How to make to doll
How to make to doll
How to Make Clay Dolls
This article was co-authored by Natasha Dikareva, MFA. Natasha Dikareva is a San Francisco, California based sculptor, and installation artist. With over 25 years of ceramics, sculpting, and installation experience, Natasha also teaches a ceramic sculpture workshop titled «Adventures in Clay» covering concept development, hand-building techniques, texture, and glazing techniques. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions at the Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, Abrams Claghorn Gallery, Bloomington Center for the Arts, Maria Kravetz Gallery, and the American Museum of Ceramic Art. She has taught at the University of Minnesota and the American Indian OIC School. She has been awarded the Excellence Award at the 1st World Teapot Competition, Best in Show at the 4th Clay & Glass Biennial Competition, and a Grand Prize at the American Museum of Ceramic Art. Natasha holds an MFA from the University of Minnesota and a BFA from Kiev Fine Arts College.
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Who doesn’t love dolls? They’re fun to play with and they come in a million different varieties. If you want to have your own personal doll, why not make one yourself out of clay? This gives you a great chance to get creative and make something that’s perfect for you.
What is a waldorf doll?
Just briefly, Waldorf education speaks about the development of the child as a whole: mind, body and soul.
Children under seven years of age are considered to live in a dream-like state, a realm of fantasy, as their souls are growing more and more, anchoring into their physical bodies.
As their internal organs are growing and their brains developing, they take impressions from the world that surrounds them: the music, the light, the food they eat, the toys they are surrounded with, the harshness of the world we live in, etc.
That is why Waldorf education promotes surrounding your child with natural materials, that speak closely to the soul of the child; with colours that are soothing, not screaming; with less media exposure to allow their young brains and bodies to first process the real world before diving into the virtual one; with music of the heart, instead of the strident noises of high-pitch machines, etc.
Providing your child with simple, and few, toys that encourage their imaginative muscles to work, to enliven their toys, to create worlds of their own.
Stuffed animals are meant to represent real animals, not caricatures or anthropomorphic characters, but to connect children to the world we live in through truthful representations of their environment.
Starting your dollmaking adventure, supplies and tips to get started (via Fig&me).
The truthful representation of humans is therefore extremely important.
Doll play is believed to enhance nurturing characteristics in children, and help them mimic the way we interact with others, perhaps by reliving painful or hard-to-grasp concepts or events, through their doll play.
I wholly believe doll play is cathartic, not just to children but to adults as well.
Providing children with a doll that represents themselves I would say is one of the main characteristics of a Waldorf doll.
The doll is a mirror image, so to speak, of the child: with same body proportions, a blank expression (to allow imagination to make the doll alive) and made of natural materials that speak closely to the inner world of the child.
The doll is meant to be a simple toy, that the child can approach, that is suitable for their developmental stage.
If the child is very young, and just starting doll play, a fully dress-able doll might not be appropriate for them.
If the child is older, and requires more interaction with their doll, accessories, play food, or even other dolls to play with are therefore required.
I would say that the three main characteristics, aside construction, of a Waldorf doll are: a genuine representation of human body proportions, a blank expression, and made of natural materials.
Starting your dollmaking adventure, supplies and tips to get started (via Fig and me).
The techniques that are most widely associated with waldorf doll making are not Waldorf.
They were prevalent at the time that Waldorf education came around and were appropriated by the many doll makers who started creating dolls based on their education theories.
These are techniques for cloth doll making, that had been around for many years before the education movement arose.
Construction of the Doll
Now, the most prevalent/common way a Waldorf doll is made consists of several steps:
1. Head
Rolling strips of wool to create a ball, that then it’s covered with tubular gauze or stockinette, to be sculpted with needle and thread, cquiring its “characteristic” soft shape: an eye line, a nose, round cheeks, and most importantly the shape of a human head.
2. Body
A body pattern that resembles the proportions of a child. Age vary the proportions so here you have to pay attention to the head to body ratio.
More or less, the arms reach as long as the hips, with the thumbs positioned at the seam where the legs join to the torso.
Feet and hands are proportionate to the overall body, and the head, VERY important, is not too large or too small compared to the body length.
I cannot stress enough the importance of the head size. If you are making a baby, then the torso and legs and head are about equal in size. If you are making a child over 1 year old the proportions start to change quite a bit.
I mostly use the proportions of my daughter when she was about 5 years old. Look at your children and you will see that their heads do not go over their shoulders, that they are centred.
