How to Make Amish Dolls

Charming in their simplicity, most Amish dolls are made to look primitive. Males usually wear black pants with suspenders and a flat-crowned wide-brimmed hat in either black or straw. Females often wear a black bonnet with a black jumper over a purple, red, or blue blouse and skirt. The faces are generally without features, with occasional beards, and the hands have little definition. Male or female bodies are identical, with arms outstretched and legs together, as the illustration shows. The Amish traditionally sew their dolls by hand. You can do the same or use a sewing machine.

Things You'll Need

• Paper and pencil for making the pattern
• Muslin or cotton fabric in white, black and either red, blue or purple
• Quilt batting
• Cardboard
• Glue
• Scissors, pins, needle and thread

Instructions

1. Make the body of each doll in two separate pieces with the head and body sewn separately. Draw a gingerbread doll shape on paper, leaving an extra 1/4 inch to turn under. Draw the head separately, 1/4 inch larger than the final size should be. Cut out the paper patterns. Trace the head and body onto white fabric, front and back, and cut out the four shapes.

2. With right sides together, pin the back and front to each other, with the head and body separate. Sew around each, leaving 2 inches open on one side of the body for stuffing, 1 inch for the head. Turn the two pieces right side out. Stuff quilt batting inside the body and head. Stuff the front of the head, making it fuller than the back. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push stuffing into hard-to-reach places like arms and legs. Sew up the openings. Sew the head onto the body, with the full part of the head facing forward.

3. Use the red, blue, or purple fabric to make a matching shirt and blouse. Trace patterns on paper first, making the sleeves slightly wider than the finished arm and body. Bring the neckline up beneath the doll's head. Cut out the patterns. Trace them onto the fabric, front and back. Cut them out. Stitch them together with right sides facing in. When you're finished, turn them inside out so the stitches don't show. Slide them over the doll's head.

4. Following the outline of the body, trace the man's legs on paper to make the pants, leaving extra fabric to turn them inside out. Trace the female doll on paper to make the dress, allowing extra room for the cloth to fit around the doll. Cut out the shapes and trace them onto fabric, both front and back. Cut three narrow strips of black fabric to make a man's suspenders and a woman's belt. Measure them to make sure they're long enough. Sew the suspenders to the man's pants, and tie the belt around the woman's waist.

5. Make a skirt for the woman from fabric that matches her blouse. Trace the body on paper, and trace the pattern onto cloth. Cut matching front and back sides, making the skirt long enough to hang below the jumper but short enough to expose her feet. Stitch the two pieces together up the sides, and turn the skirt right side out. Slide it on under the jumper. Stitch it to the body.

6. Cut two small half circles to make shoes for the man and woman. Sew the front to the back with right sides together. Turn them inside out, and put them over the doll's feet. Stitch them to the legs at the top of each foot.

7. Make the man's hat by cutting a large circle and long narrow rectangle of cardboard to form the wide brim and flat crown. Cut out the center of the circle, and throw out the center. Cover the rectangle and the outer circle with black fabric. Glue the crown inside the brim, or sew the fabric to hold them together. Make the woman's bonnet using a half-circle and two narrow straight rectangles of black fabric. Tie the rectangular ribbons on each side of the semi-circle, halfway above the flat side that will cover the back of her neck. Sew the man's hat to his head. Tie the woman's bonnet beneath her chin.

Tips & Warnings

• The amount of detail varies in Amish dolls. Make your dolls accordingly, adding more definition to clothing if you wish. Make a round beard for the man using fake fur or yarn sewn on and brushed to make it fluffy.