How to Make Miniature Baby Dolls

The materials you'll use to make a miniature doll depend on the size of the doll. Miniature baby dolls used in dollhouses are sometimes no bigger than a fingertip. Tiny dolls are fun to make because they need minimal supplies and small bits of materials, and if you're organized you can complete the project quickly. If your child has a favorite worn-out nightgown in a small print, this craft project offers the chance to put it to use. The baby doll described here is wrapped in a blanket with only her face showing, but she will still be fairly detailed.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Small half-inch-thick piece of balsa wood
• Fine sandpaper or X-acto knife
• Soft fabric for bonnet and body covering
• Small piece of terry facecloth or flannel for blanket
• Eyelet ruffle
• Small piece of lace
• Floss or yarn
• Glue
• Scissors
• Fine-line permanent marker

1. Decide how long you want your miniature doll to be. For a 3-inch baby doll, the head will be about an inch long. The rest of the doll will be wrapped in a blanket.

2. Cut a piece of balsa wood 1 inch wide by 3 inches long. Use fine sandpaper or an X-acto knife to shape the doll in two connected ovals. Gently round the top inch for the head, then round the remaining two inches to form the body.

3. Make the face by gluing an oval-shaped piece of cardboard to the wooden face. Use a fine-line marker to add simple features. Make two curved lines for eyebrows, two curved lines for closed eyes with lashes if you wish, a line curving upward for a smiling mouth, and two dots for nostrils. Use a flesh-colored pencil to color the face. Color the cheeks pink.

4. Glue down a few strands of floss or yarn for bangs at the front of her head. Cut and glue a piece of eyelet ruffle to fit around the baby's face to edge her bonnet. Glue floss or yarn to the back of her head. Glue a piece of fabric to the back of the head to finish the bonnet.

5. To pad the doll before the blanket goes around her, glue several layers of thin fabric to the wooden body, making it as wide as you want your baby to be. Once the fabric is glued down, glue a small piece of lace at her neck for a collar.

6. Cut a piece of fabric 4 1/2-by-6 inches for a blanket. Turn up the bottom over the feet, and glue it in place. Turn over one side, and glue it in place over the center of the doll. Then turn over the other side and glue it down. The top of the blanket should reach just under the baby's chin. Fold back the blanket top so it opens around her face. The blanket will be long enough underneath to stretch beyond her head.

Tips & Warnings

• You can change the dimensions of the baby to suit, making her smaller or larger as needed. Experiment with fabric to find a design you like.

References

• Pants pattern for an 8-inch baby doll.
• Life-size baby doll pattern.