Doll with long legs. Do-it-yourself Waldorf doll. Face decoration of a large Waldorf doll - photo gallery

The long-standing Waldorf pedagogy has recently gained particular popularity. Her ideas, based on the natural mental development and comprehensive knowledge of the world by a child, do not impose existing dogmas. The child is given the opportunity to independently learn the world, the development of his individual abilities occurs through spiritual knowledge and understanding of the surrounding reality.

One of the means of such development are toys, and first of all, special pedagogical dolls called Waldorf dolls. It is with them that children express their emotions, perceiving them as their own kind. Such a technique harmoniously affects the formation of a child's self-esteem, teaches him to form his own world, fit it into the general social background.

The Waldorf doll is the most classic representative of toys that, falling into children's hands, seem to come to life, acquire a soul. They are loved, useful, original.

Describing Waldorf toys, first of all, it is necessary to say about their age classification. Depending on the number of years lived by the baby, his perception differs, and the toy also changes.

Up to 3 years

A child of the younger age category (up to 3 years) does not care about clothes, body parts, even facial features. It is enough for him to make a kind of "rag" bag, attaching his head to it. It must be sewn from soft natural fabric, stuffed a little with air filler (holofiber or foam rubber is suitable).

The face of such "girlfriends" is only outlined. It is advisable to complete it with a hat, scarf or some kind of hair. Sewing such a toy is not difficult, the most inexperienced mother or teacher in sewing will cope with it. Its other name is the butterfly doll.

From 3 to 5 years

Turned 3 years old, but did not grow up to five? A doll of the following category will do. This is no longer a "butterfly", but the clothes are not removed. The model has arms, legs, torso. Sewing it is a little more difficult, because you need a special pattern. The size of the doll is not limited.

You can make a model that fits in your pocket, or you can make the toy flush with the child. The Waldorf doll looks interesting in the crochet technique. In this case, the material can be cotton or woolen threads.

From 5 years old

A girl over 5 years old is unlikely to be interested in playing with a toy that cannot be dressed up, dressed up, prepared for bed by wearing pajamas or a pretty nightgown. The manufacture of the Waldorf “girlfriend” in this case is the most scrupulous: eyes, mouth, nose, cheeks are needed on the face. On the head as a whole - hair, hairpins, bows, bandages.

Decorating details can be knitted. Another option for their execution is to embroider or weave from threads.

Hands can be decorated with bracelets, toy watches, and boots or shoes can be sewn onto your feet.

Taking off clothes, the child not only develops the ability to fantasize: he improves tactile sensitivity, improves fine motor skills strengthens the nervous system.

waldorf baby doll

If you are a beginner in the topic of making dolls, then this master class is for you. Next, we offer patterns and step by step instructions manufacturing.

We are preparing a pattern according to the photo. You can provide for zooming to the desired size. The main thing is to do it proportionally and carefully so that the puppet jumpsuit creates the illusion of a torso.

Transferring the patterns to the fabric (necessarily natural composition), cut out the details and sew them, bending along the fold line.

As a result of tailoring, you will get a cute doll that looks like a gnome. And on the video - a slightly different version of this simple toy.

The older, the harder

A doll master class for children 3-5 years old (not only girls, but also boys often play with them) is distinguished by the need to sew on a torso dressed in clothes and having body parts. In this case, the removed clothes are not needed, the child does not “burn with the desire” to take them off, and if he takes them off, he often does not want to put them back on. That's why step by step master class next:

We reshoot and increase the pattern to the required size;

We continue the process by working above the head, for which we sew the corresponding part, as shown below. This is a case;

We prepare the contents of the head by analogy with the above master class;

We tighten the head with threads along the necessary relief parts;

We outline the location of the hair, glue the threads prepared in advance for this purpose. For this, a special tailor's needle with a large eye is used.

Sewing on hair for dolls in this category is an optional process. Moreover, there are no clear indications about their number and length. But the baby will be more interesting with them.

The formation of the doll continues, as in photo 21. The feet and hands are highlighted, the places where the legs and arms are “attached” to the body are sewn separately. It is better to immediately outline before, so as not to do double work.

The following shows how to properly sew and strengthen the hands in the neck area so that during the game (and small children can often wag the dolls for them or the neck) they do not come off.

