Another Santa Redo and a possible mink hunt

I rescued another Santa Claus, this one only one foot, instead of four feet high.  So he was a bit easier to redo.  I’d love to restyle more little St Nicks, but I’m nearing the end of my white mink stash.  I’ve been using it for tiny collars on the dolls I remake into angels too.  A little bit goes a long way, and I’ve been tearing up that same tattered stole for years, but now, it’s time to either start hunting minks or find another craft.

For the Santas, I always start with ripping off the ugly patch of white fuzz that passes as a beard and replacing it with curly goat’s hair.  I cut away the hat, reshape it more to my liking (or make a new one) the replace it’s fake fur trim with mink.
 Now, I’m not against fake fur at all.  The problem is that on these dolls, it’s usually the cheapest, ugliest fake fur that the manufacturer could get away with.  There are some types that would be perfectly nice, but this stuff usually is so bad that it couldn’t even be good enough for carnival prize stuffed animals.

The jacket trim needs to go next, as well as the plastic belt.  For this guy, I added a panel of very old lace down his front and cut a strip of creamy suede to wrap around his bowl full of jelly, I mean, belly.  It fastens with a mother of pearl buckle glued into place.

Sometimes I use fur around the cuffs too, but since my supply is low, and also because it was pretty, I made cuffs of tattered velvet.  I was lucky with the jacket he wore, it was white brocade with silver thread and I kinda liked it, so left it as is.  Some stains and bad spots got covered up with the lace then velvet and the coat looked good as new.

He got a bleached tree to hold.  Its base is tied with a velvet ribbon so there was something stable to hold the glue when I put it in his hand.  Plus it’s a nice touch.

Since I am not a sewer, the Santas, like all of my fairies and angels, are glued into place.  I would be kicked off of Project Runway for sure, but it seems to be okay for these dolls, they have no complaints.  And I hate sewing, but love designing clothes for dolls from bits of vintage scraps.  So this is what works for me.

 

Comments

[Suzanne Wingfield]

I will be on the lookout for mink for you!!
This Santa redo is exquisite. He looks “Old World,” for sure!!💗