homemade toys are fun to make and may end up being a souvenir.They make great gifts.You can learn a few different ways to make a doll in the comfort of your own home by reading the steps below.
Step 1: Purchase supplies.
Purchase a doll head, body, arms, and legs at a hobby shop.Be sure everything is the same size.Such considerations may be taken care of by some hobby shops that sell kits.You need paint and thinner, a small paintbrush, and some doll clothes.There are different types of doll heads, from pre-painted vinyl heads with synthetic hair to simple base elements that can be combined.If you buy a doll head, eyes, and wig separately, you'll need to do a bit more work to put the doll together.Any type of fabric can be used to make wigs.Raggedy Ann-style colored yarn makes great-looking hair, but it's not the same as specialty yarns.
Step 2: The doll needs to be assembled.
Softer plastic parts can be pressed into holes on the body to make a doll with moving joints.Alternatively, use plastic cement or wood glue to fix the doll's limbs, or to make a doll from simpler or harder parts.When you're done, wipe away excess glue from around the joint.
Step 3: A face is painted on a doll.
If your doll's head doesn't come pre-painted, you should paint it yourself.Most materials can be painted with acetic paint.If you want to start painting with the base colors, use a small brush.Once you're done with the doll, let it dry for a few more hours.Adding blush to your doll's cheeks can be done with paint thinner and pink paint.If your doll's face is featureless, you may want to add a nose to it.To make one, use a U or sideways U shape.
Step 4: Add the wig.
It's time to add a wig for your doll.If you want to make a wig that is permanent or switchable, you can either glue yarn to the top of the doll's head with a strong glue or use a piece of cloth to sit on the dolls head.The wigs are pre-made.
Step 5: The doll needs to be dressed.
You can dress the doll however you please.If you weren't able to find good doll clothes, make a project out of the doll and set it aside for later.It's done when your doll is assembled, painted, and sitting in an outfit.
Step 6: There are supplies to gather.
You'll need corn husks with silk on them to make this doll.A dozen corn husks should be enough to make a doll.You will need a large bowl of water, scissors, pins and twine to bind the husks.
Step 7: The husks need to be dry.
Corn husk dolls are made with dried husks.Set the husks out in the sun for a few days until they are dry and no longer green.Corn husk dolls are steeped in both American Indian and colonial tradition, but as long as they're well-dried, the result will be the same.
Step 8: The silk needs to be removed.
Before the next step, take the dried silk off of the husks.It needs to stay dry while you soak the husks to keep it from getting soggy.The silk should be laid in the same direction.
Step 9: Wet the husks.
When you're ready to make your doll, soak the dried husks in a bowl of water.This won't rehydrate the husks you so carefully dried, but it will make them more flexible so that you can bend them into shape without breaking them.Once the husks have soaked, wipe them dry with paper towels.If the husks are different in size from one another, now is a good time to clip or tear the largest ones so that they're all roughly the same size.It will help prevent a doll from being too big.
Step 10: Take care of the head.
Take a corn husk and place it in front of you with the pointed end out, then lay a bunch of corn silk along its length.Next, lay two husks on top of the first husk and silk, with their points away from you, and add more silk.For a total of six husks and hour sections of silk, repeat everything one more time and then tie the whole stack together.The husks have flat ends.
Step 11: Make the head.
Pick up the silk bundle and hold it by the twined end so that the pointed ends of the husks are pointing up.Pull the husks in different directions so that they come down on different sides.Once all the husks have been peeled, you'll get a shock of silk hair coming up from the center of a rounded shape.Tie twine around the husks again and you have a head that is about an inch high.
Step 12: Make arms.
You can choose between braided or tube.To make tube arms, cut a 6 inch (15.2 cm) piece of husk and roll it into a tube, then tie it off with twine near both ends.Cut 6 inches (15.2 cm) of husk into 3 strips and braid them together to make braided arms.If you want an equal length of arm, make just one tube or braid and then insert it through the husks below the head.
Step 13: Don't tie the waist.
Wrap the husks below the arms with twine to create a waist.The arms should be around 1 to 1 12 inches from the waist if you double check, so you can adjust them if necessary.Wrap a piece of husk over the twine on the doll's waist to create a belt or sash.Place it in the back with a bow.
Step 14: Supplies should be gathered.
The pattern is the most important part of fabric dolls.There are many fabric doll patterns available for free online as well as at fabric and craft stores.Pick the one you like from the image of the finished doll.Purchase whatever cloth or fill you need along with the pattern.A typical fabric doll requires a rectangular piece of natural-colored cloth, batting, colored thread, a sewing needle, and pins to hold pieces in place while you work.For more information, read the pattern directions.
Step 15: The fabric needs to be cut.
Take care not to fold or crumple any piece after cutting out each piece with a pair of fabric scissors, following the pattern you bought.Remember to allow a small amount of extra fabric around each piece to account for the seams.Most doll patterns should provide clothing in a contrasting color, either in the form of a differently-colored body or a simple outfit; don't forget to cut those parts out.
Step 16: Put the pieces together.
You'll need to make stitches to help define curves to allow your doll to fill out properly.Follow the instructions on your pattern again.
Step 17: You can add batting.
Put your batting into the doll that needs to be stuffed.To prevent batting from escaping, tie off the open ends of the doll's body with the same color thread you used for the cloth.Stitch the pieces together according to the instructions on the pattern.You can ball it evenly by laying out smaller pieces in a star or triangle pattern and rolling them up until you have the size you want.It's firm if you stuff the head tightly.Stuff the body a bit differently.
Step 18: Hair and facial features can be added.
A bit of patience and colored thread is all this requires.Black, brown, blue, or green thread is used for the eyes.To sew each feature into the doll's face, use a needle threaded with a length of floss to pull the colors through.Stitching on yarn hair is simple.To make sure your eyes and mouth are placed evenly, mark where you want to put the pins.As you work on that part, take each pin out.If you looped the yarn when you sewed the doll's hair, clip the loops to give it a messy head of hair.
Step 19: There are supplies to gather.
You'll need large craft clothespins, which are usually found at craft stores, to make this simple wooden doll.You will need some materials for making an outfit, such as felt, ribbons, or scrap cloth, as well as a fine-tipped felt marker.
Step 20: The clothespin needs to be painted.
The head and the split at the bottom of the pin will become the feet.If you want to paint on shoes which can be easily approximated by painting one color about 14 of an inch up both feet, you can use acrylic paint.The first color in the shoe is the socks.It's not necessary to paint the clothespin with skin-colored paint.If you do, make sure to let it dry first.Paint the face to make sense with the way the feet are split.Otherwise, your doll will look weird.
Step 21: Add more details.
Pupils for the eyes or a smiling mouth are things you can draw with your marker.
Step 22: You should dress your doll.
Use your scrap materials, scissors, and craft glue to make a fun outfit for your doll.To make sure they fit, pin things in place before you cut.Make a hat or wig for your doll's bald head.Glue each item into place with a bit of craft glue after you're satisfied.The clothespin doll won't hold up a lot under sustained play, but it does make a great family project.Fix it, don't worry if it falls apart.