Clarke Gayford shows off hilariously 'creepy' homemade doll gifted to daughter Neve

Some might describe it as cute and adorable, others have labelled it the stuff of lockdown nightmares.

Jacinda Ardern's daughter Neve has been gifted a creative homemade dolly by a lovely Kiwi, but it's the facial expression of the doll that is turning heads.

Taking to social media, Neve's father Clarke Gayford showcased the talented dollmaking abilities of a fan.

The masterpiece is a doll-like creation of Ardern but despite it being "totally loved" by Neve, the 3-year-old named her wonderful but bizarre new toy "Creepy Mummy".

"Well hi everyone, welcome to Monday. Who doesn't want a 30-second distraction to try and help get them through the start of the week? Gayford said.

"So I give you this. We get given all sorts of wonderful hand-made arts and crafts here and when I say we - Neve.

"And there's some real talent in this country, some incredible talent, and she's a very lucky 3-year-old.

The doll depicts a smiling Ardern wearing a red dress and sporting long dark hair.

Gayford said the doll, which arrived without any details attached, was a "masterpiece" even if Neve named it "Creepy Mummy".

"Some of the things make their way into our home and into our 3-year-old's heart, he explained.

"Including this wonderful dolly, which Neve has even given a name.

"She calls this dolly 'Creepy Mummy' and 'Creepy Mummy' would just like to say: 'Hang in there. You got this. Even though it's Monday.'"

Kiwis were quick to react to Neve's new nickname of the doll, with many saying her instincts are bang on the money.

"Omg that is disturbing," one wrote.

Another said: "Creepy mummy is a vibe."

Others claimed they'd love to have a doll like Neve's.

"Sweet baby Jesus that is insane…ly gorgeous! All kinds of wrong but I love it and want it," one stated.

It's not the first time a gift for Neve has made headlines.

Earlier this year, Gayford was dubbed a "genius for rolling three cakes into one for Neve's birthday, creating a TV-shaped cake and projecting Frozen, Moana and Mickey Mouse episodes onto it.

Gayford explained the multi-movie-themed culinary effort, saying Neve had submitted multiple requests for almost a month beforehand.

"So the birthday cake brief from my almost 3-year-old client changed daily from Frozen to Moana then Mickey Mouse and repeat.

"This has been going on for nearly a month so I came up with a plan to make three cakes into one."

One of Gayford's posted images depicted Neve absorbed by scenes from Moana, rather than actually eating the tasty treat.

This article was first published on the NZ Herald and is republished here with permission.