How to Make an Art Doll
- 1). Create your own doll pattern, or find a commercial doll pattern that you like. To create your own pattern, draw the general shape of the doll body on a sheet of paper, in the size that you want your real doll to be. Trace each body part separately with the tracing paper, so that you have a copy of a leg, arm, body and head. Add 1/2-inch seam allowances by drawing around each outline, 1/2 inch away from the original lines. Cut along the outside lines to create pattern pieces.
- 2). Lay out a double layer of cotton fabric and pin each pattern piece to the top. Cut around each pattern piece so that you have 2 identical fabric copies. Pin the arm and leg patterns to the fabric and cut again so that you have another set of these body parts.
- 3). Pin the left leg pieces together, right sides together. Sew the pieces together, 1/2 inch away from the edges, leaving the hip edge of the leg open. Do the same to the right leg pieces, then turn both legs right side out. Stuff them with polyester fiberfill stuffing, leaving a little space at the open edge. If you wish to be able to pose the legs, run a pipe cleaner through the middle of the leg and place the stuffing around it.
- 4). Sew together the left and right arm pieces the same way you did the leg pieces, then turn them right side out and stuff them with fiberfill. Leave some space at the open shoulder edge.
- 5). Pin the body pieces to each other, right sides together. Using a fabric pencil, mark out the placement of the neck, arms and legs. Make sure that the arm and leg pieces will fit in between your markings. Stitch around the outside edges of the body pieces, leaving the holes for the neck, arms and legs.
- 6). Insert the arm and leg pieces into the holes, starting with the hands and feet, so that the raw edges of the limbs line up with the raw edges of the body. Stitch the holes closed, then turn the body right side out through the neck hole.
- 7). Stuff the body with polyester fiberfill stuffing. Stitch the head pieces together like you did the body pieces, leaving the neck edge open. Turn the head right side out and stuff it, then slipstitch the head to the body by hand. Hide the raw edges by turning them under.
- 8). Root mohair to the top of the head. Lay a bundle of hair on the crown, and press a felting needle through the bundle so that it pushes some of the hair through the fabric. Pull the needle out, so that the hair is rooted. Do this all over the head. You can also add hair by gluing it directly to the fabric.
- 9). Create the face by drawing the outlines of the features onto the head in pencil. Trace over the pencil lines with a brown pen, then erase the pencil lines. Color in the undertones of the face with colored pencil, such as shading the eyes, eyebrows, lips and cheeks. Add dark tones by going over these colors with textile paints.
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