Another way of deciding the proportions is to picture your doll inside a pentagon, with head, hands and feet at each vertex. Therefore, when the doll has her arms stretched out and her legs, all distances from each point are equal.
3. Fabric
Most waldorf dolls are sewn with European-made fabric, since that is where this educational approach originated.
It can either be a cotton interlock (both sides look the same) or a cotton jersey (one side looks knit, the other one has a purl). You could also use wool jersey although it is less common.
The cotton interlock most commonly used is made by De Witte Engel (DWE) and the cotton jersey is made by Laib Yala. There is a list of suppliers at the bottom of this post that can help you in sourcing these wonderful materials.
This fabric is made specifically for doll making, so it is very sturdy, has low-pill action, and it comes in a variety of shades that resembles skin tones. Please bear in mind that once you stuff the doll, the fabric stretches and lets through the colour of the white wool, therefore all skin tones of fabric will lighten up once stuffed.
4. Wool Stuffing
The stuffing used for this kind of dolls is always wool.
I have heard people using bamboo and claiming is a natural product, which in fact is no different than rayon. It is made with a natural resource, but the fabrication of said product is so toxic and so far removed from the initial fibre that it is mostly a rayon-like product.
Wool has many properties, and I am not going to elaborate here, but only from a doll making point of view: this stuffing is the BEST. Because it retains its shape, it is easy to tear into small pieces, it has loft, and it can be compressed and you can wound it into an extremely firm head.
It can also be felted, and if you want to experiment with needle-felting you need to use wool to achieve the best results, in my humble opinion.
From another perspective, wool retains heat, it is a biodynamic fibre that reacts to its environment and has memory. I could go on and on, but I will spare you.
If you are interested in checking the many properties of wool and would like to learn more how it is used in dollmaking or where to buy it, head to this post:
Starting your dollmaking adventure, supplies and tips to get started (via Fig and me).
So from these basic tenets, most waldorf-style dolls are made. Now we go deeper. I do not create Waldorf dolls, I stopped doing so a long time ago.
At least I thought that initially my dolls were to be presumed in that category because I consciously prescribed to the tenets of Waldorf education, in creating a doll that spoke to the child, and that had no expression, made exclusively with natural materials.
But doll making turned into an art form for me, it gave me a fantastic medium to exercise my creativity and I was blessed with the opportunity of expanding my skills and knowledge of doll making by leaving the realm of Waldorf-inspired dolls.
I would say my dolls still hold some of the simplicity, at least to an extent, of Waldorf dolls, however they are much more elaborate, they do have expressions, I not always use natural materials for their clothes, and there are definite personalities coming to life in my dolls.
While I still try to make my dolls accessible to a child if they were to play with it, I firmly believe the majority of my dolls are more suitable for much older children, or children at heart.
So even though the vast majority of the dolls out there are not considered Waldorf dolls, we have to call them one way.A doll with a simple expression, made of natural materials, with a rolled head, lightly needle sculpted, it is not a Waldorf doll, but it is the closest approximation of a category.
Do not get hung up on titles, I lost them a long time ago and I am glad I did.
Calling my dolls Waldorf dolls always felt a bit of a constraint, like I wasn’t allowed to grow from there, to experiment, to give more life-like characteristics to my dolls because in the realm of Waldorf education more is not needed.
The less you add, the more the child has to put in, which is the aim of the toy: to help them construct their own world.
The less you add, the more the child has to put in, which is the aim of the toy: to help them construct their own world.
I went from creating a simple doll, sturdy and not too heavy, with very simple clothing that could be easily changed by my then very young children, to dolls with ears, bums, knees, belly buttons, lips and what not.
While my dolls are in no way appropriate for a small child, creating them gives me a satisfaction beyond compare. In a way, I am happy to have strayed so far from the realm of Waldorf doll making.
I have been calling my dolls Natural Fiber Art Dolls for quite a while now and I feel this title best describe them though it is a bit long for my liking.
Starting your dollmaking adventure, supplies and tips to get started (via Fig and me).
You probably just want to get started. So here we go.
The best advice I can give you is to buy a pattern from a reputable doll maker.
If you are a VERY beginner dollmaker, i.e you have never made a waldorf doll, and you are intimidated by all there is to do, I suggest you start simple and easy.
In 2017 I released a Beginner Dollmaking pattern called the Wee Baby Doll. It is a 9″ tall doll, made with repurposed cashmere body. You will learn to sculpt a little head (the ‘waldorf’ way), to embroider a simple face, basic body proportions, and in the end you will accomplish a cute little doll with very little cost in materials and time.
Later that year I released a second pattern, called the Little Fig. As you might be able to notice, I am publishing my patterns in order of difficulty, so that you can learn with each and every single one. The Little Fig doll pattern helps you create a 14″ tall doll, you can learn to add more facial features with needle sculpting, how to create a wig out of mohair yarn, and how to construct a doll with very pleasing toddler proportions. That pattern comes bundled with a set of clothing to help you save some money, better used in buying the supplies to make it.
In 2018 I released the Baby Fig Doll Pattern. This one is a bit more intense, both in construction and sculpting. I am introducing the technique of needle-felting to add more depth to facial features, giving you two ways to make hair, and the pattern comes with instruction to create a diaper, bib and a sweet little headband. So you can partially dress your baby as soon as you are done. Make sure to check around the store as there are two layettes that fit this baby perfectly, and even some bundled patterns for you to save money.
Finally, in 2019 I released the Big Fig Doll Pattern, which is inspired in the proportions of my then 5 year old and the doll style I call Figlette. This lengthy doll pattern will teach you many design details for larger dolls, construction, how to use weft to create hair style and add more details with needle-felting. I have published over the years several knitting and clothing patterns that this doll size can wear with ease so you will be able to dress your doll accordingly.
I have received wonderful reviews on all my patterns so far and I am deeply grateful to each and every one of you that has decided to spend your time creating dolls with them.
I know my patterns are a little bit more pricey than most, but I do believe they are currently among the best out there. Not just in design, on which I spend ridiculous amounts of time, but they are backed by more than ten years of experience making and teaching others how to make dolls.
If my patterns are not what you are looking for, I encourage you to look via Etsy for the ones that most appeal to you.
I am sure you will find one that comes close to the vision you have in your head, and that it will get you started in creating a doll and teaching you a few new skills.
It doesn’t matter if the pattern is nowhere close to your approximation of beauty, as long as the end product looks of extreme high quality, I would recommend to you to start this way.
I have never in my life used a Waldorf doll making pattern, but it would have come in very handy when I started.
I think using a pattern will give you an idea of the body proportions, of the amount of materials you need (instead of trying to figure it all out), and also walk you step by step though the construction of a doll.
I really wish I could have some magic, to make myself real tiny and go and peek on you while you make your first doll.
I still remember my first one, and my second one, and my third. doll making is one of the most magical things I can think of, and I wish you all the luck in the world embarking on something that can turn your whole world around.
Resources
I would recommend the next places for your doll making adventures. I will come back again, hopefully it won’t take me too long, and give you some advice in case you have already made a few dolls and would like a few pointers.
But to get started, this is the best compendium I can give you at the moment.
1. Dollmaking Teachers
I am so very proud to call her my dear friend, maker of dolls extraordinaire and puppeteer, you can find her both with a needle in hand or a spade digging in her beautiful garden.
She published a pattern for creating a little doll called Kiki in the Meadow, you might want to start there.
Jenny has been working in waldorf doll making longer than me and has hosted many little workshops in her cozy home.
She offers regular workshops through out the year, so if you happen to live in the southern hemisphere and can hop on a plane to visit her on her magical little island, then you won’t be sorry. Jenny has a world of experience and a knack for making the complicated, easy.
Anouk is such a caring and talented dollmaker, specializing in very well constructed classic waldorf dolls. She has been teaching dollmaking for many years and hosts regular workshops. She has also now published a couple of dollmaking patterns and I am sure they will be very easy to follow and great instruction will be gleaned from them.
If you can learn from Anouk, I highly recommend her. Everything she does is of the utmost quality and has a very tender approach to her craft.
I think my friend Agnes is one of the most prolific teachers I know.
She hosts waldorf doll making classes all the time, as well as more detailed sculpting wool classes. The teaching is done in polish I believe, but Agnes speaks very good english so I am sure you can work something out with her.
I am now teaching doll making workshops all over the world and teaching online classes for those that cannot travel to one of my workshops.
Please take a look at my current schedule and contact me if you think you would like to learn to make dolls with me. I am so excited to finally be able to impart some of what I have learned over these years, and help you discover doll making while I hold your hand.
2. Doll Making Supplies
Remember you will need quite a few things to get started: a basic sewing machine, matching sewing thread, scissors, marking utensils, etc. Plus the more specific doll making needs: doll skin fabric, wool batting, the inner cloth to hold the wool and sculpt the doll’s head called ‘stockinette’, long doll making needles, embroidery thread, etc.
Little Oke Dolls (UK) Debby is a wonderful person, and very easy to work with. She produces a lovely mohair yarn for dollmaking called Wild Brushable, which is one of my most favourites. She also carries Wool Wands for me, so if you are interested in buying the stuffing tool that my husband designed for me, you can get it from her too. I have also taught workshops at Debbie’s beautiful home so you never know, I might come to Devon again one of these days and teach you there.
Kamrin’s Poppenatelier (Netherlands) Kamrin and her husband Berend run a tight little ship with all sorts of dollmaking supplies, as well as producing the other best dollmaking mohair yarn DollyMo. Kamrin and Berend also carry the Wool Wand for us but most importantly, they have taken it upon themselves to organize a seminar/retreat event sort of thing, every two years. This used to be called the European Waldorf Doll Seminar but now it is called the European Waldorf Doll Retreat. You might want to check it out if you think you would love to be surrounded by great dollmaking folk.
The Olive Sparrow (Canada) Monika is a close friend, she sells high-end needle-felting supplies and all sorts of dollmaking and felting supplies. The array of fibres she carries boggles the mind. I buy my Laib Yala fabric from her as well as most of my felting needles. If you live near Toronto you can try booking a dollmaking class with her.
Bear Dance Crafts (Canada) Natalie is a wonderful person and extremely funny! She sells all sorts of doll making supplies, I buy my cotton interlock from her. She also has many patterns and kits if you are looking to create small figures for your nature table or for a special birthday present. She sells her own patterns on her Etsy store.
De Witte Engel (Netherlands) This is a heaven for the fibre artist. Beautiful wool felt, all shades of cotton interlock. If you want to make toys, this is a wonderful place to buy from.
Serendipity Dollworks (US) Molly is a very helpful lady and she carries my favourite glass beads for adding weight to my dolls. She is continually growing her store offerings and retails kits for other dollmakers, so I am sure you will find what you need in her store.
3. Doll making books
I have selected this book, because it comes from a modern perspective and it is aimed at novices. The doll pattern in it comes with a few clothing designs, and I consider it a good way to start you off.
It also contains my papoose design in it, so if you wanted to create a backpack to carry the doll, the book would come in handy in that regard as well.
I am aware that there are dozens of doll making books out there, but I think this would be a good beginning for you. If doll making does turn into your obsession than you can peruse the many others at your leisure.
Starting your dollmaking adventure, supplies and tips to get started (via Fig and me).
4. Further learning
Since this post was published in 2014, I constantly come and refresh its content, adding more links and teachers as I happen to find them, trying to always give you updated information.
You can now browse many, many posts on dollmaking tips and tricks, as well as visit my Patreon channel where I publish Dressmaking and Dollmaking video tutorials on a monthly basis.
Patreon is a subscription-based model, so you have to subscribe to the tier that best suits you, you will be charged to enter and from then you will pay according to your tier on the 1st of every month, cancelling whenever you want.
I am also slowly adding more videos to my YouTube channel, so if you care to subscribe for free video content, that’s the place. I published a long free dollmaking series, through step-by-step videos, on making a set of waldorf-inspired dolls called Hansel and Gretel.
I wish you the best of luck and I am ever so excited that so many of you have started making dolls because my dolls have inspired you, or that write me interested in making a doll for your little ones.
I can honestly tell you doll making is not just a wonderful hobby, but it can also provide with so many creative opportunities while giving your loved ones thoughtful toys to play with, and maybe even become your profession one day.
It’s just what happened to me!
For now, I hope this can get you started and give you a better grasp of some definitions and places to go check out.
If you have questions, feel free to write them here on this post, so that I can reply to you properly. Thank you and good luck.
How to Make a Voodoo Doll Easily at Home
In this article, we will learn how to make a voodoo doll that actually works. Voodoo dolls are an important part of many religious traditions around the world and are still widely used in different religious ceremonies. It is believed that they work as a channel of communication with the deities, through which we can urge them to exercise their powers over our world. What can we do with a voodoo doll? The possibilities are numerous. So keep reading to learn how to make an easy voodoo doll and use it in your rituals and spellcasting. This is the traditional way of doing it.
How to Make a Voodoo Doll
How to Make a Voodoo Doll
Since this is an authentic method, we will only use elements available in nature. All you need to make a voodoo doll is two sticks or branches, thread, strips of cloth, some kind of natural glue, and something to stuff the doll with, such as grass, pine needles, etc.
Also, if you want to dress your doll, you will need some scraps of cloth, buttons, feathers, etc. Since the voodoo doll is meant to look like a living person, it is best to use that person’s belongings to decorate the doll. These can be clothes, hair, body fluids, etc. Once you have gathered the elements, let’s see how to make the Voodoo doll step by step:
How To Make A Voodoo Doll Easy
Baptize your Voodoo Doll
Now that the doll is made, it’s time to bring it to life. We will baptize it using a simple Catholic rite. You can use holy water if it’s available, and we will pronounce the following words:
“I baptize you (Name of the person), in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. In life, this is now what you will be. Everything that happens to this doll now happens to (Name of the person) as I command. As the days pass, only I can control the deepest desires, dreams, and actions of (Name of the person). Your life is now under my control. (Name of the person) will not feel any pleasure unless that’s my command.”
Say the name of the person that the doll will represent in all the spaces where indicated.
How to use the Voodoo Doll
Now that you have made your voodoo doll and brought it to life, it can be used to achieve your desired goals.
How to make someone fall in love with a voodoo doll
This is a voodoo spell with a doll that is used to make someone fall in love with you. It does not require needles, pins, or anything like that. You will need:
Add the elements that you have taken from the person’s body, be it hairs, nail clippings or at least a piece of cloth from the clothes they have worn. You’re going to tie them to the voodoo doll. Also, put the same elements of yourself on the doll.
How To Make A Voodoo Doll For Love Spell
Perform this spell on the day after the new moon. Prepare your altar and light the white candle. Wrap the doll with the three ribbons, making a knot in each one where necessary. Say out loud:
“Threads that unite and enclasp,
Your heart with mine is intertwined. “
Write the name of your loved one on the paper and place it on the altar. Put the doll on the paper and snuff off the candle. The next night, light the candle again and hold the doll in your hand.
Very gently, move the doll’s feet near the flame, and say:
Once again, place the doll on the paper. This time leave the candle lit for at least 30 minutes. You will have to meditate on your intentions. Visualize the desired outcome and feel your own emotions filling you up. Do not leave the candle unattended.
The person you want will soon show interest in you and quickly fall in love. When your spell has taken effect, wrap the doll and put it in a safe place to keep this attraction spell working.
Sinister uses of a voodoo doll
As you probably already knew, you can make a voodoo doll to cause damage, because historically this type of spells have been widely used for sinister purposes such as revenge. If you make a voodoo doll of someone you hate, you could use it to cause severe pain and even death. For this, usually, the doll is pricked with nails to cause pain, or tied with rope. But remember, the use of a voodoo doll with evil ends has horrible consequences because if the person who manipulates the doll loses its control then they can instead suffer badly and even die from these dark practices. So I recommend never using voodoo dolls for sinister purposes. If you want to learn more about this topic, read on here: Can Black Magic Kill Someone?
Positive uses of a voodoo doll
Voodoo dolls are used for a variety of good reasons as well. They can be used to invoke good spirits and bring great change in the world. A voodoo doll can be treated as if you were talking directly with a person, urging them to respond and act according to your wishes. Pricking colored pins is the most common way to use voodoo dolls. Each color of the pin has a different effect.
Real Voodoo Doll
Before pinching any pins, you must meditate on the effect you want to create. For instance, if you are casting a spell on yourself, you could put the pin on a specific part of your voodoo doll: the head for knowledge, the heart for emotions and the stomach area for physical sensations.
How to Make a Voodoo Doll of Yourself
Create a doll that looks like you. For this, you will make the doll taking into account your figure, height, proportions, etc. Think about how you see yourself and make the doll based on your looks.
When the voodoo doll is ready, apply a little of your own perfume on its forehead, chest, and belly and then say:
“I baptize you (say your name). Now you and I are one! “
Now dress the doll using pieces of clothing that you have worn. For example, use an old shirt to make a small shirt for the doll and use your pants to make the pants for the voodoo doll. Cut a lock of your hair and place it on the doll’s head.
That is all. Now you can make voodoo spells on yourself. Get rid of the remains that are left (clothes, hair) at the end of your creation. As for the doll, you should keep it in a box and hide the box in a safe place. If the doll ends up in the hands of another person, this person will have control over you and your life.
How to make Voodoo Magic on Yourself
There are voodoo magic spells that allow people to change their appearance the way they want. No matter how old you are, it is recommended that you have some experience performing white magic rituals. That way, you can make your own spells easily. You can learn more by browsing this website. Start here.
A Voodoo Spell to Lose Weight
We’re going to make a voodoo spell that can help you lose some weight. To start, place four candles on your altar or table. We will use two white candles, which will fill you with clear energies. A blue candle will help you communicate with your body and mind on what you want to obtain. A golden candle will fill you up with health and the power to create and transform.
Light the candles and place your voodoo doll in the center. Now we will start the voodoo spell to lose weight. Undress the doll, touch the “problem area” with your finger (remember, the doll should look like you). Feel how that same area of your body is starting to warm up.
Such voodoo magic spells are based on your feelings and power of visualization. If you do not feel anything, it means that you are doing something wrong.
Press the doll’s body slowly until it begins to mold. Make the muscles visible. You must transform its body so that it looks the way you want your body to look. Pay attention to your feelings, because at this moment they will begin to give you signals of what you really want from yourself. If you perform the ritual correctly, you will feel a change in your mentality. Soon you will begin to feel that your body loses weight, that your fat burns inside you and your life changes forever.
Making a voodoo doll of yourself
Note: If you do not feel well during the ritual, if you feel pain or dizziness, stop the spellcasting. Undress the doll, remove the hair from its head and say:
“I break the connection with you. From now on, you’re just a straw doll. “
Snuff off the candles. You should feel better in the next few minutes. If it does not improve, contact a professional voodoo magic practitioner immediately for urgent help.
If you feel good while practicing this real voodoo magic, you will see that it is normal for you to feel happy and full of energy. After the ritual, get up and do what you usually do. The magic of the ritual has been activated. First, you will notice that you do not eat so much anymore. Second, you will feel full of energy and that’s why you want to go to the gym, and exercise will only give you pleasure. Third, the ritual might subconsciously make your body increase your metabolism and you will begin to lose weight quickly.
With the help of a voodoo doll, you could change your height, shape or length of your legs, the size of your penis. However, you must be very careful. By accidentally breaking your doll, you could unleash a curse on yourself.
A Rejuvenating Voodoo Spell
For this voodoo magic spell, you will need the participation of another person. Since this is a rejuvenating spell, you should ask a friend who is younger than you (of the same sex) to hold your voodoo doll.
Your assistant must be someone full of energy, friendly, ready to share their energy with you, and you must be sure that your assistant will not betray you or break the doll.
Holding the doll for only 5 minutes, your assistant will make you feel 10 years younger. In addition, the spell will not affect the person who is helping you and he or she will not experience any weakness or dizziness.
As for the rest of the ritual, you can design it as you want. It might include candles, music, stones, herbs or any other element that relates to youth and fertility.
I hope you liked this article. This concludes the tutorial on how to make a simple voodoo doll. It is better to read this article for informational purposes only. We will not have any responsibility for people who use these practices inappropriately. Keep learning about voodoo, love spells and white magic on this website.
With Knowledge Comes Wisdom
Walk comfortably in both Darkness and Light with these digital Books of Shadows:
How to make to doll
Discussing doll hair: fabric cap on a Cloth Fig doll, via Fig and me. I have used draped linen, and also repurposed cashmere, lambswool, merino, etc.
5. Fabric cap: felted, cloth, mohair or wool felt
Even though I don’t see this style used as often, it is one of my favourites.
Most «rag dolls» have some sort of fabric hair, wether is repurposed doilies, wool felt or even felted sweaters (like I use for my Cloth Figs in the photo above).
I think this method has so much potential and uniqueness and brings a different sort of vibe to the doll. I can’t recommend it highly enough.
You can either sew a cap like previously mentioned for the Tibetan Lambskin, or you can get really creative and ‘drape’ the hair and create a permanent or semi-permanent hairstyle. You can sew ponytails, or buns or whatever you see fit. It is an extremely playful style and one suitable both for children and collectors.
You can also use Mohair or Alpaca fabric, which has the added bonus of already looking a bit «furry» so that your doll will have a bit more wisps of fibre. This fabric is quite expensive as is mostly used to create teddy bears, but doll heads are not very large so a little goes a long way.
I recommend the following supplier to get fabrics suitable for doll hair, but don’t stop there. Look in your fabric stash and think outside the box regarding doll hair:
6. Roving: sewn down or needle-felted
One style of hair that is not as widely used, at least not for children to play with, is using wool roving and sewing it down or needle-felting it to the doll’s head.
I think it tends to pill very fast, but if the doll is geared towards a collector then it shouldn’t be a problem. Most needle-felted table dolls have chunks of roving or locks styled into hair, and they fare rather well, so it really depends on the style of doll you are making.
I have seen it used when it has been needle-felted into the doll’s head marking a middle line, and then the lose ends turned into pigtails or buns and is quite adorable.
Again, when it comes to your doll’s hair you have to experiment and see what works for you and his/her personality, always taking in consideration who the doll is geared to.
Roving can be found on Etsy as well, as it is mostly used for needle-felting or wet felting.
You might be able to find some beautifully hand-dyed roving at your local yarn store as well. If all else fails, head to Dollmaker’s Journey where they have a very wide selection of hair materials for your doll.
Discussing doll hair: mohair wefts used to create beautiful doll wigs, by Fig and Me.
7. Commercial weft: sewn down or crocheted into a cap
Now, a much easier way to create a very realistic hair style is to use commercially produced mohair weft.
Mohair weft is treated with God knows what, so it won’t felt, and is available not just on mohair (goat) fibre but also on yak and camel.
The ‘wefts’ are long strips of locks or fibre, sewn (usually three or more times) together, with glue applied to the seams so the fibre doesn’t come off, which then you can either sew down onto a cap and/or directly to the doll’s head, or turn into a wig with a crochet hook and matching yarn.
I like the last method the best, but I find it so bulky on the doll’s head with the yarn and the weft together, so lately I have been sewing the weft down by hand.
I am able to manipulate the direction of the hair more accurately than crocheting in semi-concentric circles and therefore the hair falls down in a more natural way.
What I normally do is make a cap in crochet with wool yarn (I mostly use DollyMo or Wild Brushable for the added ‘hairy’ bonus at the ‘roots’). I then sew this cap to the doll’s head and hand-sew the weft to the cap.
This way I am not sewing directly to the head, which is very hard on your hands and you might still see chunks of ‘skin’ peeking through the wefts, which I personally dislike.
I don’t like making felt caps, I like the feel of the crochet ones and I also use the stitches as guide sometimes of where to attach the weft.
You can also do the same method and attach it instead to a felt cap, using your sewing machine.
Using wefts to make doll hair, via Fig and Me.
What to look for?
When you are ready to try this method, the weight of the weft is not really important. You want to buy it by the total length.
It is usually listed by how long the actual weft is, its colour, the length of the fibre, what type (curly, straight, etc), and wether is coarse, medium or fine mohair, and then its total weight.
Since you will be sewing it down, what you need to know is its total length. I normally use about 120/140 inches long for a doll with a 13 inch head circumference (I am talking about the circumference of the actual hair line, not measuring around the eye line of the doll’s head).
I like to sew it closer together at the top than at the back, so I find that no matter what, I always end up using about this much weft for a doll with a head this size.
If you would like to see how I sew the mohair weft to a wool mohair cap, you can check out my VIDEO TUTORIAL on Patreon.
For a tutorial on how to use weft with a crochet cap method, please visit my friend Gabi Moench video tutorial. Or this photo tutorial up on her blog.
For supplies on commercially available weft visit:
How to Make Doll Hair using Suri Alpaca, via Fig and Me
8. Wefted locks: sewn down or crocheted into a cap
Now, if you have understood the method to use weft, whether turning it into a cap with a crochet hook and yarn or sewing it down, whichever you decide, then most likely you will end up coming to the conclusion that you want to create a weft by yourself using your chosen fibre.
This is truly a world of wonder because you can select any kind of locks, turn them into a weft by sewing them into long strips, and then attach this to the doll via your preferred method.
Such an extremely natural hairstyle requires very considerate care and shouldn’t be handled extensively. Because the fiber you are using is untreated, it will likely felt if handled extensively.
It really depends on the type of locks you use. I have used Teeswater (you can check out this Patreon video for the new method I am using in 2020), Wensleydale, Mohair and Suri Alpaca. The alpaca is my least favourite, and the Wensleydale locks my most favourite, but the dolls are always requesting Suri Alpaca, of course!
If you want to check out the way I turn Suri Alpaca locks into a weft, please see this YouTube tutorial:
Before I made that video I was using the following process:
Doll hair: using Teeswater locks to make wefts and doll wigs. via fig&me
For resources on animal fibre locks, I would highly recommend doing a search on Etsy by the type of fibre you are looking for, i.e. «Wensleydale locks» and you will be rewarded with tons of storefronts where fibre-folk share their wares with you.
