All children treasure handmade dolls. The special relationship between a child and his/her doll is dynamic, and often mysterious, as all relationships are. It is about love and nurturing, friendship and ownership, the emergence of self. Making a simple handcrafted doll for a child is a gift for life that encourages the magic of creative play. Dolls, like people, are individuals and no two are exactly alike.
A hand-crafted doll is one of a kind, an individual which carries the spirit of the maker in its stitches and absorbs the spirit of the child who loves it. It is a beautiful thing to craft a doll with your own hands, sew it together with love, then make a gift to your child with the words "I made this for you!". In an age of consumerism, children often grow up thinking that things magically come from stores. They miss out on the process of something being made, of watching it develop out of nothing more than scraps of fabric and tiny stitches, inspiration and hard work.
What a gift we give to our children when we involve them in the making of things, even if their involvement is no more than that of curious onlooker. Not only do they see where something "came from", but they can gain a sense of security in the knowledge that something can be made, that indeed they themselves can make it...
Origins of Waldorf Style Dolls
The typical Waldorf doll is made from sheep's wool and cotton knit fabric. It has a unique inner head which gives form but not detail to the face. The origins of this type of doll come from a strong European tradition of doll making. Germany was the leading doll manufacturer in Europe in the 19th and early 20th century, dominating the doll market at home and abroad. Many dolls and toys were made at home during long winter months with materials that were at hand - wood, sheep's wool and cloth scraps. Individual people, notably Kathe Krusse, then developed these simple toys into commercial enterprises and the products found a ready market amongst the increasingly prosperous countries of Europe and America. However, dolls still continued to be made at home and the simplicity and charm of these formed dolls stuffed with sheep's wool ensured their survival despite the plethora of more sophisticated toys.
In Europe and later America, this type of doll became known as a "Waldorf Doll" and had a strong connection with Steiner education. Communities and Schools, based on Rudolf Steiner's methods were established in many different countries and the tradition of making this particular type of doll continued alongside the education.
Simple toys made from natural material are recognized as being of great importance for the wholesome development of young children. I look at the cost of a hand crafted Waldorf style doll as an INVESTMENT in my child's work, life, education.
So Expensive, Is It Worth It?
A doll which will be a lifelong friend and will be used feed and nourish my child's inner life is an item I feel are very important to our curriculum, to our journey and to the fact that I want to provide my children with the very best.
Quality and not quantity is the key. Many parents cannot justify spending $100 on ONE doll because what it comes down to is that TEN other dolls could be purchased for that price. I would sacrifice dinner and a movie and buy the doll, no second thoughts. Many of us are "trained" to see the child have SO MUCH that items do not all get played with, and then to think to buy a $100 doll which you see as being thrown into the toy bin with the other mountains of toys is completely beyond the point.
The key is that the child only has a few select pieces to play with... and that those are of the finest quality.
Truly a radical pioneer in parenting and a mover and shaker in life, Author and Speaker, Kytka Hilmar-Jezek is also known as the founder of Waldorf Homeschoolers, The Original Site on Homeschooling Since 1996. She authored 7 books, has written for various parenting and wellness magazines and her articles and interviews have appeared in numerous publications and journals and on radio. She has received awards for her contributions and thousands of letters of support for her strength, speaking and initiatives. (c) Copyright Kytka Hilmar-Jezek, All Rights Reserved Worldwide. This article may be used freely as long as this resource paragraph remains intact.
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