How to make a waldorf doll...


You are allowed to laugh.  I give you full permission. It's a good thing I don't make my living sewing, or we'd all starve to death!  Mike and I got a good laugh at the floppy head and misshapen body,  however, she is loved.

Cole and Luke sat next to me mesmerized as I stitched and stuffed two pieces of tea stained t~shirt scraps to make a little body. While embroidering the last stitch on her green eyes, my sweet little Lucas danced around the room asking if he could name her Ali and keep her for himself.

My instinct was to refuse, keeping her locked away until everything was finished.  Alas, my five year old reminded me of the most important lesson in life, it's not about being perfect, it's about loving one another and being loved.  I am loved~

*For the pattern, I used Simmy's fantastically generous tutorial for making Ali.  I didn't want to spend a lot of money on my first doll, so I tea stained an old under shirt for the body, and stuffed her with some wool fleece I had on hand.  I've spun up some gorgeous chunky tan alpaca for her hair and hopefully I'll have some more pictures to show you next week!

~Peace & Love~

4 comments

  1. i was going to ask where you found your fabric! T-shirt scraps!! What a great idea. i love to make these, but the fabric is so expensive and i've only found it online. i love this idea!!

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  2. Tree~ I boiled about a gallon of water and a 1/4 c. vinegar in a large pot with 6 tea bags (just the cheap Lipton kind) Drop a wet t~shirt in and let it boil for about 15 minutes. Then shut the heat off and let it sit for about an hour. Also, I would stir it occasionally so you get a more even color. Next time I would use a more heavy duty t-shirt. I'm thinking that may help stabilize the head if the fabric is a bit thicker? I also used the foot of an old pair of nylons for the inside of the head:)

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  3. Nice! Thank you. My experience with making the dolls you have to pack the wool extremely tight in order to support the head. The dolls will be very hard, not soft or floppy at all. i can't wait to see your dolly finished!

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  4. so cute! My first attempt was kinda humorous too. I used polyester fabric and fiber fill becuase I couldn't find the "right" stuff here. It makes a huge difference if you decide to give it another go.

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