doll with me but cannot come to my West Asheville studio.
No experience is needed. You do not need to be "good at art." You do not need to sculpt a face from scratch. You do not need to arrive with a finished plan.
You just need to be willing to gather your materials, show up live when you can, and let the doll become herself one layer at a time.
Join Us
Four Fridays. One stick doll. A little time each week to gather, make, listen, and see who arrives through your hands.
Fridays, August 14, 21, 28 & September 4
1:00–3:30 PM Eastern
Live on Zoom — recordings included
$179
FAQs
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No. I'll walk you through the process step by step. This workshop is beginner-friendly, and the focus is on intuitive making rather than perfect technique.
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No. We'll begin with a molded clay face. Before the live workshop begins, you'll receive a prep lesson showing you how to make your face using a mold, so you can arrive at the first class with a dried face ready to work with.
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I'll send recommendations when you register, including the kind of mold that works well for this project. You'll need to order your mold and make your clay face before the first live session.
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Wonderful. As long as it is a size and style that will work for a stick doll, you're welcome to use a mold you already have.
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We'll make a mixed-media stick doll using branches, clay, fabric, fibers, beads, and other small materials. Each doll will be different. Some may feel playful, some protective, some earthy, some wild, some quiet, and some may surprise you completely.
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No, and that's the beauty of it. I'll teach the structure and process, but your doll will be shaped by your materials, your choices, and whatever starts to emerge as you work.
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That is completely fine. You do not need to know who she is before you begin. In this workshop, we let the doll reveal herself through the making.
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Each week we'll meet live on Zoom for 2.5 hours. I'll demonstrate the next part of the process, then you'll have time to work while I answer questions and offer guidance.
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Recordings are included, so you can catch up if you miss a session. That said, this workshop is designed as a live make-along, so attending live whenever possible will help you stay connected to the process.
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Yes, but it will be simple and manageable. Some of it is drying time, and some of it is continuing what we began in class. You may need to finish clay additions, gather clothing materials, wrap the body, or add details between sessions.
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Plan for some time between sessions, especially if you like to work slowly or add lots of details. You may spend an hour or two between classes, or more if you get happily pulled in.
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You'll have the recordings, and you can keep working at your own pace. These dolls do not need to be rushed. If you get behind, you can still come to class, watch the next step, ask questions, and continue when you're ready.
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Because this is limited to four seats, cancellations affect the whole day. Cancellations made 14 or more days before the workshop may be refunded, minus a $50 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations made less than 14 days before the workshop are non-refundable unless I can fill your seat. You're always welcome to transfer your seat to a friend.
If you have other questions, you can contact me here.