How to Sew Hair on a Rag Doll

You can use a cap to sew hair on a rag doll.

One of the most important parts of making a doll is attaching the hair. There are a variety of methods to attach hair on a doll and give a rag doll a finished look. Simply gluing the hair straight to the scalp is one method to use, or for some more rudimentary dolls, you can cut and then glue strips of cloth. However, for more lifelike results from hair application, you can root the hair within the doll's head or sew it on to caps.

Things You'll Need

• Molded cloth
• Synthetic hair
• Glue
• Wax
• Hair embedding tools
• Rooting forks
• Drill

Instructions

Traditional Method

1. Make a cap using a molded cloth. You will be using the cap to attach the doll's hair to its head. You can purchase stiff molded cloth at a sewing store in the color or pattern that you like for your doll's cap and then wet the cloth in order to make it stiff.

2. Put a plastic bag over the doll's head and secure the wet cloth around it so that the cloth is contoured around the doll's head perfectly. Let the cloth remain around the doll's head until it is stiff, then mark it with a pencil to determine how the cap will sit on the scalp.

3. Cut the cloth to fit the doll's head using sewing shears or sharp scissors. Follow the marks you made to ensure that the cloth will fit neatly on the doll's head as a rounded cap when put back on.

4. Glue synthetic hair or hair made from yarn onto the stiff cloth cap and replace the cap firmly back on the doll's head. While the cap should fit firmly on the doll's head and stay on, you can put a bit of glue around the rim of the cap in order to be sure that the doll doesn't lose its hat or hair.

Rooting

1. Rooting is another method of putting hair on a rag doll, and one that doesn't require the doll to wear a cap. Drill holes into the scalp of the doll. You need to size the holes based on the hair you are planning on attaching. Use a drill bit that aligns with the size of the ends of the purchased or prepared doll hair. Usually, this means that you will need to use the smallest drill bit that you have available to you, which may be as small as 0.1 millimeter.

2. Use a hair embedding tool or rooting fork with glue on it to place strands of hair in each of the holes. Hair embedding tools and rooting forks can be purchased at craft shops and at shops that cater to doll makers.

3. Apply wax around the strands of hair once in the hole. The wax will seal the hair in its place.

References

• Doll Making: Doll Hair
• Prilly Charmin: Doll Restoration