Starting the stage when the head and torso will be sewn on, it is necessary to observe the proportional nature of the product. A certain adjustment can be achieved by stuffing (more or less). In order for the stuffing to be evenly distributed inside the product, it is good to use special stacks (for example, for plasticine). In some cases (for particularly narrow parts), an awl is suitable.

Sew the details with a conveniently curved needle so that the rounded elements lay down smoothly and aesthetically beautiful.

It turned out an interesting, but naked doll. Elements of clothing can be of a different nature, but it is better to put them on firmly and fasten them to the body with additional stitches.

Video with the sequence of manufacturing such a product from Natalia Lebedeva:

Work with a Waldorf doll pattern in life size you need on a sufficient surface, for example, a large table or on the floor. It is necessary to calculate the amount of stuffing and other consumables in advance, having correctly drawn up a work plan, what sequence will be sewn together.

Doll clothes

For clothes that can be removed, they often turn to grandmothers. It is they who are often fond of knitting blouses, skirts, hats for the first toys of babies. They put a piece of their soul into such products, so the wardrobe is especially loved. It should be remembered that knitting should only be done from natural threads that do not have bright unnatural coloring and smell.

You can make a wardrobe taking into account the season on the street, then offering the child to choose the appropriate suit for a street walk. Such a game is developing in nature, contributes to the understanding of what is happening around.

If you decide to make shoes sewn-on, this will keep them available, but make less interesting game especially if the girl is over 5 years old. After all, taking off or putting on shoes is a very interesting process. It gives reality to the game.

Boots can be knitted. To do this, it is enough to knit ten to fifteen rows of stocking stitch, which finish with the original cord.

Slippers and clothes for sleeping will give the doll a homely character. Then the girl will not only play with such a toy during the day, but also sleep.

Having made a wardrobe for her favorite doll, the little “mother” will be able to show her imagination in various game situations, which means - to develop imagination and creativity.

What should be the face

The embroidered elements of the face are a reflection of the character of the toy, its mood and positive attitude. The Waldorf style suggests medium-sized facial features, possibly of a European image. Below are the most characteristic "faces": kind, friendly, a little cunning and terribly cute.

You can learn how to make more "aiming" toys, for example, for sleeping. Then you can embroider closed eyes. This motivates the baby to sleep, snuggling tightly against his favorite toy and feeling its inner warmth.

An interesting idea is to sew similar dolls, but with hair of different colors or dressed in multi-colored wardrobe items. Then the game will be able to have a group character ( kindergarten, school, dance club, etc.). This will also allow several children to play at the same time, choosing for each the most suitable “girlfriend” option for themselves.

In such games, it is useful for children to develop a sense of mutual assistance, collective thinking, friendship, evaluation of each other's actions. You can always supplement the game with homemade animals or birds, by the way, also made according to the type of Waldorf toys.

Such dolls are sometimes perceived by modern parents as strange, not carrying an educational load. They may seem unnecessary to some. But the founder of the Waldorf school, Rudolf Steiner, was sure that toys should strictly correspond to the character of the child, his age, stage of development, and even be similar in appearance.

Favorite toys are always individual, correspond to the child's character and therefore are especially in demand. And what their hallmarks are naturalness, naturalness and correctness of proportions, plays only for the benefit of general physical and spiritual development.

Making toys at home helps not only to create your own good aura for communication, but also encourages children to be creative, make clothes or accessories on their own, design the place of the game, draw up its scenario and main stages.

Thanks to their softness, originality and charm, Waldorf toys have gained popularity in many countries of the world. They are loved by both children and adults, they are attractive for playing and designing children's institutions and apartments.

The modern industry of children's goods is developed like never before. However, the tradition of making toys with their own hands still has not gone into oblivion. Many parents consider them more sincere and useful for the development of the child. One of the favorite options for a homemade doll is the Waldorf doll, the features of which cause tenderness and delight in girls around the world, and mothers and grandmothers are forced to remember their own childhood. What is her secret?

How is a Waldorf doll different from others?

The Waldorf doll was developed by Waldorf pedagogy in order to create the required play environment for the child. The philosophy of this school is based on the natural harmonious development of children as individuals, and this spirit permeates all Waldorf toys aimed at the systematic, but not ahead of the development of the crumbs. The main criticism of this direction of study in relation to modern toys expressed in the fact that they are too thought out, technically perfect and leave no room for imagination.

