Making your own Jesse (Shepherd/Drummer boy) and Bongo (Lamb) Dolls

2014 Making your own Jesse (Shepherd/Drummer boy) and Bongo (Lamb) Dolls Your Jesse and Bongo characters can be as simple or elaborate as you like. Children are not looking for perfection, and their imaginations can go a long way. Keep in mind that Jesse and Bongo must endure some wear and tear through handling. Be mindful of safety children and pets! Supervise play. One goal should be to have your Jesse and Bongo resemble the illustrated characters in the book. Jesse needs a drum and children should be able to imagine the book characters have arrived for their visit! Find figures that need only a few alterations. The very first dolls my grandsons received looked very different from the Jesse and Bongo of today. I purchased the first Bongo from a homespun, folksy craft store, and he needed no extra work. I gave Jesse originally a plush Christmas snowman a makeover by removing his carrot nose and adding hair, shepherd garb, and a little drum. Jesse and Bongo have been updated to resemble the book illustrations. I handcrafted Jesse starting with a plain muslin rag-doll (like the ones Raggedy Ann and Andy are made from). I painted on a face, added hair (curly chenille), designed clothes, and made his drum. Bongo is a manufactured product found online. Do you sew? Find patterns and instructions to make your own drummer boy and lamb. Some moms found their supplies at a thrift store others repurposed toys they had on hand such as Handy Manny and Bob the Builder dolls. A doll can be made over to look like the Jesse character and plush lambs are easy to find. Use the images on the next pages. Print, decorate, and glue the figures to sturdy cardboard or an oatmeal canister. Eskind 2014 Fucella 2014 Gilbey 2015 Barnes 2015 I d love to see your Jesse & Bongo creation! Send me a photo to jesseandbongo@gmail.com or post to Facebook: www.facebook.com/operationbirthdaycelebration

A E B C F K D J L G M N I H O Q P

Supply list to make your own Jesse character doll from a 12 muslin rag doll A- 12 muslin doll B- Paints and markers to draw face on muslin doll C- Small scraps of muslin fabric to form ears D- Wooden button nose E- Jumbo Curley Chenille (for hair) F- 9 piece of fabric or suede for head band G- 2 ½ x 1 ½ Styrofoam piece for drum H- 2-3 ½ fabric (suede-micro fiber) circles (for top and bottom of drum) I- 10 x 1 ¼ piece of ribbon to go around body of drum J- 2-12 pieces of ribbon or braid (one for drum belt and one for robe belt) K- 2-3 dowels for drum sticks L- 2- wooden toppers for drum sticks M- 2-11 x 7 ½ pieces plain colored fabric (maroon or gold) for tunic N- 2-9 x 6 ½ pieces striped fabric for robe (sage greens & maroon) O- 2-2 ½ x 1 ¼ oval shaped brown foam pieces (sole of sandals) P- 2- ¼ x 4 brown foam pieces for the top of each sandal Q- 2-12 pieces of brown suede lacing for sandal laces. Other items used: Sewing machine Scissors Needle & Thread Pins Hot glue gun/glue Tea bags & hot water 1 cup popcorn kernels Note from the author I don t sew a lick a hot glue gun and fabric glue are my best buddies! So, I enlisted the help of some dear friends, Cindy & Hannah, who sewed 15 sets of Jesse tunics and robes for our 2014 test families using the pattern on the next page. In addition, Cindy used her sewing machine to stitch fingers & toes into the hands and feet of the muslin doll. To give Jesse more of a toned down look, I tea-stained the very white muslin doll body before painting and dressing. I opened the seam at Jesse s bottom, pulled out some of the filling, and replaced it with about a ¾ cup of popcorn kernels to make him feel more like a bean-bag and also allow him to sit. I was able to find a doll stand that fits nicely under his tunic if I want him to stand upright. For Jesse s shoes, I purchased brown craft foam. His sandal soles are oval shapes cut from the foam sheet to fit the bottom of his feet. Smaller foam strips are glued over the tops of the feet onto the sole piece. And then suede lacing, glued under Jesse s feet, are tied up his leg.

Place pattern edge along fabric fold Place pattern edge along fabric fold Tunic 2 pieces of 11 x7 ½ plain-colored fabric. Jesse s clothes patterns for 12 muslin doll Fold one piece of fabric in half-- into a 5 ½ x 7 ½ rectangle and lay folded edge of fabric to the pattern edge. Cut out piece. Repeat with second piece of fabric. Sew inside out with a ¼ seam. 2 pieces of 9 x6 ½ striped fabric. Fold one piece of fabric in half-- into a 5 ½ x 7 ½ rectangle and lay folded edge of fabric to the pattern edge. Cut out piece. Repeat with second piece of fabric. Sew inside out with a ¼ seam. Turn right-side out. Cut one side up the middle & trim collar. Robe