How to Make a Fabric Tube Doll
Making a fabric tube doll is an easy project that, with a little assistance, even children can accomplish. A "green" project, fabric tube dolls can be made from recycled fabric scraps. Help a child make several fabric tube dolls and decorate each one differently to create a family of dolls that will provide hours of entertainment. With little monetary investment, and an afternoon, you can make memorable dolls to cherish.
Things You'll Need
- Straight pins
- 2 flesh-colored cotton fabric rectangles, 4-inches wide by 10-inches long
- Tape measure
- 3 pipe cleaners
- Needle and thread or sewing machine
- Scissors
- Glue gun
- Glue sticks
- Yarn or colored wool
- 2 black pompoms
- Fiberfill stuffing
- Dowel rod
- Permanent makers or fabric paint
Instructions
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1
Pin two cotton fabric rectangles together. Choose fabric in a flesh tone.
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2
Sew, on the sewing machine or by hand with the needle and thread, the two 10-inch long sides and one of the 4-inch wide ends, using a 1-inch seam allowance and a straight stitch. Remove pins as you sew.
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3
Turn the fabric tube right side out and stuff with fiberfill. Use the dowel rod to help poke the stuffing to the end of the tube. The sewn end is the doll's head.
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4
Measure, with the tape measure, 4 inches down one of the doll's side seams from the top of the doll's head. Poke a pipe cleaner horizontally through the tube side, through the inside stuffing and out through the other fabric seam. These are the doll's arms.
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5
Twist two pipe cleaners together. Form the letter "U" with the pipe cleaners. Insert the twisted part into the bottom opening. Push the pipe cleaner "U" into the stuffing. These are the doll's legs.
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6
Fold the raw fabric edges of the unsewn 4-inch end inside the fabric tube, around the two pipe cleaner legs. Pin closed. Sew across the opening and over the legs with a needle and thread. Remove the pins.
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7
Glue, with the glue gun and glue sticks, yarn or cotton wool onto the doll's head for hair. Glue, with the glue gun and glue sticks, a black pompom to the bottom of each pipe cleaner leg. These are the doll's shoes.
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8
Draw a face onto the face area of the fabric tube doll with permanent markers or fabric paint. Allow the paint or markers to dry thoroughly.
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Tips & Warnings
Dress the doll in 10- or 11-inch doll clothing or fashion your own clothes from fabric scraps and laces by gluing or sewing. A simple skirt can be made by gathering the top of fabric or lace by inserting a threaded needle in and out at the top edge of the fabric, pulling tight to cause a gather. Sew or glue the skirt around the fabric tube doll. Hem the bottom edge or glue, with the glue gun, gathered lace to the bottom edge. You can wrap the pipe cleaners in layers of satin ribbon and secure with glue if you prefer.
Use caution when operating glue guns.
