Matryoshka Dolls — by Guest Mom Kyran

When I was a little girl, a friend had a set of Russian wooden nesting dolls on her mantel. I loved to get them down and pop each of them inside the next biggest one, all the way up to the Mama Matryoshka, and then open them all up again in reverse order, all the way down to the little solid baby Matryoshka.

I hadn't thought about them in years, until I saw a friend's photograph of a set in a storefront in New York city over Christmas. I immediately went searching for some. Nestingdolls.net has a wide variety of handpainted Matryoshkas, such as this traditional set, which is like the one I remember.


They would be adorable in a little girl's room or as a bohemian decorative accent elsewhere. Bits and Pieces has a wide assortment of dolls, from traditional to whimsical. Beyond the traditional rosy cheeked peasant design, there are some new interpretations of wooden nesting dolls, like these nesting animals, which my three year-old son would would go crazy over (I would inquire about the paint used on all these dolls before giving them to small children to handle):


Etsy has dozens of variations on the Matryoshka motif, from this gorgeous printed t-shirt


to this boho-chic necklace


to this exquisite skirt.


Matryoshka dolls are traditionally a symbol of motherhood and fertility, making them perfect for baby shower gifts, or close friends who are TTC (trying to concieve). And for the ultimate Matryoska fan-girl, I stumbled on a navel ring with Matryoska charm.

Warning: if you do get pregnant, take that ring out before your innie turns into an outie. Things that stretch during pregnancy do not necessarily snap back into place afterward. Trust me.