How to Make a Hand Painted Cloth Doll

Hand painted cloth dolls are whimsical, fun and easy to make. All you need are a few supplies from the craft store and a little creativity. This tutorial uses the 'pancake' style pattern to create a basic cloth doll body and acrylic paint to add hair, features and clothing. Even children can follow these simple instructions to make your own hand painted cloth doll.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Cotton cloth
• Pencil
• Straight pins
• Scissors
• Needle
• Thread
• Polyfoam stuffing
• Acrylic paints
• Paintbrushes

1. Start with a piece of cotton cloth in a medium weight (broadcloth is a good choice). It can be plain or patterned, according to your preference. Using flesh toned fabric will result in a more realistic appearance. The cloth should measure about 10" by 25".

2. Fold the piece of cloth in half horizontally.

3. Use a pencil to lightly draw on the outline of a head and torso. It can be similar to human proportions if you like, or you can simply make it a circle attached to a rectangle.

4. Use straight pins to pin both sides of the fabric together about a half inch outside the outline that you drew.

5. Cut off the extra fabric around the pins on all sides.

6. Use a needle and thread to stitch along the drawn-on outline starting at the bottom of one side of the body. Don't worry about making perfect stitches; asymmetry just adds character to the finished design. Make the stitches small and close together. Leave about one inch open on one side of the bottom of the body where a leg will be attached. This will allow you to insert stuffing.

7. Secure the end of the thread with several knots.

8. Remove the straight pins and cut off the excess fabric without getting too close to the stitches.

9. On a separate piece of cloth, draw shapes for two arms and two legs. You may want to check them against your body shape to make sure they are the right size. Remember that each limb needs to be cut and pinned individually. Then, follow steps 4 through 8, leaving openings where the limbs will join the body.

10. Turn the body inside out. Use a knitting needle, pencil or other pointed object to carefully push polyfoam stuffing up into the head until it's as firm to the touch. Then continue adding stuffing to the body.

11. Sew up the opening in the body once it has been fully stuffed. It doesn't matter if the stitches show, since you'll be sewing a leg over that area.

12. Stuff the limbs in the same way that you stuffed the body.

13. Stitch each limb onto the appropriate area of the body with the open flaps of the top of the limb folded inward.

14. Use acrylic or fabric paints to paint on the hair, features, and clothing as desired. If you're painting on a patterned cloth, you may want to first put down a layer of flesh-toned paint and allow it to dry before painting on the features.