How to Make a Doll

Materials

Cotton jersey for the doll's face and arms
Thin cotton lawn to be used for the jersey fabric lining
Cloth for the dress and cap
Wool yarn for the hair
Colorful ribbon
Polyester fiberfill
String to suspend

Tools
Sewing machine,
Needles (consider the size for the thread)
Scissors, thread and chalk
Ruler and pencil
Rouge and toothpick.
Chopstick and glue to stick the hair
Various colors of paint or oily felt-tip pens for face painting

1. Make your own unique pattern in a big or small paper. This will depend on the size that you want for your doll. After you're done with your pattern, place it over the cloth and trace the edges so that you can transfer it. Start with the head.
Pin two jersey sheets between another two sheets of cotton lawn. Get a pencil then start to draw the body. Take note that the body should be made in one piece. Mark it with a chalk.

2. Make small stitches through hand-sewing or by using a sewing machine. Start sewing the head and the body around, but don't sew the openings. You can sew all around the doll's arms but leave an opening for your holes with a ripper on each side so that you'll create the right and left arm.

3. Cut out with a scant of 1/4th or 1/6th inch margin. Under the doll's thigh, slit close to the seam. Turn the doll's arms by using the toothpick or any turning tool that you're comfortable using with. You can now start stuffing your doll with the fiberfill by gently filling it inside. Fill the neck firmly but avoid filling the ears.

4. Stitch the head and body openings. Place a skirt on your doll and sew the cloth in a ring and stitch the hem. Fold the waistline a scant of about 1/2" to the inside part, then stitch it to the body. Wrap a colorful ribbon around the waist of your doll and tie it in a bow behind.

5. Paint the eyes and mouth, using appropriate colors of paint or oily felt-tip pens. Rouge the cheeks so that it will become colorful and rosy. There are new pens and colors for dolls' faces that won't fade away so try to check them online or in craft stores. If you're not good at painting faces, you could draw the features lightly using a pencil.

6. Position your doll's arms then close the hole in each arm. Stitch those arms to the body but make sure that it's located a little bit closer toward the front of the doll's body. Next, position the doll's head then stitch it to the neck, using lots of large stitches through the filling.

7. Tie and fasten the center of the wool yarn, stitching it by hand. Style your doll's hair and length to your liking. Glue the hair on head of your doll.

8. Cut a 5-inch diameter circle of fabric. Place a glue on the edges to prevent shredding or coming apart. Gather 1-2 inches inside the edges. Put it on the doll's head and attach it lightly. Tie the ribbon around the gathers. Stitch a string on the top of the doll's head by affixing a safety pin at the back of the doll.