Who in the world is Flat Hitty? She is the perfect travel companion. Flat Hitty takes up very little space, never complains and doesn’t need food. She is happy to go wherever you want to take her. You can also mail her to a friend or relative and ask them to share photos of Flat Hitty’s adventures. There are three different versions of Flat Hitty to make. I hope you will choose your favorite one and give this free tutorial a try!
In case you are not familiar with Hitty (see Who is Hitty?), she is a small wooden antique doll who resides in the Stockbridge Library in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In 1929, Rachel Field wrote Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, which was illustrated by Dorothy P. Lathrop. The two friends found Hitty in an antique shop in New York City. Rachel and Dorothy’s intuition told them that Hitty was a very special doll with a story to tell. After their book won the Newbery Medal for children’s literature in 1930, Hitty became famous. She traveled with Rachel to libraries and bookshops across the country (see Hitty in the Bookshop).
In the Hitty book, an old peddler, who was traveling through Maine in the middle of winter, took refuge at the Preble house during a storm. He ended up staying there to help Mrs. Preble around the house while her husband, Captain Preble, was at sea. During his time with the Prebles, the peddler carved Hitty from a special piece of mountain ash wood, as a gift for seven-year-old Phoebe Preble. The doll’s original name was “Mehitabel,” but that was too difficult for Phoebe to say, and so she became, “Hitty.”
Dorothy’s illustrations were crucial to the success of the book. Her whimsical portrayal of Hitty in a host of harrowing situations — floating in a tidal pool after a shipwreck; standing next to a cobra in a snake-charmer’s basket; lying among tree roots next to a bullfrog after being flung from an automobile — added greatly to the story’s charm. The illustration of Hitty with the bullfrog was my inspiration for Flat Hitty. It was one of only three color prints used in the early editions of the book. Since the Hitty book was published over 95 years ago, it is now in the public domain. The image below was scanned from a 1930 edition and digitally enhanced.
In the story, Hitty’s name was stitched on her chemise (undershirt). Since her underwear is covered by the dress, I added the heart pillow with her name on it. Flat Hitty is the same size as the real Hitty doll. I want to thank my Flat Hitty testers: Alice Swann, Beth Anne Hall, and Elaine McNallly. Their suggestions helped make her even better!
Flat Hitty is free to print for personal and educational use. However, if you would like to express your appreciation, please consider donating to the Stockbridge Library.
Click here to download Flat Hitty
HOW TO MAKE FLAT HITTY
Print the .pdf file at 100%. Use 8.5” x 11” card stock. My recommendation is to have the page printed at a copy shop with a good quality color laser printer. Color copies usually cost around .50 to .75 cents each: much cheaper than a wooden doll! You can use an inkjet printer, but the colors will not be as vibrant. If you do print with an inkjet printer, choose the highest quality print setting available.
Flat Hitty has a white outline to make her easier to cut out and also to help add contrast in photos. Cut the doll out carefully along the gray outline. A pair of small embroidery scissors can make it easier to maneuver around the tight curves. Cut out the stand support.
Laminating is optional, but it will make your doll sturdier and more water resistant. You can fit two dolls with stands onto one 8.5” x 11” laminated sheet. You can also try laminating the whole sheet and then cut out the doll (which leaves fewer wrinkles). A copy shop should have a laminator machine, and a page costs about $1 to laminate.
The stand support allows Flat Hitty to stand up, but it can also be folded flat for mailing, Flat Hitty will fit in a standard business envelope. An envelope is also a good place to store her when traveling.
To attach the stand support, center it on the back side of Flat Hitty. Align the bottom edges.
Apply clear tape along one long edge of stand support.
Fold the stand support over and tape the other side to make a hinge. The stand support also makes a convenient handle to hold while taking photos.
EXTRA CREDIT FLAT HITTY
If you are interested in making a slightly more challenging version of Flat Hitty, try the double-sided, Extra Credit Flat Hitty. This doll will take a little more time to make, but she’s twice the fun!
Click here to download Extra Credit Flat Hitty
Print out the .pdf file on card stock as recommended above. Then cut as close as possible to the edges of the doll. This is the most important step, so take your time.
After your doll is cut out, you may notice how the white edges stand out, especially around the head and dress. To minimize this, you can use colored markers to touch up the edges of the card stock.
