DIY A 90s Jumping-Jack Skier

The finished skier with permanently attached skies, no poles though.

       I acquired this adorable jumping-jack in a resale shop somewhere; it's been sometime since I've purchased it so I'm not quite sure of where that was. It is signed and dated and this is why I know that it was painted in the 90s. I suppose you could draw similar details on a ski sweater yourself using permanent ink markers instead of paint and thus making the prospects of duplicating the details better.
       My version does not have ski poles and if I were to make it myself I would attach something made from chenille stems to the hands only.
      I am also certain that you could make this skier in a smaller size, if you have the patience to do so. Just remember to keep the parts in proportion to each other and I'm sure a smaller version would be quite charming...
       To make this 1990s jumping jack skier you will need the following supplies: large brass fasteners (4), acrylic paints, a large wooden bead for the head, a smaller wooden bead for the pull string, one chenille stem, a thick strand of gold twine for that same pull and stronger thinner twine for the stringing of the arms and legs, a hand held drill to make neat, clean holes into the Popsicle stick arms and legs and a variety of very large wooden Popsicle sticks to smaller ones. See the photos for design choices. Cutting tools for the shortening of the sticks are also necessary.

• How to cut Popsicle without breaking or splitting them...
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Carefully study the  photos here to see how many cuts and parts you will need for the jumping-jack skier. 
2. You will first need to use a small hand drill to make clean, neat holes at the shoulders and hips of the doll. after these three pieces have been glued and assembled to make the torso of the doll.
3. These four holes must correspond exactly to a pair of arms and a pair of legs. It is at these corresponding connections that you will insert brass fasteners to attach the arms and legs. These fasteners will allow motion of the dolls parts.
4. The same movement can be said of the doll's head because it is loosely strung on a chenille stem wire and glued down only at one end behind the torso, between the doll's shoulder blades.
5. You can and should paint these parts all separately in order to ensure that the paint will not be smeared onto other parts and thus call for more cleaning  and odd positioning until the paints dry. In other words, paint the head separately, then the torso, then the arm and legs before assembling it all together.
6. Bend the chenille stem to insert inside of the head bead with a hoop at it's top for the hook
   and a straight piece for the neck. This unbent piece is glued at the back of the jumping-jack barely extending it's head just above the wooden neck and shoulders of the doll. It is carefully hidden from the front side of the doll. 
7. Make the twine jumping mechanism next. Use a sharp needle and the finer twine to thread through the wooden shoulders and thighs. See photographs for placement. 
8. Then use the thicker gold twine to knot around each threaded set of  arms and legs. Extending a pull cord down between the legs to pull and make  the little doll "jump." Attach a smaller bead to to the end of the cord for marking the place where a child might "pull'' to animate the doll.
9. Thread a hook through the hoop at the top of the jumping-jack's head to hang it on the Christmas tree.

Left, here you can see that the head and torso are made prior to the arms and legs. If you were
planning to make many of this design, you could process through the steps in stages: heads
 painted, torsos assembled, then legs and arms etc... Right, eyes and facial features
on this doll are highly stylized.

Left at top, see the chenille stem that is glue inside of the bead with a hoop at it's top for the hook
and it's bottom is left straight. This piece is glued at the back of the jumping-jack barely extending
 it's head just above the wooden neck and shoulders of the doll. It is carefully hidden from the front
 side of the doll. Right, A detailed photograph of the parts unassembled. The twine jumping mechan-
ism is simple and easy enough for older children to attach successfully. The smaller holes made for
the thin twine  attachments are difficult to see here. These are made with a sharp needle and the twine
 is threaded through. Then the thicker gold twine is knotted around each threaded set of  arms and
legs and a pull cord is extended down between the legs to pull and make  the little doll "jump."

Left is the "jump" position of the doll when the cord is pulled down. Right, is how the doll looks
assembled from the back.

More Christmas ornament skiers to make:

• More adorable skiers for the tree - these are made using clothespins
• Paper doll skiers from our family doll crafting blog