Doll Making

History

Dolls play a special role in the lives of children. Handmade dolls offer the extra touch of personalization, and may be cherished for a lifetime or longer.

Contemporary handmade dolls run the gamut from country rag dolls to porcelain collectibles, and are often considered sculptures or fine works of art. The craft of doll making employs many different materials and techniques, and is diverse enough to fulfill many creative impulses.

Dolls have been around nearly as long as humans. Clay dolls have been discovered in Egyptian tombs, among the ruins of Pompeii, and in ancient Greek temples. The first dolls were carved in stone, clay, wood, or bone, with glass beads, shells, and other natural materials used for adornment. Copper and bronze dolls have also been found at archaeological sites. It is likely that other materials, such as reeds and seaweed, were used to make prehistoric dolls, but examples have not survived.

American folk art traditions evolved as Europeans settled in Appalachia and other rural areas during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Cornhusk, apple head, painted wood, and rag dolls became part of regional folk culture.

In the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, Germany led the world in manufacturing wax, wood, papier-mâché, porcelain, and bisque dolls. The Industrial Revolution allowed for mass production of dolls made from these materials.

Until the nineteenth century, most dolls were modeled after adult bodies and faces, and were considered collector's items. Once childhood became recognized as an important time to develop the imagination, dolls were marketed to children.

During the mid-twentieth century in the United States, synthetic materials such as plastic and vinyl became popular doll making materials. At that time, dolls began taking on more realistic appearances. The production of life-like baby dolls, coupled with the debut of Barbie, a completely new doll for the teenage market, caused a major decline in homemade dolls, although many mothers were kept busy sewing wardrobes for new commercial dolls.

In the late 1960s, the back-to-nature movement and accompanying return to folk art traditions also impacted the doll world. In response to the mass-produced plastic dolls, crafters began to make dolls using natural and recycled materials.

There was renewed interest in making and collecting art dolls during the last decades of the twentieth century. New materials, including polymer clay, became a popular choice for doll bodies, and a vast array of manufactured beads, ribbons, fun yarns, and other accessories became items of choice for decoration and adornment.

Today, there are dolls for every personality, crafted in every imaginable material. Designs are limited only by the imagination of the doll artist.

Supplies for soft dolls and doll clothes

• Sewing machine
• Needle, thread, other sewing supplies
• Fabric scraps
• Sewing notions
• Stuffing (polyfill, cotton batting, sand, rice or beans)
• Bodies (muslin, stockings, socks, towels, and other fabrics)

Supplies for making paper dolls

• Pattern to trace
• Card stock, tag board, paper plates, or other heavy paper for doll body
• Variety of decorated paper and/or fabric for clothing and accessories
• Colored pencils, paint and brushes
• Craft glue
• Scissors and/or craft knife
• Glitter, ribbon, buttons, brads, and other supplies for embellishments

Additional supplies

• Doll stands
• Wire and wire cutters (for armatures)
• Doll heads (may be purchased or made from polymer clay, wood, porcelain or other materials)

Techniques

Making dolls intended for play

When making a doll for an infant or young child, safety regulations and recommendations from the Consumer Product Safety Commission should be followed.

Dolls should be washable.

If clothes can be removed, a child should be able to dress and undress the doll easily.

If the hair is meant to be styled, it should be able to withstand heavy play.

Other considerations for all dolls

If the doll is supposed to look realistic, the expression should elicit suitable emotions.

If the doll can be posed, it should be able to sit up. The joints should move freely.

All parts should be attached securely.

The body should be smooth and stitched neatly. Armature wires should not be seen or felt.

Clothing should fit well. Seams should be free of holes and loose threads.

The doll should have a personality, and should reflect the artist's unique imagination.

Trends

The doll has been adopted by hobbyists and artists working in other media, including wood, polymer clay, beads, paper, and many fiber arts. These "art dolls," meant for adults, can be wacky and whimsical, and tend to reflect the frenzied lifestyle of contemporary men and women. Portrait dolls crafted to look like specific, real people are also popular.

Worldwide competition and the emergence of vinyl dolls have caused a decline in porcelain doll sales, although porcelain doll classes remain popular among hobbyists.

A return to primitive dolls, in particular those crafted in rural Appalachia with natural and household materials, including spoons, rocks, and acorns, are sought after by contemporary folk art collectors.

Time Many dolls can be created in a weekend. Some dolls, including folk art, paper, and children's craft dolls, can be made in a few hours. Porcelain dolls will usually take more than one weekend, and possibly months, to finish.

Depending upon the level of detail, creating clothes can be the most time-consuming aspect of doll making. Some elaborate outfits may take weeks to fashion. To save time, some crafters make life-size baby dolls, which may be dressed in second-hand baby clothes.

Doll Making for Fun vs. Profit

Many hobbyists go into business crafting dolls from commercial patterns (after contacting the designer for copyright permission). Other doll makers design and sell their own original patterns.

Handmade dolls compete in the marketplace with commercial dolls, many of which come with sophisticated parts, wardrobes, multiple accessories, and strong advertising campaigns. Some children will shun dolls that are unfamiliar or look "homemade." Crafters wishing to sell dolls for children may experience some difficulty in finding just the right market for their creations. In the twenty-first century, many dollmakers sell their dolls online, particularly through the website Etsy, which is intended to allow individuals and small businesses to sell their creative works. Having a website of one's own and a strong social media presence is considered important for succeeding at selling dolls online.

Established doll designers often produce limited editions of certain dolls that are sought after by serious collectors.

Learning More

Organizations

Original Doll Artist Council of America <http://www.odaca.org/>

National Institute of American Doll Artists <http://www.niada.org/>

United Federation of Doll Clubs <http://www.ufdc.org/>

Bibliography

Christopher, Catherine. The Complete Book of Doll Making and Collecting. Dover, 1971.

Hoerner, Nancy, et al. The Complete Photo Guide to Doll Making. Creative Publishing International, 2010.

O'Brien, Linda, and Opie O'Brien. Mixed-Media Doll Making: Redefining the Doll with Upcycled Materials. Quarry Books, 2011.

Oroyan, Susanna. Designing The Doll: From Concept to Construction. C & T Publishing, 1999.

Po, Adele. "How to Turn Your Doll Making Hobby into a Career?" Adele Po, 28 Feb. 2017, www.adelepo.com/blog/2017/02/doll-making-hobby-into-a-career. Accessed 21 June 2019.