The Waldorf doll has smooth rounded outlines, so it is pleasing to the eye. Her facial features are neutral, without pronounced emotions. This allows the child to endow the toy with any feelings, depending on the chosen game, which stimulates the child's imagination. Despite its apparent simplicity (especially in comparison with modern dolls with their carefully drawn faces) each of them is individual. In addition, it is soft to the touch, so it is pleasant to pick it up, hug it, and even put it to sleep next to you.

Materials for toys

As a prototype of the Waldorf doll, traditional folk rag toys were used, made from scraps of fabric, sheep's wool, straw and other natural fillers. Therefore, its undoubted advantage is that it is made only by hand and is completely natural: synthetic fabrics and padding are not applied. In addition to the fact that this eliminates the possibility of allergies and irritations that can occur when playing with plastic and rubber toys (especially of poor quality), the child gets acquainted with natural materials at the level of tactile sensations.

Most often, the doll's body is sewn from cotton jersey or knitted, and sheep's wool is stuffed inside. The use of cotton wool for stuffing is not very desirable. Despite its naturalness, it is denser and heavier, so it can roll up inside the toy.

Types of Waldorf dolls for children of different ages

A distinctive feature of Waldorf pedagogy is that certain classes correspond to each age period. Therefore, the Waldorf doll "grows" and changes with the child. This is due to differences in the skills and abilities of the baby at each stage of its formation - the toy should not be ahead of the player's abilities.

In addition, it is known that the child often identifies with the toy, so the Waldorf doll goes through various stages of development: from an infant with a neutral appearance to an adult doll with more pronounced personality traits. This allows the baby to get the right ideas about his own body and its formation.

1.5–3 years

Dolls appropriate for this age have the following features:

the shape of a baby, often swaddled in such a way that arms and legs are not always guessed;
facial features are also often very conditional;
it is better to make clothes that are not removable or in the form of an envelope for a newborn, since the fine motor skills of a child of this age are still insufficiently developed, and he will not be able to change clothes on a toy;
hair is often left out, replacing it with a cap.

4–5 years

At 4-5 years old, the time comes active games into daughter-mothers, when girls play family relationships on toys. The appearance of Waldorf dolls for this age becomes more complex and elaborated:

thumbs appear on the handles;
the legs are more shaped like a human foot;
facial features are still neutral in terms of emotions, but they show a lot of personality;
hair is made long so that girls can comb and braid it;
clothes are sewn removable, since the child’s motor skills already allow him to fasten buttons, tie strings, etc.

Scheme, instructions and photos of making a butterfly doll for a baby

The butterfly doll is considered the simplest of all Waldorf dolls. It is intended for the little ones, it can be played by 3-month-old babies. This is a wonderful and reliable toy for the baby.

To make a doll you will need:

piece of flesh-colored knitted fabric for the head and torso (12x12 cm);
natural and pleasant fabric for overalls (42x26 cm) and cap (15x18 cm);
a small piece of braid (16 cm).

All details are cut with an allowance of 0.5 cm.

Step 1: head

Fold the square of fabric in half lengthwise along the grooves of the knitted weave and sew the edges along the long side with a seam back with a needle with an allowance of 0.5 cm.
Make a basting seam along the upper edge of the "pipe" and pull it off so that you get a "pouch". The thread must be properly fixed - this will be the crown of the doll.
Separate a long narrow ribbon from the wool and wind it into a tight ball with a diameter of 5 cm.
Separate 3 more strips 20 cm long and fold them crosswise. Put the resulting ball in the middle and tightly tie the ends of the laid out strips with a thread so that they tightly wrap around the ball.
Put the ball in the case and tie it well with a thread over it where the neck will be. The ends of the wool should peek out a little from the cover. The seam should be located on the back of the head, where the cap will be sewn.

Making the head of a butterfly doll - photo gallery

A piece of fabric for the head of a Waldorf butterfly doll A bag that will be the head of a Waldorf butterfly doll Rolling a ball of wool to stuff the head of a Waldorf butterfly doll Ready-made blank for the head of a Waldorf butterfly doll

Step 2: cap

Cut out the cap according to the scheme and sew the side seam with an allowance of 0.5 cm.
Tuck the edge of the cap or sheathe it with braid, attach it to the head with a seam back (for greater accuracy, combine the seam of the head and the seam of the cap), sew it firmly.

