" Stuffed dolls of your own creation "

Children certainly never forget the faithful little eyes and the gentle smile on a doll's face. For a certain time in their lives, they are one of their most important caregivers. Every girl chooses one of her dolls as her absolute favorite: she is her best friend, comforter and playmate all in one. How wonderful it is when you can make and create such a figure yourself! It takes a little skill, but with a little courage and talent it is anything but impossible to make dolls yourself.

Individual gift idea

It is also a wonderful gift idea for small childrenif you make a doll yourself and give it your very own and above all individual touch. With the help of simple handicraft instructions and the corresponding handicraft idea, you will certainly find it easy to make a rag doll. Find out today which craft materials materials you need and which steps you can follow.

As old as mankind itself - a look at history

Before we describe a craft idea in detail, let's take a brief look at history. Scientists already know of the first figurative play dolls from the Neolithic Age. It's hard to imagine, but the first examples were created from bones, stones and skins. This proves that the predecessors of the actual cuddly toys were without a doubt one of the first toys ever.

But of course we don't go about it quite so quaintly. After all, our Puppi should also be able to be used for cuddling. In view of the fact that many commercially available dolls are sometimes made of plastic and synthetic materials, there is yet another good reason to make your own doll.

Dolls are probably the oldest toy in the world

What makes a homemade rag doll so special?

Apart from the fact that you will end up holding a little one-off in your hands, dolls that you design are much cuddlier and softer. What's more, you can bring in your own ideas and imagination and make something unique yourself. Your child will certainly take the little doll girl or boy to their heart from the very first moment.

Craft instructions to make a rag doll yourself

As usual, start by having the most important craft materials to hand. This will make the project of making your own dolls a lot easier. For this project, you can also use leftover fabric and combine it with new fabrics.

Dolls made from fabric are quick to sew and can have many or few details

This time we are dividing the instructions into two sections. In the first section, you will learn how to make the body of the fabric doll and in the second section, we will provide detailed instructions for making the clothes and embellishments.

Making the body

Let's start with the instructions for making the doll's body. This consists of five individual elements. Namely the head with torso and two legs and two arms.

You will need the following materials to make your own dolls:

• soft fabric (at least 50x50cm)
• wadding
• sewing thread
• needles, pins
• scissors
• Cardboard for the template

Doll making instructions:

1. First of all, draw the outline on the cardboard. It is entirely up to you how big you want to make the dolls. You can make the body and head from one piece. This means that you only need to draw a narrow strip between the head and torso.
2. The arms and legs should be in proportion to the body. To make things a little easier, avoid unnecessary perfection, such as hands and feet or fingers and toes. This will certainly not detract from the final result.

Experienced sewers are welcome to add more detail to homemade rag dolls

Tip: There are also ready-made patterns that can also be used as craft ideas.

3. Take the fabric and fold it in half. Now use the template to trace the outline. Make sure you leave a sewing edge of a good centimeter. Then cut out the individual elements.
4. Now start sewing the body, arms and legs. It is important to leave a narrow strip open so that you can insert the wadding later.
5. Now turn everything right side out and fill the elements. You can of course decide how tight you want the filling to be. Just make sure that it achieves a certain stability.
6. The last step is to attach the arms and legs to the body. Now you have the blank in your hands.

Make and customize more yourself: From the hair to the dress

The facial features can be painted on with fabric paint or alternatively sewn on with buttons, string and other craft materials

Of course, the doll's child still needs to be lovingly decorated. The face and hair are missing and of course we mustn't forget the clothes. A pretty necklace made from beautiful beads rounds off this wonderful project. For the next steps you will need

• Threading cords (in different colors or plain)
• Fabric scraps
• baby socks
• Wooden beads

Conjure up a pretty smile

For the face, you are free to choose whether you prefer to draw it on with a fabric crayon or sew it on with fine thread. The main thing is that the doll smiles.

The hair

The next step is to give our little child doll a pretty head of hair. Here you are welcome to use the colorful strings. The more colorful the hair is, the more lively and friendly the little playmate will look. Sew the strings to the head bit by bit. It is best to determine the length once all the strands of hair have been attached.

Beautifully dressed from head to toe

There are countless variations and possibilities when it comes to clothing. For example, you can sew a top and trousers from scraps of fabric or new cloth. A dress is also possible, of course, and if you are not so skilled at sewing, then simply lay a piece of fabric across the corner, cut a hole in the middle and you have a pretty little poncho.

Even worn-out baby clothes work wonderfully here. Tiny baby socks in particular are perfect for providing the new toy with suitable footwear.

Small accessories - a necklace to embellish

A small necklace always looks pretty. That's why we'll finish by making a small necklace from colorful wooden beads. You are free to choose the shape and colors of the necklace. As well as a simple necklace, you can think of a name for the little doll and integrate it into the necklace using the letter cubes.

Do dolls always have to be girls?

Of course not! Of course you can also make a rag doll yourself that will end up being a little boy. This is even a great idea if you intend to make a few more dolls. Both girls and boys look simply magical as rag dolls. Especially if you design them yourself.