How to Make a Doll from a Medical Glove

Do you collect dolls? If so, you probably have ceramic dolls, wooden dolls, Barbie dolls and even dolls from foreign countries. Maybe you don't collect dolls at all but you have a little girl who is a little down-in-the-dumps today. Whatever the scenario there's an easy doll you can make which you likely don't already have. Whether you want to cheer up your daughter or add to your immense doll collection you can easily make a doll from a medical glove! You won't need a lot of money to make the unique doll that can entertain a child or just dress up the mantle.

Medical gloves can vary in types and colors. Although you can actually use any medical glove to make the doll gloves which are white or off-white in color work best. Since parts of the glove will remain showing after creating the doll you might not want to use gloves which are purple or other colors which don't well-represent the color of skin. In addition, thick medical gloves guarantee the doll will stay intact after hours of playing; thinner gloves can rupture after a period of time. You'll find various types of medical gloves are sold at most any drug store or discount department store. You'll only need one glove for each doll.

To begin the craft hold the thumb of the glove closed. Now pour in 7 ounces of uncooked rice and fill the remaining fingers and hand of the glove. It can be challenging to hold the thumb closed while pouring in the rice so it's a good idea to get an extra set of hands. You'll have the most luck pouring the rice into the glove without spilling it if you use a small funnel. Or, pour the rice into a paper cup, squeeze the cup nearly shut, then pour in the rice. After pouring in the rice use the thumb to create a neck for the doll.

Wrap the thumb of the glove tightly around the glove right above the rice. After wrapping the thumb around you will use a piece of tape to secure it. When the thumb and tape are in place you should still have some of the glove remaining, just above the tape. This area - the "cuff" of the glove - will be used to create the head of the doll. Place a 2" Styrofoam ball into the opening then stretch the glove over the ball. Tie the remainder of the glove into a knot that is positioned just above the ball. Now the basic doll is finished.

The pinky finger of the glove creates one of the doll's arms and the index finger creates the other arm. The ring finger and middle finger create the legs of the doll. You might notice that the two arms are not the same length since the pinky finger of the glove is smaller than the index finger. Don't worry about that for now. When the doll is finished no one will notice the discrepancy. You'll simply use a little technique that gives the appearance of arms that are of equal length.

You can use all sorts of craft supplies and techniques to finish the doll and create just the one you want. Use yarn to create hair and cover the knot of the glove. Or, use regular doll hair found at most any craft store. Another option is to glue on a hat. This works well for creating a boy doll. Use wiggly eyes from a craft store or simply draw the eyes on. Another option is to use facial feature stickers. You'll find a variety of these at most craft stores. In addition to creating a face and hair for the doll you can also dress it. Purchase small doll clothes, shoes and accessories or make them yourself.

The finished doll can become part of your doll collection or can become the new best friend of your little girl. Or, use the dolls as decorations around the house. Use them to dress up a lamp, wire the onto your girl's bedposts, or just set them on a dresser. Give them to friends as gifts or let kids make one for their favorite female teachers. It's easy to make an assortment of different ones simply by making some boys and some girls, using different colors of yarn or hair, and dressing them uniquely. You'll love this craft which costs little but produces a really nice - although very small - doll.