We sew a cap - photo gallery

A piece of fabric for a cap for a Waldorf butterfly doll Ready-made cap for the Waldorf butterfly doll

Step 3: torso

Cut out the body-butterfly according to the scheme.
Sew the edges with a seam back with a needle with an allowance of 0.5 cm, leaving only the neckline unsewn.
Roll into 4 small balls and place them in the limbs, wrap tightly with thread and fasten.
Finish the neck with a basting stitch, insert the head, tighten the thread and sew both parts together.

Torso toy - photo gallery

A piece of fabric for the clothes of the Waldorf Butterfly Doll Clothes for the Waldorf Butterfly Doll Decorating the limbs of a Waldorf butterfly doll Finished Waldorf Butterfly Doll

Master class "Waldorf Butterfly Doll" - video

How to sew a large Waldorf doll: a step-by-step master class

Having taken on the difficult task of sewing a large doll, it is very important to know that in Waldorf pedagogy, special attention is paid to the reliability of the proportions of toys. Since dolls completely copy children, it should be remembered that the ratio of head height and body length in them differs from the proportions of an adult:

in a newborn, the height of the head is 1/4 of the body length,
in 2–4 years - 1/5,
at 5–6 years old - 1/6.

The size of the doll pattern can be increased independently, using the following simple rules:

the length and width of the body do not increase in direct proportion;
an increase in body thickness by 1 cm gives an increase in height of 4 cm, 2 cm of which is the height of the body, and 2 cm is the length of the legs;
arms with the same increase in body width of 1 cm increase by 2 cm in length and 0.5 cm in thickness.

Further step by step description will give an idea to beginners on how to sew a Waldorf doll with their own hands. This will require:

white knitwear;
flesh-colored knitwear;
dense threads for constrictions;
wool for stuffing;
hair yarn.

Step 1: head and neck

The principle of making the head of a large Waldorf doll is the same as that of a butterfly doll. It is stuffed much denser than the body. This echoes the structure of the human body, because due to the bones of the skull, it is the hardest part.

Head sequence.

4 wide strips of wool (sliver) are laid out on the table in the form of a star, placing a ball in the middle to give the head hardness and volume.
The ball is tightly wrapped with wool and tightened with a thread in the neck area, tightly tying a knot.
A rectangle of white fabric is sewn together in the form of a tube and assembled at the top.
The head cover is turned inside out front side.
The cover is put on the resulting wool blank.
Tighten the neck, securely fastening the ends of the thread into a knot on the side where the doll's face will be. Do not cut ends!
The ends of the threads are brought up and tightened into a knot at the crown.
The line of the eyes is drawn up with a horizontal constriction, and the knot is fixed.
The horizontal constriction from the back of the head is lowered down and with the help of zigzag stitches, both threads are pulled together on both sides of the head.
A small ball is rolled up or felted from a piece of wool and sewn on as a nose for a future doll.
From flesh-colored knitwear, an upper cover for the doll's head is cut out and sewn together.
The cover is turned inside out, put on the workpiece and the tucks are marked with safety pins.
The cover is turned inside out again, the places of the tucks are marked with chalk and sewn up, and the extra corners are cut off.
The cover is turned inside out and put on the head blank.
The neck is pulled and fixed.
Excess wool is hidden inside the cover and the edges are pulled together with a seam forward of the needle.

Step 2: hair

According to the method of making hair and purpose, Waldorf dolls are divided into "hugs" and "braids". The former are intended for play, and their hair is sewn to the head in the manner of a wig, the hairstyle is fixed. The second is made of strong, reliable strands that can be combed and braided. The hair for the boy doll is made in the same way as for the girl doll, but is made shorter.

This master class shows the process of making a braided doll, so special attention will be paid to the hair.

A line of hair is marked on the head with chalk.
The ends of the threads are left along the drawn hairline and move to the crown, making a bartack after each stitch, as when sewing a needle back. Having reached the crown, they return to the hairline in the same way. Thus, the entire surface of the head is stitched. An important nuance in the manufacture of Waldorf dolls is that the fabric of the head should not show through the hair, so the stitches are made quite dense.
The thread is threaded between the resulting stitches at a distance of 5 mm and the hair of the doll is fixed on the head.
Make out a bang.