Use black for the head and dress, gray for the underwear, and light brown to match the skin tone and stand. The extra time it takes to do this will make the doll look more professional. Place the two sides of the doll together and check for fit. Make any last minute trimming as needed.
I tried a few different types of glue and found that Rubber Cement worked the best. It is easy to apply, and any messy bits can be cleaned up after it dries. Although it has a strong smell at first, that will go away quickly. Put a piece of scrap paper under your doll when you apply the glue. The applicator is built into the lid. Use it to spread a thin layer of rubber cement on the back sides.
Place the two sides of the doll together while the glue is still wet. Make sure the pieces are properly aligned, then smooth the doll flat. It only takes a few minutes to dry.
The double-sided doll is too thick for lamination. However, the two layers of card stock will make her sturdy enough. For an inexpensive stand, you can purchase wooden place card holders. I like these trapezoidal place card holders from Amazon. The size is 3” long x 1.57” wide x .8” high.
Some place card holders have slanted slots, which will make your doll lean backwards. Try to find stands with vertical slots. If you like, you can decorate the stands with acrylic craft paint, gel stain or paint pens. Once you are done, place the doll in the stand. If it’s too loose, add a small piece of cardboard in back to help keep her in place.
WOODEN FLAT HITTY
For the most durable Flat Hitty of all, why not try a wooden version? Using a scroll saw, you can cut out the doll’s outline from a piece of thin plywood. Don’t have a saw or workshop? No problem. Find a local print shop that makes laser cut items from wood. There are many companies which offer this service.
My print shop uses 3mm (about 1/8”) thick laser cut plywood. I paid $10 for one wooden outline. To cut an outline you will need an .svg file. You can download the one I used, although you may need to consult with your print shop staff to make sure it will work with their setup. The .svg file adds an extra 1/4” at the bottom of the stand, so the doll can fit in a standard sign holder. After you download the .zip file below, you will need to “unzip” it to extract the .pdf and .svg files.
Click here to download Wooden Flat Hitty with outline
Cut out the Extra Credit Hitty doll and prepare the front and back sides for gluing using the instructions above. I tried three different glues. Tacky glue and rubber cement did not bond to the wood well enough. Supertite Fusion-Tack glue worked the best. It has a strong, permanent bond. Fusion-Tack is an industrial grade glue that is non-toxic and washable. You can find it in most craft stores or on Amazon.
Add a piece of tape to the very bottom edge (to keep glue off the slot which will fit in the stand). Apply a thin layer of Fusion-Tack glue to one side of the wooden outline using an inexpensive, flat-edged paintbrush. Do not put any glue on the paper doll.
Hold the paper doll piece directly over the wooden outline and carefully press in place – the glue grabs quickly! Make sure that the bottom edge has enough glue to hold well, but be careful not to get any glue on the outside of the doll.
Smooth the doll down firmly. Remove any extra glue that squeezes out along the edges before it dries. Clean the brush afterwards with soap and water. Fusion Tack dries in one hour. After that, you can glue the other side in the same manner. Allow the glue to fully cure for 24 hours before using your doll.
The final step: a sealer provides extra protection for Wooden Flat Hitty. I used Minwax Polycrylic. It is water soluble and has very little odor. You can choose how shiny you want the finish to be. I prefer the Satin finish.
Apply the Minwax Polycrylic to one side of the doll with a small flat brush. Cover the doll completely, and wipe off any extra that drips over the edges. Clean the brush with soap and water after using. Allow to dry for at least two hours. Then apply Polycrylic sealer to the opposite side of the doll. Repeat the steps to apply a second coat on both front and back.
The wooden doll fits perfectly in a sign holder with a 1/8” slot. These acrylic stands from Amazon are 2” wide x 1.5” long x 3/8” high. The clear acrylic looks very classy!
Now that your doll is finished, the fun can begin. Check out Flat Hitty’s Instagram page @Flat_Hitty for the latest updates. On social media, you can share your photos with the #FlatHitty and #HittyDoll hashtags.
ACTIVITIES
In the future, I hope to add an activities page for Flat Hitty. Please Contact Me if you have ideas for fun things to do with your doll. Flat Hitty is a great project for schools and libraries to use, and it’s also perfect for homeschooling. Take your Flat Hitty along when you travel, and most importantly, have fun!
