In this hot glue doll eyes DIY, I am going to show you how I make hot glue
doll eyes for my cloth doll. But before we get started, lets talk about eyes.
By, Cassandra George Sturges
I love it when a story begins with the phrase, “As far as
the eyes could see…” What the eyes can see is the biggest illusion of human
reality because our eyes blind us to all of the mysteries, life forms, and
worlds that are beyond our vision. We look at the lakes, oceans, and rivers and
we see water moving, dancing, splashing, and rippling. Sometimes water is quiet
and motionless. It sits still and becomes a mirror allowing us to see the
reflection of our own images. It quietly conveys to us to look within ourselves—beneath
our own surface.
Water is ancient and beneath its surface lives creatures who have lived hundreds of years. They lived on this planet before were born and will still be here long after we are gone. We don’t see them in the grocery story; they don’t vote; or go to the movies—and we will spend our entire existence and never ever see them—but it doesn’t mean that these water life forms do not exist or are not real, or do not matter simply because we cannot see them.
We don’t have to see something with our eyes to validate its reality. What we can actually see limits our perception of what is true. Historical records indicate that during slavery, an enslaved person would be severely beat for not smiling or appearing happy with his or her economic conditions. I see so many painted on smiles of people in the service industry who are probably struggling to make ends meet in a low paying job that garners very little respect. Nevertheless, when I look into their eyes…their eyes tell a different story.
The eyes are so complex, ambiguous, deceiving, and honest
all at the same time. I love looking into the eyes of people and animals
because their eyes are a one-way mirror of truth that reflects the sincere
emotions, well-being, and psychological state of the soul. However, on the
other hand, our eyes limit our views and perceptions of reality and all that is
possible. Our eyes show us what is possible, but only when we close our eyes
are we able to see how to perform and create the impossible.
As a very curious and sensitive person, I always try to look
beyond what I am actually seeing. When I ask a question, I am not interested in
the actual words used… I am always listening to what is not being said, the tone, the intention, and of course
the look in the person’s eyes.
Every artist is a storyteller and visionary. Art doesn’t
lie. Whether we choose to close or open our doll’s eyes or give them no eyes at
all we are still revealing a truth about ourselves; about how we see the world;
and how we want others to see us.
I encourage you to make eyes for your cloth dolls no matter
how imperfect you may think they are because this is when you give your doll a
soul and share a piece of your truth with world. Make eyes for your doll will cause
you to feel vulnerable and emotionally naked because you are no longer simply
looking at your cloth doll…she is looking at you as well—and this will keep you honest.
I know there is a doll inside of you… who is dying to come
to life and only you can breathe life into her.
Here are a few quotations of my favorite quotes about eyes:
“The eyes see only what the mind
is prepared to comprehend.”
“The eyes are useless when the
mind is blind.”
“A Person who truly loves you is
someone who sees the pain in your eyes while everyone else believes in the
smile on your face.”
“If only our eyes saw souls instead of
bodies, how very different our ideals of
beauty would be.”
“Don’t be eye candy. Be soul food.”
“One day your life will flash before your
eyes. Make sure it’s worth watching.”
Hot Glue Doll Eyes Tutorial
In this hot glue doll eyes DIY, I am going to show you how I make hot glue
doll eyes for my cloth doll.
The first thing you are going to do is draw circles that
represent the iris, on the cardboard paper the size that you want for your
cloth doll’s eyes.
I like to make several eyes, of various sizes and colors.
Because once you make the fabric doll—she will help you select the eyes that
best suit her face and personality.
Next, you are going to cut out the cardboard circles and
place them in the bottom of the plastic paint palette tray.
Use your hot glue gun, to put glue onto of the cardboard
circles approximately the size that you want your cloth doll’s eyes to be. Let
the hot glue dry completely.
After the hot glue doll eyes, completely set and cool off,
use a butter knife or something similar to pluck them out of the paint palette
tray carefully.
Now you are ready, to paint around the edges of the hot glue doll eyes using
white nail polish or white acrylic paint to create the (sclera) the white
around the eyes. Let this dry.
Now you are ready to paint the irises of your cloth doll’s
eye using your imagination. After the paint dries, I like to add some glitter
to make the eyes pop.
Lastly, add a few drops of Crystal coat glaze to the top of
the eye to create a clear dome. Let it dry completely, and then add a few more
drops. Let the eyes dry overnight before inserting them into your doll’s eyes.
I hope you enjoy this tutorial on how to make hot glue eyes
for your cloth doll.
More step-by-step details are provided in the YouTube Video
inserted in this article.
Materials
Needed:
Cardboard
Plastic paint palette tray
Acrylic paint or nail polish
Glitter
Crystal Coat Glaze
Ruler with circle template or Circle shaped objects to
trace, the size of the doll’s iris.
Hot Glue Gun
Glue Sticks
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