Master class "Rag doll: how to make hair from threads" - video

Step 3: arms and legs

Details of the torso, arms and legs are cut out of body jersey and stitched at the seams.
Hands are turned inside out, stuffed with wool, pinned to the bottom of the head blank, as shown in the figure.
The arms are sewn to the body with a strong seam so that they do not come off if the child pulls on them.
The feet are stuffed with wool and a semicircle is marked with chalk, as shown in the figure.
According to the markup, an inconspicuous seam is made to make a foot.
The upper part of the legs is stuffed with wool.
In the place where the legs pass into the body, a seam is made.

Step 4: torso

The body is stuffed with wool and fastened with pins to the head and arms.
The shoulders are stitched.
Sew on the head carefully.
Fasten hands.

The body of the doll is ready!

Step 5: face

Recall that the Waldorf doll is distinguished by neutral facial features. Eyes and mouth should be decorated with simple stitches, embroidering them with floss threads.

Face decoration of a large Waldorf doll - photo gallery

Eye embroidery

Step 6: clothes

Clothes for dolls are varied - simple and elegant. You can make a skirt and blouse, dress or sundress. The basic principles of making Waldorf toys are also observed when sewing a doll wardrobe - only natural fabrics pleasing to the eye colors.

Ideas for designing clothes and patterns - photo gallery

Clothing options for a Waldorf doll
An example of a dress for a Waldorf doll

Delicate baby skin is very sensitive to different materials Therefore, you should carefully consider the choice of toys for children. The Waldorf doll is made only from natural fabrics. The idea for sewing such toys was laid by folk rag dolls, which, as it turned out, have a positive effect on the development of children. Waldof doll is Ragdoll, which any mother can sew for her child. In this article, we offer you a step-by-step master class how to make a waldorf doll with your own hands.

Waldorf doll. Photo

These dolls are widely used all over the world. Unlike conventional soft toys made of fabric, Waldof dolls exactly repeat the human appearance. That is why when sewing such a doll, it is important to adhere to the strict proportions of the human body.

The materials from which you are going to sew a Waldorf doll must be natural. Cotton, wool or linen is ideal for this. It is desirable to use sheep wool as stuffing, because the main feature of such a toy is naturalness.

Before you start sewing, think about the age of the child, because the principle in Waldorf pedagogy is that toys do not outstrip development, but fully correspond to the return. If the proportions of the doll are proportional to the body of the baby, then playing with such a doll, the child will get a complete picture of himself and, in general, of a person.

Today you can find many useful workshops on how to make a Waldof doll for children of different ages.

For example, for kids under two years old, it is better to sew a small toy that will fit in a pen. It should be soft to the touch and very simple. Such toys are also called butterfly dolls, as they consist of a dense head stuffed with wool and a soft rag body without stuffing.

Waldorf doll for children under 2 years old

For children from 2 to 5 years old, you can sew a doll that already has full-fledged arms and legs. At this age, the child already more clearly appreciates the world and becomes independent. Also sew a lot of clothes for the doll. Dressing and undressing toys affects the development of fine motor skills.

Waldorf dolls for children from 2 to 5 years old

At the age of five or six, children begin to role-play. You can sew dolls for boys and girls so that it is easy for a child to master role-playing games. With these toys, try to act out real performances or re-enact fairy tales.

Games occupy an important place in the life of a child, so teaching a child to play is the main task of every parent. If you sew the doll yourself, then it will be much more interesting to come up with a game with it, because you have put a piece of your soul into the toy.

Do-it-yourself Waldorf doll. Master Class

They usually start sewing a Waldorf doll from the head. When this part of the body is formed, you can choose a suitable pattern for the body.

Pattern for doll body:

When making the head, remember that it must be tightly stuffed. The result is a bag, which is wrapped with thread at the bottom to make a neck.

When the head is ready, trace the contours on the flesh-colored fabric

After that, a thread is wrapped around the head to give it a shape. Thus, the parietal, occipital and eye zones are formed on the doll's head.

Then the head must be covered with a flesh-colored cloth. To do this, a piece of fabric is folded, then the head is applied to it facing the fold, marks are made with a marker, stitched on a typewriter and cut out.

Watch the video: Waldorf butterfly doll master class

The doll's face is minimalist, so ordinary beads are ideal for eyes and mouth. You can also embroider a face with threads, it all depends on your desire and the availability of certain materials.

Cut out pieces for the body, arms, and legs. Stuff the body parts so that they are 1/3 empty.

Now put your hands together. Then sew the body completely and stuff it, and then insert the arms. In the places of the hands and feet, you will need to make special seams to give them shape.

