Corn

The cornet dance. Antique postcard.

 The Corn Baby Lullaby

Rock-a-by, hush-a-by, Corn ba-by mine.
Wrapp'd in your garments of silk, soft and fine.
Rock-a-by, hush-a-by, lit-tle one, dear,
No one can harm you while moth-er is near.

When you have closed your eye-lids in sleep.
Angels will o-ver you tender watch keep.
They will bring dreams to you, li-tle one, dear
Now they are com-ing, now they are here.

 Return to Mother Earth's Children Index

More Corn Links:

• Cut & Paste Popped Corn On The Cob
• DIY Doll Sized Jiffy Pop!
  
• Five Kernels of Corn
  
• Weave Indian Corn for Autumn Fun!
• "The Cornstalk's Lesson" poem 
• DIY Movie Theater Popcorn for Dolls
• Learn more about corn husk dolls and read more instructions about how to make them here.
  
• The Popping Corn Poem
• Thanksgiving Ornaments Made From Indian Corn

Cornelia Shucks the corn husk doll.

The Corn Husk Lady Doll

      "Through the mail one day the little Wests received a box bearing a Nebraska post mark. On opening it they saw the strangest doll imaginable, all neatly packed in crushed tissue paper.
      This was a lady doll made entirely of corn husks and corn silk. The silk was for hair, of course, and very real looking hair it made. A bunch of the thinner, softer husks had been tied together for the head and body; a flat piece was laid over the place where the face was to be, and a string drawn tightly around it about an inch from the top making a very neat, shapely head and neck. Water color paints were used to make the clear blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and other features. Curly brown corn silk was next fastened on for hair, and two rather stiff rolls of husks served for arms.
       Then the lady was dressed in the most elaborate garments. She wore a gathered waist, large sleeves, and a very full skirt. On her head was a bonnet, wonderful to behold. Like her gown and parasol, it, too, was made entirely of corn husks.
       A letter that came with the doll said that it had been made by a little child living on a Nebraska farm and who had made the husk dolls for amusement at first, but that since she had learned to make them so well many of her dolls had been sold. What she had begun for mere pleasure was now a source of profit to her.
       The letter said also that in making her dolls this little girl always soaked the husks to soften them and to keep them from tearing while the dolls were being made.
      In looking about for a name for the new visitor the children decided upon ''Cornelia '' as the name best suited to one of her nature and general makeup.
      When Papa was asked to suggest a last name for the young lady from Nebraska he said he thought "Shucks" would probably be as appropriate as any other, so Cornelia Shucks she was called.
       On the very day the young lady arrived the children hunted up some nice clean corn husks and put them to soak in warm water. There were thin white pieces which came next to the corn, and butter colored strips, and deep brown ones - variety enough for any doll's wardrobe. After an hour or two of soaking, the husks were taken from the water and wiped as dry as possible and then they were ready.
      After much examination of the fair Cornelia's form and style of dress the little Wests were able to make quite respectable looking husk dolls. Of course, the first ones were a trifle clumsy, but after a while these children were able to make and dress lady dolls as fine as Cornelia Shucks herself." Margaret Coulson Walker

 

The Corn Lullaby - Sheet Music

The Corn Cob Baby Doll

       "Corn babies were favorite nature dolls many years ago. When the tender roasting ears were brought in from the garden the children all agreed that they were such dainty babies, just as they were, that it would spoil them to change them in any way.
       All they needed to do was just to open the green husk a little and there lay the most beautiful creamy white Corn Baby wrapped in the daintiest of silken garments. Florence hugged the Corn Baby close in her arms and as she rocked it to sleep sang to it a soft crooning little lullaby which she and the others had made up. Charlotte, and Mamma, too, had helped them a little with both the tune and words. As Florence sang to the baby in her arms the others joined her, singing softly always, and letting the song fade away almost to a whisper at the end that the baby might not miss the music when it was heard no more.
       Then the Corn Baby was tenderly laid in a cradle Tom had made by gluing two semi-circles of wood for rockers to a pasteboard spool box. The wooden circle which he had cut in two had once had a bolt of ribbon wrapped around it in a store." Margaret Coulson Walker

Left, the corn husk cradle. Right, the corn cob baby wrapped in husk bunting.

Sample paper-cut of a corn paper chain.

 

       Download and print out the pattern below. The dotted lines indicate where the image will be folded to continue the primrose silhouette seamlessly after it is unfolded. The number of images "linked" together in one continuous chain is determined by the length of the paper being cut. Use a very thin paper to make your cutting easier. Cut away the areas indicated by the design. (see image above and read text on the pattern below. This paper-cut may be used as a border around a Fall bulletin board in a classroom or as a paper chain for a shelf if you like.

Corn on The Cob Template.