Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article
October 30, 1988
By Helen Fagg Mitchell
Vigo County Historical Society
Cornhusk dolls were cheap and easy toys to make
Cornhusk craft is perhaps the most truly American handcraft practiced by artisans of yesterday and today. It was learned from the Indians in its most primitive form and refined by the pioneers.
Today products such as dolls, baskets, flowers and mats are quite popular in the country-craft gift shops. The cornhusk doll with its many variations is the most sought after. It has changed through the years but the basic construction is much the same.
It is likely that the cornhusk dolls so beloved by the white settlers’ children were first made by the Indians. They probably did not have painted features as in many tribes the drawing of a face endowed the doll with a soul. Pioneer children and mothers used natural dyes to fill in the facial features on their dolls.
During the pioneer days in our country, toys of any sort were a luxury and a rarity, but creativity always has managed to solve that problem by making something worthwhile out of materials considered almost worthless. The mothers, while working with the cornhusks, dreamed of ways to use them.
It was a fairly simple matter to fashion a body from small sticks of wood tied together with a string. The cornhusks were smoothed out and dried and bleached in the sun. Later they were soaked in warm water and stretched over the stick frames to form clothing. The doll’s head was made form a wad of paper or cloth shaped into a ball, covered with a husk, and tied onto the body frame. The arms were formed with layers of husks and two strips were crisscrossed to form the top of the dress.
For the girl dolls, several layers of husks were tied at the waist and cut to the desired length. When the husks were dry, they became stiff and the doll was able to stand along. The boy doll required and upside-down “V” arrangement to form the two pants legs,
A variety of accessories such as hats, aprons, bonnets, baskets and purses also were made from the husks and fastened to the dolls. The hair on an authentic cornhusk doll is made from the cornsilk and arranged in a neat coiffure.
The dolls could take quite a bit of handling and, if ruined, a new one could be fashioned in a short time. Cornhusk doll-making can be learned by grade school children and is an inexpensive craft.
In the Plains states of the pioneers, life centered around corn. Cornbread was a staple and other foodstuffs were stretched with corn. Toasted corn was added to coffee, and cornsilk often was added to tobacco. Popcorn was served as a cereal with molasses; it also was strung on the Christmas tree. The favorite Saturday night drink to liven up a party was the famous corn whiskey.
Such widespread use of corn left a lot of cobs, stalks, cornsilk and husks. The cobs were used as blocks. The stalks made wonderful make-believe swords and guns for young knights. Mattresses were stuffed with husks and cobs were used as fuel. The dolls were made of the nicest husks and other dolls were made by wrapping a cob in a piece of cloth.
The dolls and basket in the picture are from the collection at the museum. They are simple and were made for children.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.