Iranian Schoolgirls Shelve "Barbies," Make Their Own Dolls From Scratch

Masoumeh Keshavarz works as an elementary school teacher in Bandar-e Anzali, an Iranian city on the Caspian Sea. With genuine enthusiasm, her pupils do needlework: they create dolls, sew clothes for them and even make little toy passports.

"Girls handcraft their dolls from recycled material: sackcloth, bottle caps and hemp ropes," the young teacher told the Iranian news agency ISNA. "At first, we did more traditional crafts out of colored paper, yarn and fabric, but children are much more interested in sewing toys."

​Masoumeh admits that she never puts any restrictions or gives tips, so that the girls can pour all their creativity into mastering toy-making.

"I don't interfere in the creative process at all, that's why every child makes an absolutely unique doll. The girls give them beautiful names, and some of them even create toy passports for their toys," the teacher explained. "Moreover, some girls don't limit themselves to one doll and craft a whole toy family!"

"Interestingly, the handmade dolls make them completely forget about their 'Barbies,'" Masoumeh noted with pleasure. According to her, some pupils even take clothes and accessories from their western dolls to decorate their own. The new hobby aroused interest among the schoolgirls' families, too. Mothers of some girls advise what scarfs or hats will suit the dolls best.

The teacher had even planned to hold an exhibition of handmade toys, but this idea was unfortunately abandoned, despite the enthusiasm of the skilled young girls. Because of bureaucratic red tape, Masoumeh could not find a room for the event. "From one authority we were sent to another, and from there — to the third one. In the end, we started to regret that we'd decided to organize this exhibition," the teacher complained.

However, she refused to give up on the idea of acquainting people with the work of her pupils. Masoumeh decided to film a documentary, which is now almost ready.

At her lessons, Masoumeh Keshavarz also teaches children how to use national Persian motifs to decorate her handiwork. She considers it important to introduce the younger generation to traditional culture.