How to Make a Paper Dolls Costume
These felt dancing dolls are based on the ones made famous in Julia Donaldson's lovely book, The Paper Dolls. The felt dolls can be stitched lightly onto a red cardigan, like the one worn by the girl in the book, to make a super sweet and simple Book Day costume. If you have the book, you can keep it handy as you make your dolls so that you can see how to do their clothes.
Project and instructions by Little Button Diaries
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How to make
You Will Also Need:
A Hair Clip
Cut out the doll template and pin it on a piece of white felt, with the arms lined up with the short edge. Fold the felt to the size of the template in a concertina to create 4 layers. Cut out to create 4 dolls holding hands.
Repeat on a single layer of white felt to create an extra doll, then sew or glue this doll onto the other 4.
Use the templates to cut out the dolls clothing templates from felt. You will need 1 yellow, 1 white and 1 blue dress, 1 green and 1 white t shirt, 2 red shorts and 2 red, 1 blue, 1 brown and 1 green pair of shoes.
Glue the clothing onto the dolls as shown. You can also use the book cover as a guide if you have it.
Use permanent pens to decorate the clothes with spots, stripes and zig zags to resemble the clothing in the book.
Mark out the dolls faces with pencil, then use black embroidery thread to stitch their eyes and noses, and red to stitch some smiles. Don't add a face for the middle one - that's “Jackie the Backie” and she faces the other way. Remember that Jim (2nd from the right) has 2 noses!
To make the hair for the left-hand doll, take some blue wool and wind it round 4 fingers about 20 times. Cut through the loops to make a stack of wool and tie in the centre. Glue onto the top of the head.
Repeat for the next doll, wrapping blue wool around two fingers. Do not tie the wool, just glue it to the head. For the central doll, create a stack of red as per step 7. Fold the stack in half and glue to the head, covering the face. Glue a small stack of brown wool for Jim. For the last doll, wind pink wool around your finger and glue to the head in twists to resemble curly hair.
For the first doll, tie the wool hair into bunches, then trim any excess wool to neaten all the hair up.
To make the hair clip, Cut the felt shapes using the template. Cut 1 green base then cut the template in half and cut 1 green and 1 blue half. Cut 4 red tear drops and 1 black body. Glue the two halves onto the base, then add the red drops and body.
Glue the butterfly onto the hair clip.
When you are ready to dress up, attach the dolls with a few easily removable stitches onto a red cardigan. Pair with the hair clip to finish.
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