How to make Waldorf style dolls – step by step guide part 1
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010Waldorf dolls (also called Steiner dolls ) are dolls that are handmade with loving care, using natural materials. The skin is interlock knit fabric designed specially for doll making. The stuffing is wool, that makes it lovely, warm and soft. Their appearance is intentionally simple to allow the child’s imagination and creativity to develop. Waldorf dolls are available in different styles to suit different ages.
Doll making gallery/tutorial for Waldorf dolls with a ready-sewn body
In this gallery I am showing the method I use for custom-made dolls. All of the body is sewn together by sewing machine, and then only needs stuffing. The main part of the gallery shows how to make the head for a Waldorf doll.
If you wish to go ahead and make a Waldorf doll in this way, you can request a ready-sewn body to come with the doll making kit.
1. The ready-made body. Everything has been sewn together – you only need to stuff it, and stitch up the openings at the back of the legs and at the top of the arms.
2. For the inner head I use white cotton jersey. Some people use tubular bandage for this. The size of the piece of fabric you require will depend on how large you want the head to be and on how stretchy the fabric is. Sew a tube ( make sure that the lines of the fabric go from top to bottom ) and gather one end of it with a running stitch all around, pulling it tight then turning it inside out.
3. To start the head roll a firm, solid ball.
4. Lay a couple of long strips of wool in a star shape on top of it.
5. Gather the ” arms ” of the star under the ball firmly.
6. Pull the white tube over it while holding the neck part of the wool as tightly as you can. With a running stitch go around the neckline (just underneath the ball ) then wrap the thread around it a couple of times as tightly as you can. For this you need an extra strong thread.
7. Make sure that the neck is in the middle. Look carefully at the shape of the head and choose the side that is the most suitable for the face. Tie a very strong thread horizontally all the way around the head a couple of times, about half way or a bit lower, between the neck and the top of the head. Pull it tight. This will be the eye line. After this, do the same vertically from the top of the head down to the chin along the sides of the head.
8. Where the two threads meet secure them by sewing an ” X ” across them. When you have done one side push your doll making needle through the head bringing the thread across from one side where the threads meet to the opposite side. Secure the other side as well.
9. At the back of the head, pull the thread all the way down to the neck with a crochet needle.
10. Sew the threads on the side together to make sure they stay in position.
11. At the base of the neck there should be some wool hanging out. With a running stitch pull the bottom of the white fabric together. It needs to be semi-firm. If there is not enough wool there fill it with some additional wool.
12. With a very strong thread make it as tight as you can, especially just below the head. This is important for stopping the head from wobbling.