How to Make a Doll
A doll is a delightful addition to any young girl's toy chest. If you have basic sewing skills it is quite simple to make a one-of-a-kind doll. A simple, handmade doll makes a great gift and often becomes a cherished companion that can be used for all kinds of make-believe play. Read on to learn how to make a doll.
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Things You'll Need
- Fabric for body and clothing
- Thread and needle
- Sewing machine (optional)
- Stuffing
- Embroidery floss or paint and brushes for face
- Yarn and large yarn needle
- Scissors
- Chalk
Instructions
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1
Embroider a mouth, eyes and any other facial features you want on a large piece of the fabric that will be the doll's skin. Make the doll head by starting with a tightly-packed ball of stuffing and wrapping it in the piece of fabric with the face. Position the face in a realistic position on the head ball, then pull the fabric tight. Stuff a bit of stuffing into the bunched fabric, which will be the neck, and tie securely around this area.
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2
Trace the shape of a body, without the head, on a piece of the skin fabric. Fold the fabric in half and cut the body out, giving you two body-shaped pieces. Make the doll body by placing the right sides of these pieces together and sewing most of the way around the edges. Leave a big gap for the neck.
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3
Stuff the body quite tightly, because the doll will loosen up as it is played with over time. Make sure to get the stuffing all the way into the hands and feet. Stuff the doll neck (the part below the tie) down into the gap in the body. Attach the body to the neck and close any remaining gaps with hand stitches.
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4
Sew on hair. Thread a large needle with a long piece of yarn and make a small stitch through the scalp. Cut the yarn off, leaving a piece the length of the hair you want on each end of the stitch. Tie the two ends of this yarn together close to the doll's scalp, so the hair doesn't pull out. Repeat as often as you want to create a full head of hair. You can also start by making the hair quite long, then trim it into a cut you like.
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5
Make simple clothes for the doll using scraps of different fabrics. Make a few different outfits if you have enough time and fabric.
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Tips & Warnings
If you would rather paint than sew a face, use non-toxic fabric paint. In this case you can make a blank head and paint the fact when the doll is finished, if you would prefer.
Don't make too many details, like separate fingers, since these can be very difficult to sew and stuff.
