DIY Harry Potter Peg Dolls

Create your own Harry Potter character peg dolls to play with, collect, or give as gifts!

These Harry Potter Peg Dolls have been on my to-do list for years, and since this is the 5th Annual Happy Harry Potter series, it gave me the perfect opportunity to finally make them! Making peg dolls are a lot of fun and is totally relaxing for me. I have made quite a few peg doll sets for my daughter over the years, and she still loves playing with them all. When I told her that this time, we were going to make her favorite Harry Potter characters, she couldn't have been more thrilled! I even threw in a special surprise for her in this set...

To make the Harry Potter Peg Doll characters shown in this post, you'll need:

• Wooden Peg People/Dolls: I used 4 large size, 6 medium size, and 2 mini people
• Acrylic Paint (variety of colors)
• Fine Detail Paint Brushes (I used these)
• Mechanical pencil
• Clear Spray Paint

Using a mechanical pencil, lightly draw the characters on the pegs. I prefer to use a mechanical pencil because it keeps the lines thin and I don't have to stop to sharpen the pencil a bunch of times. Also, keep in mind that if you draw darker, it will be harder to erase if you make a mistake and can possibly show through the paint. Take your time drawing, and keep a picture or two close by for reference.

Another thing to keep in mind is to simplify. There are a lot of details on some of the characters, so just try your best to make the work minimal while still having them be recognizable. For example, I am not the best at drawing faces, so I usually only add eyes to my characters.

Small detail brushes are key to getting the look you want in your peg dolls. I usually use these 3 brush shapes for my peg dolls: a flat brush (purple) for larger areas, the pointed round brush (green) is for small areas and details, and the detail pointed round brush for those tiny details.

The more peg doll characters you make, the more acrylic paint colors you might need. I like using the Apple Barrel paints because they are easily washable (your hands will get messy), have a variety of color options, and are super affordable. Another great thing is that most colors go on beautifully in one coat, which is like MAGIC when making peg dolls!!

Once you have the colors you need and the characters have been sketched, it's time to get painting. To save time on washing my brush over and over, I paint the same color on all of the characters at once, like the vests on all of the Hogwarts students.

This tip is especially helpful if you mix up any of your own colors. For example, if I didn't have the right gray color, I could make my own. If I had painted one character at a time, the gray color would most likely dry out by the time I got to another character. Unfortunately, it's almost impossible to get the exact color again.

Next, I painted a darker gray for the pants/skirts and lightened that gray myself for Voldemort's head color. I also painted black on every character for robes and hair. Just make sure to let each color dry before painting the next one to prevent smudges.

Keep working, one one color at a time, until each character is complete. I usually save the eyes and tiny/thin details (like glasses, eyebrows, etc) for very last.

Once everyone has been painted, go over each of the characters with your eraser and remove any pencil that wasn't covered with paint. Then, use some clear spray paint to protect the paint from getting scratched or worn off. I like to use a gloss paint to give my peg dolls a glossy finish.

I am SO excited with how these Harry Potter peg dolls turned out. Seeing Harry and Hedwig together like this just makes my heart happy!!

Of course we made Harry's BFFs, Hermione and Ron! Just for fun, I painted a small wooden knob to look like a cauldron and used neon green paint for a potion.

*In all honesty, I'm not thrilled with Hermione's bang situation, so I'll be fixing that ASAP. She deserves better!!

Along with the magical trio, I also made a Luna Lovegood with her signature radish earrings and cork necklace, and Draco Malfoy, the boy we love to hate. We've also got a tiny Dobby in his ragged, old pillowcase. I painted his ears on, but like Hermione, I think he might get a fix for that.

Our last Hogwarts student was a special surprise - my daughter! We have been reading the Harry Potter books together for the past couple of years and she is obsessed. She's a Hufflepuff, so I made sure to make her tie the right colors. I made her glasses and headband in her favorite color, teal.

As soon as she saw all of the iconic characters together, along with a version of herself, she screamed with excitement. I can honestly say that I feel exactly the same way. They are SO fun!!

Along with Harry's friends and fellow Hogwarts students, he's also got some adults in his life. I made Snape, Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Hagrid using the larger peg doll sizes.

I used the same painting techniques for the adults as I did for the students. In fact, all of the peg dolls were painted at once, one color at a time. Dumbledore's robes got a little extra sparkle with Glitterific paint!

“It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”

As always, I would love to see what you're making! Share your creations on Instagram, Facebook, or leave a comment/photo on the project pin on Pinterest! #AFMCrafts

Looking for more Harry Potter inspiration?

Check out this collection of OVER 100 magical creative Harry Potter crafts!!

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