I jumped on the peg doll band wagon...

So, this Christmas, I jumped on the peg doll band wagon...

and I loved it!  I made a collection of Saints and a Mass set for my Goddaughter and her siblings, and made my niece a nativity (post here).

While I think that the best way to build up a collection of peg dolls is to do an exchange (you make 10 or 20 of the same doll, then exchange with 10 or 20 other people who did the same thing= collection of many and you only had to learn how to paint one!) or to use Catholic Icing's printable peg dolls (=amazing), I really really enjoyed getting to make these one by one for kiddos I care about.

So, a forewarning, this post is much less of a how to and more of a "look at this! I love how it turned out!" post.  :)

I made each kid in this family two Saints to play with (and share!) based on their first and middle names.

Here are the ladies:

From L-R= Lydia, Anne, Mother Teresa, and the BVM.

And the gentlemen:

From L-R= Benedict, Mark, James, Fulton Sheen, Peter, and Joseph.

I tried to use colors and symbols that matched the Saint's lives.  You know, always a chance to catechize. :) Like the little chalkboard with a JMJ (Jesus, Mary, Joseph) with Fulton Sheen!

And I made little vestments and altar cloths for all the liturgical seasons...

And used a little box for the altar, and made candlesticks, a lectionary/prayer book, a chalice, a paten, and a sanctuary lamp. 

Then I used a wooden box to make the inside of a church! On this front view, I used the side and lid depth to give the impression of a high altar and added tabernacle doors. I also painted some navy and gold arches and mod podged on a Mary and Joseph statue (cut out from a catalogue). The crucifix in the center is actually wood and metal and is hot glued to the front. 

I also painted in some simple stained glass windows on the left and right sides...

And in the back are a set of painted doors and mod podged Stations of the Cross (also cut out from a catalogue).

Here it all is, set up for the Saints to celebrate Mass!  Everything fits inside the church for easy storage. 

Because this was a group gift for a set of siblings, I wanted them all to still have something to open, so I packaged up the sets of dolls for each kid. 

Not surprisingly, I do like to make a lot of my own gifts, but this was one of my favorite projects... In a long time. Check here to see pictures of the peg doll nativity I made for my niece!

And, in case you were wondering...
These are the basic pegs that I worked with for both the nativity and Saints.  I was impressed with the quality, and they were a good value after I comparison shopped.  When I reordered them, I noticed the price had dropped a couple of dollars, so now might be a great time to shop! (disclosure- affiliate links, meaning if you click through and purchase, I get a small percentage at no extra cost to you.  Thanks for supporting the blog!)
Wood Doll Bodies - Woman 3-1/2 inch - Bag of 10
Wood Doll Bodies - Man 3-9/16 inch - Bag of 10

***If you'd like a more specifics about making your mini Mass set, check out this new post: