Making toys at home saves money, is fun, and may end up being a memorable item. These homemade toys also make great gifts. Read the steps below to learn a few ways you can make one of the most popular childrens toys - a doll - in the comfort of your own home.
The steps for making rag dolls by hand are part of a series of tutorials on making dolls. The tutorials also include making assembled dolls, making corn husk dolls, making rag dolls, and making clothespin dolls. Follow the instructions In this article, we will show you how to make a DIY doll.
Steps to make handmade rag dolls
1Collect materials. One of the most important parts of making a rag doll is the cutting pattern of the fabric. There are many free cutting fabric patterns online for reference, and some fabric stores or handicraft stores also have cut fabrics available for purchase. Look at pictures of finished dolls and choose one you like. In addition to the style, if necessary, buy doll clothes (either to wear on the doll, or to hold the stuffing directly). - A typical rag doll requires a rectangular piece of natural-colored fabric, fabric for clothing, cotton batting, colored thread and needles, and pins to secure the fabric during the making process. For further information, please refer to the style description.
2Cut the fabric. Follow the instructions for the style you purchased, cut the fabric with special fabric cutting scissors and set it aside. Be careful not to fold or wrinkle it. Remember to leave a section around each piece of fabric, about 3mm, for sewing. - Most rag dolls are cut in styles that provide clothes in different colors from the doll, some with doll bodies in different colors, and some with just a set of clothes. Be careful to cut off the clothing part when cutting the fabric.
< span class="step">3Sew the various parts of fabric together. Usually, you need to sew the fabric in advance so that the cotton batting can be better filled inside the doll and the surface of the fabric will be smoother. I would also like to emphasize that when sewing, you must carefully follow the instructions that come with the pattern. 
4Add cotton wool. Crush the cotton wool into a ball and stuff it into every part of the doll that needs to be filled. Sew the opening shut with thread that is the same color as the fabric on the dolls body to prevent the wadding from showing. Once all parts are stuffed, follow the instructions to sew the pieces together. - When taken out of the bag, the cotton wool is often in pieces and strips. However, you can roll the cotton wool into small balls, that is, shape them into stars or triangles, and then roll them together to make them the size you want.
- The head needs to be stuffed the tightest so that it can be made strong and full. The body can be filled relatively loosely.
5Add hair and facial features. All you need is colored silk thread and a little more patience. Sew the eyes with black, brown, blue, or green thread, and the mouth with red or black thread. When sewing each part of the facial features, you need to use a needle to sew it through the silk thread so that the color can be more vivid. Hair made of silk thread, just sew it on. - To make sure the eyes and mouth are in the right position, you can use a pin to mark the location where you are going to sew, and remove the pin each time you start to sew a section.
- If the silk thread used to make hair is sewn in circles when sewing it to the dolls head, then just cut the circles after sewing, so that the hairIt looks slightly messier, with more hair appearing more natural.
Extended reading:
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