Tips To Make Crafts Dolls Inexpensively

Homemade crafts dolls make wonderful collectibles that are very popular at craft fairs. Their beauty and uniqueness really add to the decor of a child's room. Even if you don't plan on selling them, making dolls is an easy and fun art and craft project for even young kids. In this article, we'll show you how to make dolls at home simply and inexpensively.

Apple dolls are great crafts for kids. You'll need a vegetable peeler, paring knife, colored markers or paint, wool yarn, scissors, a 16-ounce plastic bottle, a bottle cork, fabric scraps and a rubber band. Pick the biggest apple that you can find for the head because it will shrink significantly as it dries.

Peel and core the apple and carve a face on one side. Use the tip of a potato peeler to hollow out deep-set eyes and a paring knife to make a slit for a smile. If you're a good carver, you can add ears and eyebrows.

Store the carved apple in a dry spot until it shrinks. Once the head is dry, use colored markers or water-based paints to enhance the eyes, lips and rosy cheeks. To make the body, cut the base off the plastic bottle and plug the top with a cork to serve as the doll's neck.

Wrap the fabric around the body so that it extends beyond the top and the bottom of the bottle. Secure the fabric around the bottleneck with a rubber band and then fold the cloth down. Now top off the doll by gently pushing the cored apple down onto the cork. You'll end up with a really fun and unique looking doll.

Dolls are popular all over the world. One holiday that Japanese girls look forward to is Hina Matsuri, a day dedicated entirely to dolls. To make your own Japanese paper craft dolls, you'll need poster board, construction paper, colored markers and tape. From a piece of poster board, cut out a simple doll's body that measures about 7 inches tall.

For the kimono, cut out a 6-inch square from colored construction paper and from a sheet of black paper, cut out a 6 by 3/8-inch sash and a wig. In the center of the wig, cut a horizontal opening that's wide enough to accommodate the doll's head.

With colored markers or pencils, draw on a face. Next, fold down the top of the kimono 3/8 inch from the edge to form a collar and color it with a marker. Lay the kimono flat so that the folded collar is facedown. Fit the wig onto the doll's head and then center the body on top of the kimono.

Fold a top corner of the kimono down over the doll's shoulder. Working on the same side of the kimono, fold the paper vertically to cover the doll's body. Use the same method to fold the opposite side of the kimono. Finally, wrap the sash around the doll from front to back and tape the ends together. These make beautiful decorations in a young girl's room.

Of all crafts dolls, rag dolls are the most popular and adored. Get a piece of construction paper and fold the paper in half, length-wise. Draw half a body along the fold, so that when the paper is opened the two halves will be symmetrical. The body does not need to be elaborate. A simple gingerbread style with extended arms and legs is perfect.

Draw a second outline about one inch farther out on the paper. This allows for the extra material needed to stitch together the front and back of the rag doll. Cut out the shape using this outer line. Unfold the doll pattern and lay it on a piece of muslin or other lightweight cotton material that will comprise the rag doll's body. Cut out the shape twice for the front and back of the rag doll.

On the front, use fabric paint and buttons to create facial features. Sew or hand-stitch the front and back together leaving a 3-inch gap at the crotch to stuff with polyfill to fill out the body. Once the body has been filled, sew up the gap and you're done!

Making crafts dolls is a wonderful way to introduce your child to the world of art. It encourages them to be creative, and it also teaches them about shapes and colors. Even if your child is older, they can make a doll that they can play with.

If they really become an art and craft fan, they can make a whole collection of hand made dolls! Their beauty is timeless and will make a wonderful childhood keepsake for a lifetime.

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