It is not necessary to use new pieces of fabric to sew a Waldorf doll. A sleeve from a sweater or socks can be used as a material for the head, you can also cut woolen things into small pieces and use them as stuffing material. The basic principle is that the fabrics are natural, and where you get them is up to you.

Option for making the head of a Waldorf doll

Shape the face with threads

Skin-colored head covering

After you have completely sewn the doll, proceed to the manufacture of hair. There are a lot of ways to form a Waldorf doll's hairstyle, you can choose the most suitable one for yourself. One of the simplest is yarn hair.

You need to cut the threads of the same length, and then sew them in the center and sew to the head. Do not forget to sew the hair in a circle afterward so that it is well fixed on the head.

If you sew several rows of hair from threads, you get a very voluminous mop of hair, which can even be braided.

Pay attention to how to hide the seam connecting the head and body

Another option for quality toys is Tilda dolls. Read: We sew a pregnant Tilda doll

Education by play is a good opportunity to teach a child something useful, in accordance with his age and preferences. Try to sew different waldorf dolls and do not worry about the environmental friendliness and safety of these soft toys.

The system is quite young, it managed to gain immense popularity due to its principles. The rule of an attentive and humane attitude towards the child is also inherent in Waldorf toys. Despite the fact that the purpose of their factory stream - advertising "gadgets" and Waldorf dolls are created, in the very first place, for the harmonious and coordinated development of many qualities of a growing baby.

About Waldorf dolls

These wonderful dolls are made from natural materials and stuffed with soft sheep's wool. It is for this reason that they look quite lively, pleasant and soft to the touch. Most likely, it is precisely because of this that they do not want to let go of their hands. Believe me, if you offer your child Waldorf and sintepon dolls, you will immediately notice how your child will put an ordinary toy away. The Waldorf doll is stuffed only with wool, therefore it is soft, warm, resistant to washing and long games. The clothes and body of this product are linen and cotton, and the hair is made of cotton or wool yarn. Girls can do a variety of hairstyles, braid pigtails, and they can also be combed.

The faces of Waldorf dolls will never have a frozen expression, and facial features are only outlined, thanks to which the child himself can easily imagine absolutely any emotion. It develops the fantasy and imagination of children. The Waldorf doll will not deny the child the pleasure of "laughing" for the company or "sad". Such "friends" can ideally correspond to human proportions - from the ratio of the density of the torso and head to the ratio of the sizes of the limbs, head and body. This plays a very important role from a psychological point of view, since it is very useful for a child to form the correct perception of his own body.

The Waldorf doll is a toy that can be given to a child from birth. Children like to spend their time with these magnificent dolls so much that they almost never part with them - they play, walk, sleep ... At your request, you can give the doll a naturally light fragrance with the help of natural essential orange, fir, jasmine. Such aromatic fragrances come to the rescue when the child needs to calm down, and also give a great mood during the day and healthy sleep at night. And how without "secret" information! Young girls and adult women accept Waldorf dolls as a gift with great pleasure.

Types of Waldorf dolls

For a certain age, a separate type of dolls is intended. There are few of them:

Until one year old, it would be ideal to use toys of simple shapes: a star, a butterfly or a knotted doll. These soft and elastic small dolls come with sewn-in bells, they are light, and therefore even the most Small child can easily hold it in his hand.
For children older than a year, dolls should be with a more shaped body, as the child also begins to develop and grow.
After two or three years, children can already play with little men in more complex clothes.

This, of course, is not all types of dolls. There are also special toys for children from four years old, felted, products for the puppet theater.

It is interesting that the Waldorf of such a product can be sewn with your own hands is quite simple. Many needlewomen will be happy to share with you the secrets of how to sew a real Waldorf toy.

