These little homespun dolls are simple and inexpensive to make. You’ll only need yarn (around 40 yards for a doll this size), scissors, and a 5x7” piece of cardboard. A pencil or chopstick is useful, too. The first step is to make her body ~ watch along below and we’ll make one together 🖤
Wrap the yarn (not tightly) around the piece of cardboard 70 times. If you want to make your doll smaller or larger, wrap the yarn 10 times for every inch of cardboard length (7” x 10 = 70). Trim the yarn.
Cut a piece of yarn around 18” long. Slide this piece under the wrapped yarn, wrap it around the bundle, an inch or so down from the top; this part will become her head. Pull yarn tightly, and tie in a double knot.
Slide the looped bundle of yarn off the cardboard. Wrap the shorter piece of yarn back around the small top end of the bundle, pull yarn tightly, and tie in a double knot; this is her head. Next, we’ll make her arms ~
To make her arms, wrap the yarn again around your cardboard piece, 18 times, and trim the yarn. Hold your wrapped bundle of yarn in one hand, and cut along the bottom edge of the cardboard. Keep the pieces of yarn together. Cut a short piece of yarn and tie it in a double knot around the bundle, about an inch from the top.
Divide this bundle into three sections and braid it. When the braid is the same height as your doll, tie the braid with another short piece of yarn. Trim the ends of the yarn braid. Next, we’ll attach her arms ~
To attach your doll’s arms, slide your yarn braid through the loop of the doll’s body, then push it up under the doll’s neck. Cut a long piece of yarn, and wrap it around the doll’s waist, right under her arms. pull the yarn tightly, and tie in a double knot.
I crisscross wrapped the long piece of yarn around her body a few times, and tied it in a bow in the back. Next, we’ll make her hair ~
For hair, I gave my doll a topknot bun, a messy bun is my own favorite :) Hold (or tape) a piece of yarn to a pencil or chopstick. Wrap another piece of yarn around the chopstick 20 times, and trim the end. Slide the yarn off the chopstick, and tie together to make a bun.
Thread the ends through the loops of her head, and tie them behind the bun. Hide the yarn ends by poking them back into in the bundle.
Instead of a bun, you could tie a long bundle of yarn to her head, trim it, give her braids, or unravel pieces of yarn into separate strands for curly hair. One last step, and it’s the most fun part! ~
To finish her skirt, cut open the bottom loops of the doll’s body. Trim the ends even, or leave them more ragged.
If you would like for your doll to wear pants instead of a skirt, divide the bottom pieces of yarn into two even leg sections, braid them, tie them off, and trim the ends. You could add ribbons or buttons, little flowers or a tiny book, or anything else to make your doll special to you.
And that’s it ~ You made a yarn doll! Thank you for crafting with me 🖤 I hope our dolls can play together sometime! 🖤 XOXO ~Kris
