How are cornhusk dolls made?

• A. They are carved from wood and then dried.
• B. They are sewn from fabric and filled with seeds.
• C. They are made by weaving cornhusk with thread.
• D. Soaking the husk in water to soften, then tying six pieces with sinew to form the head and neck, then rolling to form the shoulders and letting it dry.

Answer: (D)

These dolls come from working with dried corn husks and shaping them into a simple human form. Soaking the husks in water makes them soft and pliable so you can bend and bind them without breaking the fibers. Using six pieces tied together with sinew forms the head and neck, and then rolling that tied bundle shapes the shoulders and body. As it dries, the form becomes set, preserving the head-and-shoulder figure that characterizes cornhusk dolls. This method relies on the husks themselves as the material, unlike carving wood, sewing fabric, or weaving fibers, which produce different kinds of dolls.