- The best material for cloth baby dolls is a basic cotton weave such as poplin. Check around the house for old slacks, shirts or blankets that might make good doll material. Most fabric stores offer a discount section with plain poplin sold at bottom-dollar prices. Stick with solid-colored fabrics unless your daughter does not want to add hair or facial features to her doll. Yarn makes great hair and basic fabric markers are the easiest choice for applying facial features. You will also want to have needles and coordinating thread on hand for your doll-making venture.
- Cloth baby doll patterns are easily made by drawing a doll shape onto muslin and then cutting it out. You can eye it or trace another doll's shape. Some people use simple patterns printed from the Internet. Allow for a 1/4-inch seam all the way around the outside of the doll and ensure that the doll will be the size that you want.
- Ask your child to pin two layers of her doll material together so that the right sides are facing. She should ensure that the fabric is cut to a size that is easy to work with. Next, the pattern is pinned into place, traced and then the doll outline is cut out from both layers at once. Your daughter can pin the doll along the seams all the way around, allowing for a 1/4-inch seam. Show her how to thread a needle and begin sewing all the way around. You will need to leave a 2- to 3-inch gap for stuffing. Turn the doll so that the right side is facing out and then stuff with cotton or polyester filling, finishing up by closing the remaining gap with a needle and thread.
- It should be fairly easy for your daughter to use a needle and thread to sew yarn onto the head of the doll for hair. Have her practice making facial features on paper and then apply the facial features to the doll using fabric markers.
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