La Catrina Skeleton Dolls Using Recycled Table Legs

 
I made a pair of La Catrina dolls a few months back to submit to magazines.  I submitted photos to one magazine.  They were rejected.  It was OK because two of my charms were featured in the next edition of that magazine.  I was going to submit them to Art Doll Quarterly for their recycled doll challenge, but decided I didn’t want to send them off.  I know it’s hard to get a good idea of what a sculptural piece looks like in a couple photos.  I just don’t like the idea of my seasonal art pieces, especially sculptures,  sitting on a shelf unseen for months then possibly rejected.  I finally decided to blog about them instead.

They are made from recycled/re-purposed materials.  The base (hips to floor) is an old wooden table leg.  The fabric and lace are scraps some of which had a previous life in another garment or home decor item.  Most of the materials have been reused or reclaimed.  I did use skeleton torsos and lower arms from a skeleton garland I picked up at the dollar store.

La Catrinas are Mexican female skeleton folk art figures.   They are now a popular decoration for Halloween and Day of the Dead celebration.  Mine are handmade, but I’ve seen quite a few commercially available.   I believe the tradition started with an etching by the artist José Guadalupe Posada. You can find more information by looking at the La Calavera Catrina page on Wikipedia.

I did take photographs as I was crafting my La Catrina folk art dolls. I’m still debating whether to make a video or publish the photos on my blog.  I guess I better hurry up and decide, October, Halloween and/or The Day of the Dead are fast approaching.

I did hand sew many parts of this doll.   I think a crafter or artist can create a La Catrina with a minimal amount of materials, tools and a basic skill set.  It’s great fun finding all sorts of doodads to decorate your dolls.

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