Welcome to another Wacky Workshops project – Goddess of Glee friendship dolls.

February is International Friendship month according to a bunch of internet sites – though I’m unsure if this is official.

The United Nations International Friendship day is celebrated on July 30, then there’s National Friendship Day on the first Sunday in August, Women’s Friendship Day is on the third Sunday in August as well as Old Friends, New Friends Week and Best Friends Day  –  so there are plenty of opportunities to celebrate friends.

I like to try and celebrate friendship every day. I do this by sending text and email messages to let people know I’m thinking of them, sharing images I know my friends will enjoy, phone calls, lunch dates, greeting cards and general caring.

There are some wonderful crafts that can be made to celebrate friendships and their importance – I’ll share some links at the end of this post.

This week’s project comes with a free, downloadable template for the doll and a little poem you can include in a card if you choose.

GODDESSES OF GLEE FRIENDSHIP DOLLS

Years ago I did a TAFE course designed to help women gain the skills and confidence to re-enter the workforce after being a stay at home mums.

At the end of the course, I wanted to give the other ladies, as well as the teachers, a gift to celebrate what we had achieved and the new friendships made.

I came up with the Goddesses of Glee – individually decorated paper dolls which I put on a card containing poems written specifically for each person.

They were a lot of fun to make and the recipients loved them. They would make a fun project to do with kids (though they may not want to give them away once they’re made) and a great craft for tweens to celebrate their friends.

LET’S GET STARTED

SUPPLIES

• Goddess template
• Thin cardboard
• Wool, ribbon, feathers – for hair
• Googly eyes
• Heart-shaped metallic shapes
• Paper fasteners
• Scissors
• Glue
• Markers, pencils
• Sequins, glitter, gemstones.

METHOD

• Download your template
• Cut out the template pieces and use to trace the outline onto cardboard
• Cut out the cardboard outlines

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• Fold the body section in half (indicated on the template by broken lines).
• Attach the arms and legs using the paper fasteners

• The fun part – decorating

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• Add hair to suit your friend – colourful feathers are fun to represent an outgoing, party style friend. Colourful ribbons can celebrate a friend’s fun personality, wool is good for more conservative friends.
• Glue on the eyes and mouth – you can draw the mouth but as the whole project represents friendship love, I like using the little hearts.
• Add sequins, glitter, buttons, gems and other adornments to suit your friend’s personality. I like to add earrings (just use a small chain link) and necklaces sometimes.

Now, if you’re good with rhyming words you can make up a little poem to suit your friend, or write your own special un-rhyming message, or you can download my Goddess of Glee poem here.

Discover how to make the easiest doll ever.

Check out my Grand Jewellery Making  Pinterest board to find some other great friendship bracelets to make.

Wishing you happy friendships and a gleeful week, Tamuria.