waldorf doll- a specially designed soft toy that meets modern standards and high requirements for the comprehensive, harmonious development of the child. The "predecessors" of the Waldorf doll are traditional folk dolls, which our great-grandmothers made for children from rags, yarn, straw, natural materials as small parts. The idea of creation and methods of making a Waldorf doll belong to Waldorf teachers and educators. The manufacture of such dolls has become widespread in many European countries.
This Stuffed Toys, which, unlike the widespread animals made of fabric, repeat the human appearance. Making a Waldorf doll with your own hands, it is necessary to adhere to the proportions of the human body. The head of such a doll is sewn from woolen fabric and requires more dense stuffing, unlike other parts of the body. In the design of the front part of the Waldorf doll, it is common to adhere to minimalism - the unformed features of the face are inherent in young children and minimalism in the features of the doll's face has a positive effect on the child's imagination, allowing the child's fantasies to actively and freely develop during the game.
Most best material for stuffing a do-it-yourself doll - sheep's wool. Sheep's wool is an ecological, rather elastic material and makes the doll soft, warm and very cozy for a small child.
The body of the Waldorf doll is made of soft pink, flesh-colored knitted fabric. Hair can be made from cotton or wool yarn, which is attached to the doll's head in a special way, without the use of glue. Doll clothes are made from natural materials such as linen, silk, viscose, cotton and wool. To create a harmonious image of a doll, you should think through the smallest details of clothing - cut, color combinations, the location of fasteners, etc.

deployed doll pattern in A4 format

In the lower figure, you can see how the individual details of the doll pattern are laid out on the fabric. At least half a centimeter, you need to make an allowance around the perimeter for the hem. Many masters recommend first making the head of the doll, and only then pick up suitable size patterns of the body of the doll.

Shaping the doll's head. The outer shell of the head will be made of cotton fabric. And as stuffing material, you can use scraps of batting, synthetic winterizer and fabrics that do not shed during washing. There should be a lot of stuffing material to make the head dense enough.

You should be able to dense bag for forming the neck and head of the doll. Wrap the area between the head and neck with thick thread twice.

Give the formed craft the shape of the head by tying it with threads, as shown in the figure.

Then we cover the head with a flesh-colored knitted fabric. Fold the knitted flap with the front side inward. The head is placed on the flap facing the fold. With a marker, draw the lines of the neck and the back of the head on the flap. Then you need to sew on a sewing machine with a zigzag (dotted line). Then carefully cut and twist.

In place of the eyes and nose of the doll you can sew small beads.

doll mouth can be embroidered with pink thread

Connect tightly stuffed legs and arms with pins. Hands should be left 1/3 empty. Then fill the body in the same way. Stuff the pieces tighter dolls to keep the shape well.

We take out the pins and fold our hands, as shown in the figure. The thumbs point in the same direction. Seams - in the center

We sew the hands together and fasten with a pair of large stitches on the back of the neck. dolls

The fabric on the doll's back is pulled tighter to form the "posture" of the doll.

We sew the neck to the body with a strong double thread.

Places of seams in small parts of the doll

Detailed and step-by-step description of the manufacturing process handmade dolls :

So, our Waldorf doll will be 36-40 cm tall, and her head will be 1/4 of her total height.
We make the doll's head with our own hands.
We will need the following materials:
1. Stuffing (for example: sliver, synthetic winterizer and chopped wool jersey)
2. Piece of A4 batting
3. Knitting threads and cotton (or wool)
4. Strong linen threads
5. Old children's tights (without pants and socks)
6. Scissors, a teaspoon, a centimeter and a large needle

As a stuffing, you can take an old flesh-colored sweater and cut into small strips.

We wrap the stuffing for the doll's head with woolen thread (not too tight)

You should get a ball in a girth of about 30 cm
Overcasting the stuffing, try to give the ball the shape of an oval

Now we create the outer shell of the head dolls. It will be made from the "pipe" of children's tights. We sew the upper part with linen threads and tighten, and then turn our shell inside out

After that, we wrap the ball of stuffing in batting (so that the doll's face does not turn out to be embossed to the touch)

Carefully tuck the stuffing into the shell as shown in the photo.

The circumference of the head should be about 30 cm

We finally form the shape of the head and neck of the doll
Fold the linen thread in half and place it under your head waldorf doll(at the level of the top of the doll's neck)

Tighten the knot properly, grabbing part of the stuffing. The neck of the doll in girth is 11-12 cm

We take another linen thread, fold it in half and wrap it several times just below the middle of the head. Tighten so that the girth is about 25 cm

After that, we take the linen thread again, fold it in half and make a vertical constriction as shown in the photo

To fix the intersection of the forming threads, we thread the needle into the needle and hem the intersection of the threads crosswise from the side of the knot

With the handle of a teaspoon, we lower the horizontal constriction to the base of the back of the head of the future doll

We tighten the second part of the horizontal waist as shown in the photo

Pull the bottom of the doll's neck and hem
To make a charming nose for a doll, cut a strip from the remnants of children's tights, roll it up and sew it on the front part where you want to see the nose on our blank.

