Making special toys for your children is a wonderful way to say, "I love you." Waldorf dolls are soft and huggable, ideal for children to carry around as a special lovey doll. If you make them yourself, Waldorf-style dolls can be easily customized to look like your child. Because the facial features typically are only very minimally indicated (just dots for eyes, and a simple little curve for a mouth), all you need to do to create a twin playmate for your child is to match the eye color and hair color and style.
What distinguishes Waldorf dolls from any other toys? There are really only a few basic requirements:
Like all Waldorf toys, the dolls should be hand crafted, of all natural materials.
Ideally, the creator of the doll should craft it with love, as the doll will be imbued with the maker's spiritual state.
Materials for Waldorf dolls include 100% cotton fabric, and pure wool stuffing.
Using natural wool stuffing makes the doll feel warm and slightly heavy, for a cuddly, life-like feel.
Making Waldorf dolls is not at all difficult. Really!
Clean, carded wool is actually easier to work with and stuffs more smoothly than polyester fluff (and because of the natural lanolin in the wool, handling it will soften your hands!). The soft cotton knits used for Waldorf doll skins are very forgiving and easy to sew, as they readily conform to the contours of the head and body without forming unwanted pleats and puckers. What's more, the simple designs of Waldorf dolls are readily achieved with modest sewing skills.
There are many different types of Waldorf-inspired dolls, from the simplest bunting babies to fully articulated dolls with button joints. The simplest Waldorf dolls, suitable for infants and very young children, don't even need to be dressed, as the body is made from colored fabric which does double duty as the doll's clothing.
The most basic Waldorf design is the bunting baby, which can be made very quickly. This doll consists of a round, stuffed head, attached to a floppy, nearly shapeless bunting body of colored fabric.
More advanced, but still very simple Waldorf dolls can be made with a round, stuffed head attached to a rag-doll type body with arms and legs, but no joints.
The traditional construction method for the head starts with wool batting wound into a ball and covered with tubular cotton gauze. Strong thread tied around the center of the head creates the eye line. This is then covered with the doll skin fabric, with just a few embroidery stitches indicating eyes and mouth.
Wigs in many styles can be made from wool or mohair yarn, attached to a fabric or crochet skull cap.
When the head is attached to a rag doll body sewn from colorful cotton fleece, you have a doll all ready-dressed in pajamas.
Whatever doll type you choose, you're sure to fall in love with these charming dolls.
Margaret Lunn is an award-winning quilter, doll artist, and puppeteer. Her Waldorf doll patterns make beautiful dolls easy for even novice dollmakers. For more detailed instructions and shortcut tips for making Waldorf dolls, be sure to visit http://www.WaldorfDollMaking.com.
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