In Rus', yarn dolls were made as a talisman: for good luck or for protection from dark forces.
Now you can make such a toy to spend time with your child, teach him handicrafts, or show him that things can be made independently. This craft will also be useful for needlewomen, because it will help get rid of the accumulation of knitting yarn if there are many pieces that are unsuitable for large items.
Do-it-yourself yarn doll - how to choose yarn?
Any knitting yarn will do.
The best choice would be acrylic yarn because it is the softest and cheapest. Yarn mixed with wool or angara will also look good, but it can often prick, which the child will not like.
The color of the thread doesn't matter either.. Kids will have fun making both green and blue men, but for realism, you can use beige or light pink yarn for the base and darker yarn for the hair.
The thickness of the threads also does not matter. If the threads are thin (single), then you will have to make more turns to achieve the same pomp and volume. Such threads are better suited for making toy hair, as they will look more believable; you can even use floss threads.
In other words, any yarn that you have lying around at home or that you just like will do.
Master class: yarn doll for little children and their parents
1. First, we’ll make a cardboard blank onto which we’ll wind the threads; it’s more convenient than winding it on our own hands. The height of the workpiece depends on the desired height of the toy, as a rule, from 10 to 15 cm. This way the toy will fit comfortably in the child’s hand. It is important to choose thick cardboard so that it does not wrinkle when we start winding the threads, otherwise the doll will be uneven.
It is not necessary to make a cardboard blank; you can find an item that is suitable in size, for example, a telephone.
2. Now we begin to wind our threads. How do you know when to stop? It all depends on how you see your doll and how dense the yarn is. Soft acrylic can be wound until a layer three centimeters wide is the height of a finger. Thick wool or cotton threads even earlier.
3. Remove the blank from the cardboard. Thread the thread through the loop and pull tight on one side. We carefully cut the other end so that we get a lush brush.
4. At a height of about a finger or one and a half, we pull the tassel with thread so that the head comes out.
5. Two ways to make hands
- From the same brush. We separate some of the threads into our hands, and tie the rest on the belt. The yarn used on the hands can either be braided or simply tied at the edge, imitating palms. But first, these threads need to be cut so that they are more like arms in length.
- Make a new brush. You can wind a little more yarn, half or even a third of the body. Here are the same two options: braid it or just tie it at the edge. If you decide to weave braids, then first cut both edges of the wound workpiece. Without weaving, you either need to wrap it around a smaller piece of cardboard, or shorten the arms already on the man. When the hands are ready, we wedge them into the tassel so that there is an equal amount of yarn on opposite sides and tie them tightly. Now the doll has a waist.
6. Now you can simply trim the bottom of the product, and we will have a doll in a full skirt. You can make legs. We divide the threads in half and either braid them or tie them tightly at the bottom. You can make several bandages, simulating knees.
7. To make the hairstyle, we again wind the required number of threads on the cardboard.
Don't make your hair too thick; half the base is enough.
We cut this skein on one side, and tie the fold to the head with the thread that holds the tassel. We lower and straighten the hair with our hands so as not to hide the face of the toy, but also not to leave gaps on the back of the head. Again options: braid one or two braids, tie the hair in the same place where the neck is tied to secure it or tie it over the head like a wreath.
If you made a mischievous boy, you can leave a cheerful fountain sticking out on the top of the head, in which case there is no point in wrapping long hair.
Tips for making a yarn doll
Now you can dress up the toy, add skirts and shirts, and decorate your hair with hairpins and flowers.
Skirt. From the fabric you like, cut out a rectangle as tall as the toy’s skirt and three times as wide. We sew the toys directly to the waist, forming folds. You don’t have to sew a whole skirt, but just make an apron.
If the toy's arms are fixed unsteadily and dangle a lot, you can bandage the doll's chest crosswise with thread. Such details can then be easily hidden under cotton or felt clothing.
Such a toy can become a decoration or keychain, gift or talisman. But the real game is in creating it.
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