Homemade toys can help you save money, they're fun to make, and they may even serve as a keepsake. A homemade toy will also make a very special gift. Read the steps below to find out how to make some of children's favorite toys, dolls, in your own home.
Step
Method 1 of 4: Assemble the Dolls from the Separate Parts
Step 1. Purchase doll kits
Go to a toy store and buy the doll's head, body, arms, and legs. Make sure they are the right size for each other. Some toy stores may also sell other equipment you may need. You'll also need paint and thinner, a small paint brush, and some doll clothes.
- There is a wide selection of doll heads available, from vinyl and painted and equipped with synthetic hair, to plain doll heads that can be decorated with other decorations that you like. Be careful if you buy the doll's head, eyes, and hair separately, as you will need to put more effort into putting them together.
- Doll hair can be made from any fabric you like. Specialty yarns such as alpaca, mohair, and bouclé can create beautiful looking hair, but yarns such as the colored hair of the "Raggedy Ann" doll can also be used.
Step 2. Arrange the dolls
The soft plastic parts of the doll can usually be pressed into holes in the body to form a doll with moving limbs. Alternatively, use a suitable special glue (rubber glue, or wood glue) to attach the doll's limbs into place, or to assemble the doll from simpler or harder parts.
If you used glue, wipe off any remaining glue around the doll's joints when you're done
Step 3. Draw the face on the doll
If your doll's head hasn't been drawn before, then it's time to draw the makeup (as well as the eyes too, if necessary). Acrylic paint should work for most doll head materials. Use a small paintbrush when drawing, and start with the basic color first (for example, white, then another color, followed by black pupils for the eyes). Allow each coat of paint to dry before moving on to the next step, and allow your doll to dry for a few hours after you've finished painting.
- Consider applying blush to your doll using pink paint diluted with a little thinner.
- If your doll's face is incomplete, draw the nose, in addition to the eyes and mouth. Make a U or U sideways to make it easier.
Step 4. Attach the hair
If your doll needs a wig, then this is the time to get it done. You can make a simple wig by gluing the floss tightly over the doll's head using strong glue, or make a removable wig by knitting the yarn into a single piece of fabric for you to attach to the doll's head. You can also buy ready made doll wigs.
Step 5. Attach the clothes to the doll
Use whatever doll clothes you buy, dress the way you want. If you can't find good doll clothes, put your dolls aside for a while, and prepare your own doll clothes. Once your doll is assembled, painted, and fully dressed, your doll is ready!
Method 2 of 4: Making a Doll from Corn Skin
Step 1. Prepare the things you need
To make this simple American style doll you will need corn husks that are still hairy. You'll need about a dozen corn husks (from one or two cobs at most) to make one doll. You'll also need a large bowl of water, scissors to cut the corn husks, and a pin to hold it in shape.
Step 2. Dry the corn husks
Cornskin dolls are made from dried corn husks. Use a food dryer, or dry the corn husks in the sun for a few days until they are dry and no longer green. Drying corn husks in the sun is preferable because it's more traditional (stuffed corn husks come from American Indian culture and colonial traditions), but as long as the corn husks dry well, the results will be more or less the same.
Step 3. Set aside the corn silk
Before the next step, pull the dry corn silk from the husk and set it aside. You'll be using it right away, but the corn husks should also be kept dry while you soak the corn husks to prevent moisture. Place the corn silk on a flat surface, do not hang or tie it.
Step 4. Wet the corn husks
When you are ready to make the dolls, soak the dried corn husks in a bowl of water for about 10 minutes. While this may sound like bringing back something you just finished, it won't actually wet the dried corn husks; this will only temporarily make the corn husks more pliable, so you can bend them without breaking them. Once your corn husks are soaked in water, pat them dry with a paper towel and set aside.
If the corn husks differ greatly in size from one another, now is the time to cut the largest corn husks until they are nearly uniform in size. This needs to be done to avoid the shape of a large doll next to it
Step 5. Prepare the doll's head
Take the corn husks and place them in front of you with the pointed ends pointing outwards, then place some corn kernels on top. Next, place two pieces of corn husks on top of the first corn husk and corn kernels, also with the pointed ends away from you, and add more corn kernels on top. Repeat this step one more time (to form six layers of corn husks, and four layers of corn husks), then tie them all together at a point 4 cm from the flat end of the corn husks. Use scissors to shape this flat end into a round.
Step 6. Make the doll's head
Take the corn husk and hair tie, and hold it tightly by the tied end, so that the pointed end is pointing upwards. Peel off the corn husks one at a time in different directions so that each layer of the corn husks hangs to a different side. Once all the corn husks have been removed, you should see clumps of corn silk coming out of the rounded ends. Tie the string around the corn husk once again to make the head, 2.5 cm high.
