Waldorf Dolls: The Natural Choice

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.

Waldorf Dolls - The Most Cuddly Doll Your Child Will Ever Love

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.

Making Waldorf Dolls - The Big 3 Myths That Can Hold You Back

No doubt about it, there's a certain mystique about Waldorf dolls, and with good reason. Every Waldorf doll is individually made by hand. That fact alone sets them apart from the mass of commercially produced toys. These irresistible dolls achieve their distinctive appearance by means of a unique construction method, and their uncommonly huggable feel is the result of only all natural materials.

But don't be fooled! Uncommon though they are, they deserve to be far less rare. There's no good reason why the pleasure of making Waldorf dolls should be reserved for only a handful of highly skilled artisans.

If you've ever wanted to try making a Waldorf doll, but hesitated, maybe one of these Waldorf doll making myths is holding you back:

Myth Number 1: The materials are too hard to find.

This may have been true twenty years ago, before the internet became a ubiquitous presence, but it's certainly not true now!

Waldorf dolls are indeed fussy about what goes into them. Only all natural materials may be used, like 100% cotton fabrics and soft sheep's wool stuffing. These are not commonly available at fabric shops or crafts outlets, but there are numerous online merchants who have them in many color choices, along with all sorts of useful tools and notions for the doll maker. In Australia and the U.S. there are domestic sources. Elsewhere, supplies may need to be shipped, but they are certainly not hard to find. Type "Waldorf doll supplies" into your favorite search engine to get an extensive list of vendors.

Myth Number 2: The materials are too expensive.

I'll admit, there's at least a kernel of truth in this one. Compared to polyester fiberfill, carded wool batting does seem quite costly. On the other hand, if you've worked with the poly fluff, then worked with wool, I think you'll agree that the difference in quality is far greater than the difference in price.

A one-pound package of wool batting will make a large doll, or several smaller ones. If you are making a small doll, you might consider purchasing material with a friend and sharing the cost. The cotton interlock fabric that makes the best doll skin is sold in generous widths. A ½-yard cut will definitely make several dolls, so is good for sharing.

You may also be able to recycle some materials as a thrifty alternative. A cotton tee-shirt that has been washed to a wonderful softness can be dyed and used for doll skin. Worn-out clothing often yields pieces of fabric in good condition. These can make fabulous doll clothes. Yarn unraveled from an old wool sweater makes some of the very best curly doll hair.

Myth Number 3: Waldorf Dolls are too difficult to make.

Utter nonsense! Waldorf-style dolls are among the very easiest of all dolls to make! Their body shapes are quite simple, with mitten-shaped hands (no finicky little fingers to turn) and minimal articulation of the limbs. The distinctively-shaped Waldorf head is achieved by tying two strings around a ball of wool. Presto! An adorable child's head appears as if by magic.

That marvelous wool stuffing will seem worth every penny when you see how smoothly it fills out a shape. No lumpy limbs! Plus, you can pull it all out and re-stuff with the same wool, and it's good as new.

So what are you waiting for? That special child in your life deserves an extraordinary doll, hand made with love by you.

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.

Making Waldorf Dolls - Are Your Dolls Tough Enough?

"Rugged" is probably not the first word you'd use to describe a Waldorf doll. Those adorable chubby-cheeked faces look innocent, angelic even... certainly not tough.

Think again.

Waldorf dolls are meant to be play dolls. Children love their dolls enthusiastically, but not necessarily gently. They embrace them as best friends, and drag them around everywhere as constant companions. If you give a child a Waldorf doll, expect it to be in the thick of the action, not sitting on a shelf. These dolls might look sweet and innocent, but they need to be sturdy, durable, and yes, even rugged.

In my years of doll making, I've discovered that there are certain techniques that produce more durable dolls, while actually making the construction process easier! For example, one of my favorite doll making mantras is, "Double up."

The first place where I like to "double up" is in making the head. For all but the quite small, unsculpted heads, I cut double the length of tubular gauze for the initial head shaping. (If you've never made a Waldorf doll, this might not make a lot of sense to you. You can find a photo tutorial on my website that will make it all crystal clear.) Then, instead of sewing across the end of the gauze to close it off, I sew across the middle. Turn one half inside-out over the other and, presto! Instant double-layer gauze sock.

If you've ever had your gauze tube pop open as you stuff it with wool, you'll appreciate what a time saver the double-gauze technique can be. The double layer also helps control any tendency for bulges to occur, making a more smoothly rounded head shape.

Continuing with shaping the head, I use the "double up" principle for tying the eye and chin lines. I fold a length of strong craft thread to double it, and knot the ends together. This gives me a loop at each end for a much more secure grip when pulling the threads tight. A double ply of craft thread is stronger than many thicker strings you could use, but much less bulky.

For nearly all hand-sewing steps, I also double my thread and knot the ends together. This serves two purposes: not only does it enhance the strength of my stitches, but the loop at the end allows me to anchor the thread to itself. It's a quick solution to that annoying tendency of a single-thread knot to pull through the weave of the gauze or the doll skin knit.

"Doubling up" is valuable for machine-sewing tasks, too. Inside curves need to be clipped very close to the stitching in order to turn without puckering. A double row of stitches allows the seam to turn smoothly without risk of bursting.

Finally, my favorite way to "double up" is to sew with a friend. It's a great way to share tool, supplies, inspiration, and friendship. If your sewing buddy is a child, making Waldorf dolls is a great, fun way to pass handwork traditions on to another generation.

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.

Handcrafted Waldorf dolls encourage creativity and Imagination

Mothers Green would not be complete without a blink of eye is a doll classic I caress as a young girl.

Waldorf dolls are unique. Instead of toys that give a defined child responses with the features and functionality defined, a child who has a Waldorf Doll has the ability to imagine and customize the doll in no way the imagination allows.

By allowing the child to imitate what the child has in their life and the lives of those around them, Waldorf dolls for the child to explore what it means to be human.

Waldorf dolls are toys that encourage significant exhibit, creative games to help children in their emotional, intellectual and physical development:

"The human capacity to imagine should not be undervalued - it is the source of the engineering - and its roots are found in the creative game of childhood." In the freedom to game real Adaptive intelligence is encouraged " Lynne Oldfield"

Waldorf dolls are individually handcrafted and made to last a lifetime. Each doll is unique and made from natural fibres and created to look like a child. They are flexible and easily positioned, all features are embroidered simply so that the doll receives the personality who imagine the child. Because of their simple design, a Waldorf doll will increase with the child.

Visit the link below to view the list of our favorite crafter who specialize in traditional Waldorf dolls. Feel free to leave a comment on your experience with these beautiful dolls craft.

Monica Fraser is the mother of a nicely spirited girl and the creator of http://www.healthygreenmoms.com where you will find "Simple tips for healthy & inspired living"