Now, the question will arise, how much fibre to buy? Bear in mind that the longer the fibre, the more you will need, as you need to cover the doll’s head based on the total length of the weft you will be making. I can give you a general guideline, based in my experience for a doll with a 13″ head circumference, in locks about 8″ to 10″ long, I would buy about 6 to 8 ounces of fibre.
This is because combing and prepping the weft will have to happen and you always end up losing quite a bit in the process. Also, once you make the wefts and you brush them, some more will come off. I always try to buy a bit more than what I need.
I have made a very in-depth tutorial on how to use long Suri Alpaca locks to make them into a weft, which includes suppliers, how to prep the fibre, how to prep and wash the wefts once made and how to sew it down to the doll’s head, with step-by-step photos, as well as some guidelines on how to take care of the doll’s hair later on. You can find the How to Use Suri Alpaca for Doll Hair tutorial in my Etsy store.
For other reputable suppliers please visit:
Making doll hair using wool locks, sewing your own wefts for your natural fiber art dolls. via Fig and Me.
9. Wool locks: attached to a cap or needle-felted
Now, if you don’t want to create a weft, because of the size of your doll (too much bulk) or some other reason, but you still want to use locks, you can attach them to the doll in two main ways.
One is to loop and/or knot the locks into a crochet cap, the other is to needle-felt them into the doll’s head.
I have never just attached the locks this way, needle-felting them to the actual head, but have seen it used by other dollmakers before so I know it is a suitable method. I assume they have tested the method and it is to their liking.
Main concerns are of course the delicate nature of the locks and the fact that this is a style suitable only for collectable dolls and not for children’s toys.
One idea is that you can needle-felt a base of similar colour roving to the doll’s head, and then needle-felt the locks to this woolly base. I think that would help to attach them more securely, than just having the locks attached to the wool with the skin cotton in between.
Also, the felted layer of roving will prevent further damage to the cotton skin fabric, as the felting needles will definitely break some of the threads, causing ‘runs’ and small holes into the knit fabric.
For this process you will need locks that are a decent length (like at least 4 to 6 inches long) so that you have plenty of material to work with when attaching them securely to your doll.
If you do go this route, please share with me your insight as to its durability and the way you handled the material, please. I would be most grateful.
Word of caution: do not FOLD locks halfway and then attach them to the doll’s cap that way. Wool locks have tiny little hooks that all go down the same way, starting at the root. When you fold the locks, some of the hooks are going up and some are going down, which will cause them to felt just by mere play and handling. What at first looked like a beautiful and full head of hair will then end up looking like a matted mess with bald spots.
10. Embroidered hair
As the last style, I want to suggest to you the embroidered variety. It is not as common in my opinion, maybe because it takes considerate amounts of time and effort to create this hairstyle, but it is such an endearing one that more people ought to use it.
My dear friend Agnes at Lalinda does a marvellous job in this tutorial on her large and small dolls with this kind of hair, and I have seen it used extensively by Eastern European doll makers, so perhaps it is the technique of choice taught there.
For a brilliant way of ‘embroidering’ the hair on your doll, you can check out this tutorial by Carley Biblin on her Little Red Riding Hood doll (pattern included in Storybook Toys by Jill Hamor). The doll is made with woven cloth, which is a different material than the one we normally use for our «Waldorf» style of dolls but like I said, Agnes at Lalinda does embroidered hair like this and it works wonders.
Look at this ultra sweet hairstyle by the Russian artist Nkale, and shared by Mimin Dolls. I think you can achieve this using mohair bouclé or the dollmaking mohair yarns and it would look exceptionally cute.
How to Make a Doll House
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There’s something special about miniature versions of life-sized buildings. Dollhouses have the power to light up the imaginations of both children and adults alike. All you need to make this realistic dollhouse is a box and basic craft supplies. Decorate the dollhouse with pretty colours and then fill it with tiny furniture. Have fun creating your very own dollhouse!
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About This Article
To make a simple dollhouse, start by standing a box up lengthwise to make the main part of the house. If you want a sturdier house, opt for a wooden crate instead of a cardboard box. If your box came with a lid, cut it lengthwise to fit the depth of the box and then bend it in half widthwise to form an A-frame roof. You can also use scrap cardboard or wood. When the roof is cut to the right size, attach it to the dollhouse with sticky tape or superglue. Next, paint the outside of the dollhouse or decorate it with tissue paper. Keep reading to learn how to add extra rooms, doors, and windows!