Step 7. Make the doll's arms
There are two styles of doll sleeves that you can choose from: braid or tube. To make tubular sleeves, cut the corn husks 15 cm long, and roll them lengthwise into a tube, then tie the string near the ends. To make the braid sleeves, cut 15 cm of corn husks into three lengthwise strips, and braid them together before you tie. Make one doll's arm, braid or tube, and thread it through the corn husk just below the head so that it comes out of both sides of the doll the same length.
Step 8. Tie the doll's waist
Tie the corn husks under the sleeves to create the waist. Double-check to make sure the doll's arm is the right height before you finish tying it, so you can change it if necessary; the doll's arm should be about 2.5 to 4 cm from her waist. Once you're happy with the shape, wrap a small corn husk over the string to make a belt to hide the strap. Tie the corn husk behind the waist with a ribbon.
Method 3 of 4: Making a Doll out of Cloth
Step 1. Prepare the things you need
The most important component of making a rag doll is the pattern. There are many rag doll patterns that you can get free online, or you can buy doll patterns at a craft or fabric store. Take a look at the picture of the doll, and choose the one you like. In addition to the pattern, purchase any fabric and/or stuffing such as silicone cotton (dacron), as needed.
A regular rag doll needs a rectangular piece of leather-colored fabric (and the fabric for the clothes), silicone cotton, colored thread, sewing needle, and pin to hold it in place as you sew. Read the instructions in the doll pattern for specific steps
Step 2. Cut the fabric
Following the pattern you purchased, cut each piece of fabric with fabric scissors, and set it aside. Try not to fold or crease the piece of fabric. Remember to cut the fabric 0.4 cm longer on all sides for the hem.
Most doll patterns usually provide clothes in contrasting colors, either in different body colors, or simple outfits; don't forget to cut that part too
Step 3. Sew the fabric sheet
In order for the silicone cotton to fit nicely into your doll, sew the doll to shape its body. Again, follow the specific instructions on your doll's pattern.
Step 4. Insert the silicone cotton
Round a silicone cotton swab, and insert it into the part of the doll that you need to fill. Use yarn of the same color as the natural color of the doll's body to close any gaps and prevent the cotton from escaping again. Once all the pieces are filled in, sew them together according to the directions in your doll's pattern.
- Silicone cotton often separates into lumps or sheets, but you can even out the shape by placing the small sheets in a star or triangle pattern, and rolling them one at a time until you get to the size you want.
- Fill the head until it is full and firm. Fill the doll's body a little loosely.
Step 5. Give the doll the hair and face shape
In this step, you will need colored yarn and a little patience. Use black, brown, blue, or green thread for the eyes, and red or black thread for the mouth. Sew each part of the doll's face with a needle and embroidery floss to make the colors stand out. The doll's hair can be sewn on the head with knitting yarn.
- To make sure that the doll's eyes and mouth are aligned, mark where you will be sewing with a pin first. Remove the pins when you start sewing the section.
- If you are rewinding the thread you sewed for the doll's hair, clip the thread to give the doll's hair a thick, messy look.
Method 4 of 4: Making a Doll from Clothespins
Step 1. Prepare the things you need
To make this simple wooden doll, you'll need a large clothespin (with a circular tip), which can usually be purchased at a craft store. You'll also need acrylic paint, a felt-tip pen, and some materials for making the doll's clothes, such as felt, ribbon, or patchwork.
Step 2. Color the clothespins
The loop at the handle of the clothespin will become the doll's head, and the separate section below will become the doll's legs. Use acrylic paint to create any shape you want, such as a shoe, which can be easily made using a single color about 1 inch (0.6 cm) on both "legs" of the doll, letting it dry, and then painting half of it black or brown. This black or brown color will be the color of the shoes, while the first color will be the color of the socks.
- You can paint the clothespins any color you want, but you don't have to. However, if you choose to paint it, be sure to dry it first before adding any other doll details.
- Color the doll's face so that it matches the shape of her legs. Otherwise, your doll will look weird.
Step 3. Add more details
With a sharp-pointed marker, draw any other details you want onto the doll, such as the pupils of the eyes, or the smiling mouth.
Step 4. Give clothes to your doll
With patchwork, scissors, and adhesive, imagine a suitable outfit for your doll. Remember to attach the pins before you cut them to make sure they are the right size. Consider making a hat or wig on your doll's head. Once you're happy with the shape, glue the details together with glue.
