Making dolls or sock puppets is quite fun because you can make each doll look unique. Each sock doll can have special characteristics! These dolls don't have to be human either, you can make stuffed animals, aliens, or even computers! Now that you know how to make a simple sock doll, try making more complex dolls!
Step
Method 1 of 3: Making a Simple Sock Doll
Step 1. Get clean socks that are long enough to cover your arms
Knee-length socks would be ideal! You are free to choose the color of the socks you want, either plain or colorful! Just make sure your socks don't have holes in them.
Step 2. Put hands into socks
If you have, make the shape of the letter "C" by hand. Place your fingers against the toes. Make sure that your thumb reaches the heel of the sock. If you can't, tuck the sock into the gap between your thumb and toes.
Open and close your hand. Your socks should already look like dolls
Step 3. Use a marker to make two dots above the seam as the doll's eyes
If you want the doll to have a nose, add it here too.
Step 4. Take off the socks
Spread the socks flat on the table. At this point the markings for the doll's eyes and nose may seem odd, but this is not a problem. This is why you make them while wearing socks.
Step 5. Glue the eyes to the sock
You can use hot glue, fabric glue, or super glue. For real eyes, use buttons, pompoms, or googly eyes. You can also draw the eyes with a marker.
If you're making a girl doll, draw the eyelashes with a marker
Step 6. Glue a small pompom just above the seam as a nose
You can also cut a triangle or circle out of the fabric and attach it as a nose. Use buttons to make a cute nose. If you don't have these materials, just draw a nose on a sock!
Step 7. Add another decoration
Technically your doll is done. You can add various decorations to give the doll character. For example, glue knitting yarn at the top as doll hair. If you're looking for inspiration, check out the Further Decorating Dolls segment below.
Method 2 of 3: Making a Plush Sock Doll
Step 1. Cut the toes of the sock with fabric scissors
Prepare socks that are long enough to cover your arms. You are free to determine the color or pattern of socks. Plain socks can be used to make any character, while dotted socks can make a stuffed leopard. You can even use striped socks to make a zebra! Once you've found a sock you like, trim the toes with fabric scissors, and use the toe hem on the sock as a guide.
Fluffy, fluffy socks work best for this type of doll, but you can also use plain socks
Step 2. Cut thin cardboard to make a 10-centimeter oval
Prepare a thin cardboard. Draw an oval until it's about 10 centimeters long. This oval should be slightly narrower than the sock. Cut an oval using scissors.
You can use cardboard from a cereal box
Step 3. Cut the felt to make equal-sized ovals, then set them aside
Use the oval of the cardboard you just cut to trace an oval of the same size as the sheet of fabric. Cut the felt ovals and set them aside. Later you will glue this oval on the doll as a mouth.
Ideally, wear red or pink fabrics, but you can also use other colors
Step 4. Fold the cardboard oval in half to make a crease
Unfold the oval when you're done. The oval should now be bent like a V.
Step 5. Tuck the oval into the cut part of the sock
Insert the oval into the sock while keeping it bent in a V shape. Pull the cut edge of the sock against the edge of the oval. Don't worry if the results aren't perfect. You will fix it later.
Step 6. Glue the sock to the top and bottom of the cardboard oval
Adjust the position of the sock and open his mouth. Pull the edges of the sock through the top and bottom (narrow) ends of the oval by 1.25 cm. Glue with hot glue. Don't worry if the sides are a bit messy. You will fix it later.
If you don't have hot glue, use fabric glue or super glue
Step 7. Glue the sock to the side edges of the oval
Pull the sock slightly over the edge of the oval by 1.25 cm and secure it with glue. Work from the top edge of the oval to the bottom end. When you're done, work on the other side of the oval as well.
Step 8. Glue the fabric oval to the doll's mouth
Apply glue along the inside edge of the doll's mouth. Press the oval of the fabric against the glue. Make sure the oval edges of the fabric match each other. This fabric oval will color the inside of the doll's mouth and cover the cutout part of the sock.
If you're using hot glue, work a little at a time so the glue doesn't freeze/dry
Step 9. Decorate the doll
You can make the heel of the sock into the top or bottom of the doll. Glue googly eyes or buttons with glue as eyes. Add smaller pompons or buttons for the nose. If you want to add tongues, cut the red or pink fabric into long tongues and glue them inside the doll's mouth.
- Do not completely glue the tongue cloth over the mouth so that the tongue can still fly!
- For ideas for decorating dolls, read the Decorating Dolls More segment below.
Method 3 of 3: Further Decorating the Doll
Step 1. Determine how many dolls you need
You don't need to use all material of this section. Take a look at your doll and decide on the character you want. Choose an idea from the previous list, or create your own decorations!
Step 2. Make sleeves using a pipe cleaner and a roll of felt
Double-fold your cleaning wire. Then, fold the felt sheet around the cleaning wire and glue it together. Cut the felt so that it is the same length as the cleaning wire, plus 2.54 centimeters. Cut one end of the arm into the shape of a hand, then glue the other end to the doll.
Repeat the above steps to make the other arm
Step 3. Use knitting yarn to add hair, if desired
Wrap some of the knitting yarn around your hand (short) or the book (long) slide out, and cut. Make a knot in the middle of the skein of yarn to tie it. After that, glue it on the top of the head, just above the eyes.
- The more yarn you wrap, the thicker the doll's hair will be. Wrap the yarn at least 10 times.
- You can use a similar technique to give dolls mustaches!
- Keep the doll's hair hanging, or cut it. You can also make braids or ponytails in your hair.
- You can make hair out of cleaning wire or cut the shape out of felt.
Step 4. Glue the googly eyes to the pompom to make silly eyes
Glue two large pompoms to the top of the doll's head. Pompoms can be made as close and far as you want. Next, glue the googly eyes to the front of each pompom (not the top).
Step 5. Draw your doll's distinctive features
This is where you can really freely channel your creativity! All you need is a fabric or permanent marker. Try one of the ideas below:
- Draw eyelashes for the girl doll.
- Draw facial freckles or moles under the eyes.
- Add thick eyebrows or mustache.
- Dab red on the lips as lipstick.
Step 6. Make accessories for the doll
This accessory can add a lot of character to your doll. All you need is some cleaning wire, buttons, glue, and an extra cloth. Below are some ideas you can try:
- Cut the fabric to make a ribbon or tie, then glue it to the doll.
- Make glasses from cleaning wire.
- Glue plush buttons to both sides of the doll's head as earrings.
- Make a ribbon, then glue it on the top of the doll's head.
Step 7. Use pompoms, craft corks, or felt to turn dolls into monsters
The sock doll looks ridiculous from the start. You can make it more witty by turning it into a monster. Here are some of our ideas:
- Glue pompoms all over the doll's body to create warts.
- Cut triangles from fabric or craft cork to make thorns.
- Give the doll teeth or fangs. Ideally, use craft corks.
- Make horns from craft cork or cleaning wire.
Tips
- Try not to wear socks that are too thin or have holes in them.
- You can make a beard or mustache out of wool.
- You don't have to make a doll exactly like this article. Use your imagination!
- Your sock doll doesn't have to have two eyes. Please make it have one, three, or more eyes!
- Make some sock puppets, then try putting on a sock puppet show.
- If you're using fabric glue or hot glue, wait for it to dry.
