Corn dollies or corn mothers are a form of straw work made as part of harvest customs of Europe before mechanisation.

Feb 26, 2019 · Today, corn dollies are made mostly for fun. Some still make them as a tribute to a specific season. Some make them for spring and others for the end of fall. Whatever your reason, they are fun and easy to make with the kiddos and even funner to decorate. The creativity that can go into making these dollies is endless.

May 19, 2023 · A corn dolly, also called a corn maiden, corn mother or old woman is a decorative object made from weaving grain stalks together.

Oct 24, 2016 · Turn over a new sheaf with this traditional harvest custom. 1 For this basic neck or sheaf dolly, gather some undamaged, hollow straw. Any straw will do (wheat is the most popular) – try practising with paper straws. 2 Dampen straw so it’s easier to work with.

Celebrate fall and the harvest season with a Mabon corn dolly. Learn the history and how to make a Corn Doll for a beautiful autumn craft. Please welcome my dear friend and fellow herbalist Ruthie to the blog!

The making of symbolic items from straw, originally associated with harvest customs and known as ‘corn dollies’, ‘harvest tokens’ or ‘harvest trophies’. Made as a harvest or farming past-time rather than a trade these traditions were deeply rooted into rural life..

How to make a Lammas corn dolly using 8 fresh husks from ears of corn (or dried ones from a craft store), several cotton-wool balls, string, and a pair of scissors.

Corn dollies were made at Harvest time from the last sheaf of corn cut. The Corn Spirit was supposed to live or be reborn in the plaited straw ornament or corn doll and was kept until the following spring to ensure a good harvest.

Sep 21, 2017 · Corn dollies are a pan-European element of old harvest traditions, from as far west as the U.K. to Scandinavia in the north and various Slavic countries in the east. Traditionally, they’re made at the end of the harvest season from the last sheaf cut from the fields.

Oct 8, 2024 · One legend, found in rural communities the world over, tells of a ‘corn spirit’ that retreats from the oncoming reapers every harvest time, hiding in the last of the standing crop. These final few stalks would be fashioned into a corn dolly in which the spirit could take refuge.