Toy & Bear Making

How To Make A Doll From Scratch

Have you always wanted to make a doll from scratch, but no idea on where to start? Spotlight has a lovely project that can help you take your first steps into the world of doll making!

As you may know, dolls can be made from a variety of materials. For this project, we will be making a doll from simple materials such as fabric and yarn. Read on to find out how you can make this doll!

What Do I Need To Make A Handmade Doll?

Before you get started, it can help to obtain a simple template to work with. Of course, you can create your own as well. Draw what you want your doll to look like and then create a template with each of the individual parts you will need to make your doll.

To get started with your first doll project, you will need some washable fabric, cotton jersey, a sewing needle, skin-coloured thread or yarn, pins, batting (filling material), a chopstick, some yarn for the doll's hair, and some embroidery floss.

How Do I Cut The Fabric?

Cutting the fabric is done by using your doll template. Remember, the template will contain the individual parts of your doll before they are sewn together.

Lay your template on your fabric and create some solid lines to determine where you will cut. You should also use some dotted lines to indicate where your fabric will fold.

How Do I Stitch The Fabric?

Every crafter has his or her own preference where the stitching process is concerned. However, most beginners find it easier to start at the bottom edge of the doll's leg, this will create a shell for the batting material that will stuff the doll.

During the stitching process, do not forget that you must leave a little space for you to access the inside of the fabric shell. You will have to add the batting still, so do not close the fabric shell of the doll until you have added the filling material.

How Do I Use The Batting?

As we mentioned earlier, the batting will be used to stuff your handmade doll. While you could use a variety of materials for the batting process, wool and polyester batting tends to be best for this project.

For this project, it is necessary to shape the batting before inserting it into the fabric shell, this will give the overall shape to your doll. For the head, grab the desired strip of batting and roll it into a ball. Then, use the chopstick to push the batting into the fabric shell.

Please note that the head of the doll should always be quite firm, while the body of the doll can have a little less batting and allows for more flexibility.

How Do I Do The Detailing?

Once you have stuffed the entire fabric shell of the doll and shaped it accordingly, it is time to look at some of the detailing of your doll. There are several ways to detail. In this case, we will use a simple combination of yarn and a sewing needle.

For the hair of your doll, grab the yarn you selected for the hair. Pull the yarn through a suitable sewing needle and sew on the yarn in the appropriate location. For additional strength, use a small anchoring stitch after each of the hair loops. Once you are done, do not forget to tie off the yarn to avoid it from unravelling.

While you can apply detailing with something as simple as yarn, you can make your doll with some of our doll accessories as well. At Spotlight, you can find everything from eyes and glasses to bells, hats, and crystals. In short, everything you need to make a doll special.

Can I Get Doll Templates At Spotlight?

Spotlight provides patterns and templates for a variety of projects, this includes dolls and teddy bears. If you require some quick inspiration without any hassle, we suggest heading over to the patterns section on our website. Not only can you obtain some cool patterns for dolls and teddy bears, there are also other fun crafting projects for you to sink your teeth into!