Now we proceed to the formation of the "skin" of the head from a flesh-colored knitted fabric. The pattern is shown below (A4 format), folded in half. The lower part of the "skin" will cover the neck, and the upper one - the head

We put the blank of the doll's head on the table, and put the "skin" cut out according to the pattern symmetrically on it

With force we wrap the head blank with “skin” (the direction is from bottom to top so that the chin dolls grab). Slices from the top of the head to the back of the head are superimposed on each other and fixed

Now you can put aside the doll's head for a while and start making her torso, legs and arms. doll pattern(torso with legs and separately arms) is presented above. You can download a pattern (or redraw it), cut it out of a piece of cardboard and circle it with a marker or ballpoint pen. Knitted fabric - skin color. It is necessary to cut along the direction of the knitwear along the share (so that the body and arms stretch well and the doll turns out to be soft and voluminous). Then turn the "skin" inside out

Now we need to fill in the padding and start shaping the handles.
We push the filler into each handle in small portions. The filler should fill the entire space without gaps, so seal not only with your fingers, but also with a pencil. But avoid filling too tightly - otherwise the doll will be very stiff

We fill each handle to the end (pay attention to the fact that the doll's fingers are not empty)

Now we form the brush of the handle, making a constriction, as in the photo. It is necessary to sew with small stitches in a circle with flesh-colored threads, without tightening too much, we make a knot and go around in a circle again

Now we return to the head of the Waldorf doll again and sew it with a flesh-colored thread, bending and straightening one of the sides - with a hidden seam from the top of the head to the back of the head

After the firmware, we fix the thread. the rest loose cloth at the top of the doll's head, carefully cut

Then we tuck the top edge of the fabric and sew it with a flesh-colored thread with a hidden seam.

Set the doll's head aside and start stuffing the body with the doll's legs. Just like the handles, we stuff the body in small portions so that there is no free space left. The body should be tight but soft.

Now let's take a look at the foot dolls on each leg. To do this, you can attach a pattern of a doll with a short leg and outline the bend of the foot with a pencil.

Now you need to fold the leg in the place of marking at 90 degrees, sew with a hidden seam, pull it off a little and fasten it, and then sew it in the opposite direction, from the tip of the leg to the place of suturing about 3-3.5 cm

After that, we return to the head of the doll again and begin to sew on the hair. There are a lot of ways to sew hair on a Waldorf doll. Let's describe one of them - the simplest. Wool will make smooth, straight hair, and mohair - lush.
First, we cut off one hair and cut the required amount of hair from the yarn along it. Then we sew the "hair" along the parting as shown in the photo

We sew the hair to the crown, make a knot and sew it back (so - 2-3 times)

Then we sew the doll's hair around several times at the level of the eye line.

Now firmly and several times we sew with a triangle from the temples to the back of the doll's head

You will get a well-stitched mop of hair.

Then we sew the second row in one place, along the parting

We fasten the second row along the parting and get beautiful, freely hanging hair. You can braid the doll braids

Eyes can simply be sewn in, capturing a little lower part. The shape of the eyes can be made any - a stripe, an asterisk, with a pupil. The mouth can also be made by taking a pink or red thread.

Now sew the head and arms to the body dolls
We take the torso with legs

Open the upper part, make a small hole in the stuffing and insert the doll's neck into it.

Add some padding to shape the shoulders. We fasten the joints of the shoulders with a pin and sew with a hidden seam, not tightening too much

Sewing the front

Then sew the back
The doll's throat can be closed with a piece of folded knitted fabric

Now let's get hands on
We sew the shoulder several times with a hidden seam

We attach the handle of the doll and sew it with a hidden seam, gently pulling the thread (allowance - 3-3.5 mm). We make one line, and on top - the second (strong and neat)

In the same way, we sew the second handle of the doll. If there is a slight asymmetry - remember the doll, smooth the back and tummy
Doll Finish:
You can live a few stitches on the doll where the hips are so that she can sit. We sew through the main thread of flesh color with strong stitches and firmly fasten it. And to outline the seam line, you can simply bend doll pattern as shown in the photo and mark with a pencil.

With a strip of a neck patch folded in three, we tightly fit the neck and carefully sew it with a hidden seam.
It remains only to sew clothes for the doll and dress her up.
Using this technology, you can make any Waldorf doll.