How to Make a Homemade Doll

To be honest this project intimidated me...a lot.  I didn't want to do it, but my friend really helped me. So I thought I'd share.  

It's actually quite easy if you know how to sew.  

1.)  You start out by cutting out your pieces of the doll.

I had a template, but you really don't need one.  It's quite easy.  All you need to cut out is the following:

* 4 arms (front and back)

* 4 legs (front and back)

* 2 heads (front and back)

* 2 dresses (front and back)

* Hair - one will be a circle for the back and one will be a semi-circle with a little part for the front

* You'll also need two buttons

You can make the doll as big as you'd like.  This one is on the smaller side.

Here's our work in progress.

We had a little chick-fil-a to give us some energy.  

2.)  Once you've cut everything out, sew the insides of the arms and legs together.  flip them inside out and stuff with stuffing.  I used a pen to really get the stuffing in well.

3.)  Sew the buttons to one of the faces for the eyes. (starting to look like a doll!)

4.)  Sew the hair to one of the heads.  I would use a zig zag setting.  It's cute, I promise.  Then sew the other hair to the other head with the eyes.  Once this is finished put the two heads together inside out and sew them together.  

5.) Now put the head together (still inside out) with the dress (also inside out).  Sew the head to each side of the dress.  

6.)  Now put the arms and legs inside of the dress.  Sew around then pull the arms and legs out.  Finish sewing the dress.  Keep the bottom corner of the dress open.  

7.) Stuff the doll with stuffing.

8.)  Almost done!  you'll have to hand sew the corner shut.

I chose not to give the doll a mouth.  But I did add a little bow to make it really girly :)

And voila!  All done.  This is for my niece Gracie.  Her birthday is on Monday.  She's turning 4.  I'm also making my niece Perry Catherine one.  I am changing her's up a little bit.  You can add a ribbon around the bottom of the skirt to make it a little girly.  The possibilities are endless!  

Ok, a little confession.  Sometimes in doll surgery the arms and legs get switched up :(  Oh well.  No one will ever notice ;)