Small Sticks.
Big Stories.

Stick Doll Making

A full-day stick doll workshop in my West Asheville studio.

All materials, lunch, coffee, and tea included. No experience needed.

Saturday, October 24
10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
West Asheville

⚠️ Please note: Cats live with me. If you have pet allergies, please plan accordingly.

Registration will open in early October

What Folks Are Saying…

“I’ve made 3 dolls with Stacy and it is life changing! You’ll have such a great time!”
— Cindy

“Highly recommend!! I’ve had an incredible two times so far!!”
— Katy

“10/10 would recommend!”
— Ella

A whimsical spirit doll with a long paper mâché face, raffia hair, denim-style fabric pants, and tiny hot pink Crocs, sitting on a wood block holding a dried flower.

A Day That Belongs to You

There are times when you just need a day away from the noise. A day when nobody needs anything from you. A day where all you have to do is show up, sit down, and see what happens.

That's what this is.

We begin with coffee, tea, and a conversation about the day, what you feel pulled toward making. Then we'll gather around the table and start making. I'll guide you through the process. You don't need experience or a plan. Just come as you are and begin there.

This kind of making has a way of getting you out of your head. You stop trying to make something perfect, or something that makes sense to anyone else, and start finding your own rhythm instead. Somewhere in the making here, you find you've made that shift and something really wonderful tends to show up.

By the end of the day, you'll have a finished stick doll. But you'll also have had a day that feels different from ordinary life — a day of making, choosing, laughing, listening, and letting something unexpected and wonderful happen.

And what you make may end up meaning more than you expected when you walked in.

A handmade stick doll with bright blue hair, a sweet sculpted face, and a small acorn hanging from the top of her wooden form.

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.

A Glimpse of the Making

A sample of some of the wonderful dolls people have made

Four mixed media spirit dolls made with branches, yarn, and fabric, showing different expressive styles of intuitive doll making.
Four mixed media spirit dolls made with branches, yarn, and fabric, showing different expressive styles of intuitive doll making.

What’s Included

Your seat includes everything you need to make your stick doll, plus access to my full studio stash of fabrics, fibers, beads, charms, paint, thread, and found bits.

There's coffee and tea, a simple and lovely lunch, and time throughout the day for conversation, guidance, and creative wandering.

We'll take photos at the end so you have a record of what you made.

If you have small treasures you'd like to include, fabric scraps, old jewelry, meaningful charms, stones, feel free to bring them. It's completely optional. I'll have plenty here.

Close-up view of participants at a spirit doll workshop, wrapping sticks and shaping fabric in a light-filled studio. Creative supplies and sculpted clay faces are spread across the table.

  • "I am so grateful for the time spent with Stacy and the other women in the workshop. It was a day full of laughs, insight, freedom from rules, and an explosion of creativity, energy, and acceptance. I needed that day so much."

    —Leah

  • "I recently attended one of Stacy's workshops and it was truly a creative retreat. The space is beautifully decorated, filled with her inspiring dolls, and everything is organized and welcoming. The homemade meal was healthy, colorful, and delicious — a wonderful touch. Stacy is a warm and patient teacher who navigated the group's needs with kindness and skill, encouraging everyone with personalized guidance along the way. The supplies felt endless. Everyone left with a doll they loved. Many of us are already talking about coming back."

    —Anet

  • "This was my first spirit doll, and it awakened unseen facets of myself. Stacy provided a calm, nonjudgmental space for each of us to explore while creating. She's a teacher who truly loves the process, and her supplies left nothing out. Ten out of ten."

    —Val

  • "The workshop was just what I needed — a day of creativity and supportive company. Stacy provided an organized space and all the supplies, including a healthy and delicious lunch, so we could just show up. No artistic experience needed. She paced and guided things well, and offered support as our very different dolls all emerged."

    —Andrea

  • "I signed up hoping to spend a day using my hands and mind in ways that would challenge me to create something I hadn't experienced before. With Stacy's encouragement, it all came together. I was grateful to meet new like-minded people and to put aside the outside world for a day."

    —Shelley

Details

Date: Saturday, October 24
Time: 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Location: West Asheville, address provided after registration
Cost: $200
Seats: Limited to 4 women
Includes: All materials, lunch, coffee, tea, and a few extra treats

Cats live with me. If you’re allergic, please plan ahead.

Ready to Spend a Day at the Studio? 

A small table, a slow day, and room for just 4 women.

Come join us.

Registration will open in October
A playful stick doll posed like a dancer, with flowing brown hair, a flower petal skirt, a scarf, and a free-spirited 1970s vibe.

 FAQs

  • No. You don't need experience, and you don't need to think of yourself as creative. I'll guide you through the whole process. There's plenty of room to make something that feels entirely your own.

  • Nothing, unless you have a small treasure you'd like to work into your doll — a charm, a fabric scrap, a stone, a bit of old jewelry. Everything else is here.

  • No. Some people experience their doll as deeply symbolic. Some just enjoy making something strange and beautiful with their hands. Both are welcome, and neither is more right than the other.

  • At my home studio in Enka Candler, just a few miles from Biltmore Lake and West Asheville. Exact directions will be sent after registration. Please note: cats live with me. If you’re allergic, plan accordingly.

  • This one is for adults.

  • A light breakfast, lunch, coffee, and tea are all included. I keep the food simple, fresh, and lovely. Let me know at registration if you have dietary needs — I can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options.

  • 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.