How to Make an Indian Bead Doll
Making beaded dolls is part of many cultures. Dolls create entertainment for children and enable them to reenact stories and learn more about their culture. That's according to Native American folk artist Felistis Yellowmule, who says the dolls are "hard when you do it right." This basic bead doll will give you a starting point to embellish and dress as you wish.
Things You'll Need
- 26-by-14-inch piece of muslin
- Dressmaker's (disappearing ink) pen
- Assorted seed beads
- Beading needle
- Thread
- Dressmaker's pins
- Sewing needle
- 4 cups polyester fiber fill
- Horsehair
- Heavy black thread
- 6-by-1/6-inch ribbon
Instructions
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1
Draw the desired shape of your doll onto one half of the muslin. Add 1/4 inch around the pattern for the seam. Cut out your doll shape from the muslin.
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2
Bead the eyes, nose and mouth onto your doll. Bead earrings if desired.
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3
Turn the fabric over and place it onto the remaining muslin, with the beads facing down. Pin the two pieces of fabric together at the feet, hands, knees, elbows and head.
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4
Sew the doll together. Starting at the top of one thigh, sew around the pattern. Leave a 1 inch gap at the crotch area for the stuffing.
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5
Cut out the doll at the hem line (1/4 inch from the sewn line). Turn inside out.
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6
Stuff the doll, starting at the extremities, using the eraser end of a pencil to get stuffing into the arms and legs. When stuffing is finished, sew up the hole.
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7
Gather enough horsehair to make a 1-inch-wide strip on the flat of your hand. Cut the horsehair to 6 inches long.
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8
Place the horsehair on the doll's head. The center of the hair (3-inch mark) should be in the center of the dolls head, from forehead to crown, so that the hair falls evenly onto the shoulders.
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9
Sew the hair into place using large stitches.
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10
Wrap the ribbon around the doll's head. Tie in a knot at the back and trim the edge.
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11
Remove the ribbon and sew seed beads tightly onto it. Use traditional patterns like zigzags or geometric shapes.
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12
Place over the doll's head. Hold in place with a stitch at the back. Your doll is now ready to dress.
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Tips & Warnings
There are no minimum or maximum number of beads you can use. The only limit is your imagination.
Traditional materials for clothing include antelope skin. If you can't find antelope skin, choose a natural-colored, soft suede fabric. Embellish your clothing with a display of beads.
Beading needles are very thin and very sharp. Care should be taken to supervise young children when making these dolls.
