World Refugee Day: Create Your Own Atypical Doll

Celebrate the strength and courage of refugees worldwide with artist Diana Farfan. In her doll making workshop, she will lead you through the creation of symbolic textile and mixed media characters, exploring the concepts of identity and belonging.

World Refugee Day is celebrated differently in each country. Many famous places such as the Eiffel Tower in Paris and the Empire State Building in New York City, are covered in blue lights, the color of the United Nations’ logo. In Glasgow, Scotland, people hold hands to form an enormous human chain in the city center to show the world that Scotland welcomes refugees. In many other cities there are film screens, exhibitions and various events. Here, at Richland Library, we are creating atypical dolls to encourage our community to think about the lives of refugees and the universal human right to a secure “home.”

To help you can take this workshop as an opportunity and moment in time to communicate with the world about your care for global refugees and why you think they require protection. With our atypical dolls, we can celebrate refugees’ contributions by showing them empathy, understanding their struggles and resilience to build a bright future. Make your Atypical Doll and share a picture on Instagram with #WithRefugees or in Spanish #ConLosRefugiados.

MATERIALS
There are tools made specifically for this type of craft, but I am using the ones that I have handy at my studio. Doll making is a beautiful art form and I’d like to suggest that you find out what other artists have created in 3D textile dolls. There are super talented fabric artists whose art pieces you can learn from. I’d like also to encourage you to recycle, repurpose and reuse old textile dolls, toys, dresses, backpacks, globes, buttons, photographs, or other interesting objects to build yours. Remember, these will be “expressive atypical dolls.”

So here is a list of materials you’re going to need:

•  Pencil
•  Sketchbook
•  Scissors
•  Needle
•  Colored Threads preferably nylon thread because it is more resistant
•  Markers or chalk
•  Ruler or a tape measure
•  Fabrics, any kind. Felt is the most common to build dolls and toys, but you can use any other. I personally like to recycle, reuse, repurpose. I have made toys with parts of old dolls.
•  Thin cardboard or craft cardboard (one easy to cut and fold to make our templates)
•  Craft Glue. My preferred brand is WELDBOND, but you can use another brand. Just make sure it dries crystal clear.
•  Cutter
•  Cutting surface
•  Brushes
•  Medium gel, glossy or matt
•  Sewing machine
•  Stuffing material like cotton
•  Magazines, old pictures, postcards, collage images, photos
Go online for detailed instructions.