Happy Birthday to American Girl Kirsten today!!! Kirsten Larson was a pioneer girl born in 1845 whose family traveled from Sweden to the United States to begin a new life. Kirsten had a small rag doll named Sari but it was also very common to make dolls from yarn in Kirsten’s day. Today we will make a simple yarn doll to give to Kirsten – or any of your other dolls. There is a printable activity for today – it’s at the bottom of the post.
Kirsten is ready to celebrate her birthday! She has her new yarn doll on her lap. It is very basic and simple, but that is fine with Kirsten – it means over time she can add details like yarn hair, a face, and even make it some clothes out of fabric scraps from Mama’s sewing basket.
I found multiple patterns for making yarn dolls (like this one from Chica and Jo and this one from Spud and Chloe) but decided to simplify it just a bit for you – when you are done you can add creative touches to make your mini doll special.
Step 1 – Using whatever color yarn you would like, wrap your yarn around a piece of cardboard about 4″-5″ wide. I used a pad of paper and it worked great. Depending on the thickness of your yarn you will need to wrap it around between 30 and 50 times. I did 50 because my yarn wasn’t very fluffy.
Step 2 - Tie a piece of yarn through the top of your wound yarn. This will help keep the whole thing together and make the top of her head.
Step 3 – Using a small elastic or a piece of yarn, tie off a section close to the top to make your doll’s head.
Step 4 – Cut the loops at the bottom of your doll’s body
Step 5- Separate a chunk of yarn on each side to make arms.
Step 6 - Use a piece of yarn or elastic to secure the ends of the doll’s arms. If you feel like her arms are a bit long, you can trim the ends a bit.
Step 7 - If you want your doll to look like she has legs instead of looking like she is just wearing a dress, separate the remaining strands into two sections and secure with an elastic or yarn. Your doll is now done, however, you could add hair, a face, make her a skirt from scraps, or be as creative as you would like!
Kirsten loves her new doll!
Since today’s activity was a craft, I decided to give you a printable activity to test your Kirsten knowledge instead. It is a word scramble I made a few years ago for one of my old sites. Unscramble all of the words to find names, words and facts about Kirsten’s world. All of the answers can easily be found in her books and on the American Girl website in Kirsten’s section.
Download the printable Kirsten’s World Word Scramble as a PDF file.
The American Girl Publishing site also has additional Kirsten printables if you want to learn more about Kirsten and what girls her age did for fun in the 1850s.
How will you celebrate Kirsten’s Birthday? Submit photos of your Kristen celebrating today or show off the yarn doll you made by emailing me the photos at share@dolldiaries.com. I will add any reader submitted photos relating to Kirsten or today’s activity below.
Happy 167th Birthday Kirsten! The doll looks really cute!
Happy Birthday
i am so going to make this!!!!!!!!!!!!! its sooooo cute!!!! and secondie!!
Happy birthday, Kirsten!
I made the doll when I discovered the AG cookbooks/craft books a few years ago. I’m gonna go dig it out and make her more playthings.
Happy birthday kirsten!!!!!!! I have her craft/cook book but not the doll. Mabe I could make a rug today from it along with the rag doll.
Happy birthday Kirsten! Char, your Kirsten is beautiful!
Ava – thank you. Our Kirsten has never been changed out of her meet dress and has really just been on display. We got her right before she retired and don’t have any of her outfits.
@Char, so your Kirsten has to be historicly dressed 24/7? I used to do that.
Char, I used to be the same way! Until I realized I never played with her until I changed her… So now I did, and she is as normal as the rest of my dolls now
Marina – well, she doesn’t have to be, but for some reason we have never felt compelled to change her.
CHAR-can you do a post on how sometimes build a bear workshop clothes accsesories can fit american girl dolls because i went to build a bear yesterday and i saw some cute itemsand i think they can fit american girl dolls
cute but i do not have kirsten i want to
I had one of those yarn dolls when i was a kid. It was pink and purple. I bought it at the festival from my dad’s community center.
I’m going to try and find a Kirsten doll on eBay.
happy birthday kirsten i almost have you for a year on 9/16 is when i got her
and if the symbol is different its because im on my laptop
Char, I was just on eBay and I found some of kirstens clothes.
I made one of those dolls once. But I don’t know where it is so I guess I’ll be making this one soon!
Happy Birthday, Kirsten!
Happy Birthday Kirsten!
Happy Birthday Kristen!
Happy late b-day!
your very creative