Playmobil. Maker of little plastic figurines, their homes and their accessories.

The little dolls make wonderful abstract art.

Here is what you will need: The first step is to remove the head of the doll. First, remove the hair -- it should come off easily if you pull on it. Grasp the neck in the scissors.

If you have two people, have one hold onto the doll while the other twists the scissors -- either direction will work, but usually you will have to twist towards the bottom blade of the scissors so they don't break. Easy to understand, nigh impossible to explain in writing.

If you only have one person, place the doll so the body is on a level surface and the head is over thin air. Put your foot on the body and twist the scissors away from yourself. This method is a bit more difficult.

The head should pop out of the body. Look at it: there is the round head, then a long stalk that was inside the body. This is what was holding the body together. You should have no difficulty removing the arms and the top half of the body now, if they do not fall out.

What you have now should consist of a yellow plastic thing that was inside the top half of the body, a skirt, and a pair of feet. To separate the yellow plastic thing and the skirt, use your fingernails or the scissors to pry them apart at the joint. Tug on the feet and they should pop out of the skirt.

Note that with a little adjustment, the feet can be attached to the top of the yellow plastic thing and the arms fit nicely into the head hole. If you choose to use one of the hollow pieces (top of the body or the skirt) it is wise to stuff it with tissue before you attach it to anything. This will keep any attachments stable and will also help you in gluing the arms or head in what were formerly the arm and head holes.

Have fun making some art.