A Waldorf Doll Make-A-Long!

One of the first things that drew me onto the Waldorf path was the emphasis that is placed on simple beauty.  The environments in which children learn & live are carefully arranged so that they are pleasing, inspiring & calming.  The toys which they play with are chosen with just as much care.  Often they are handmade.

Mothers have been making playthings for their children for centuries.   Up until about 150 years ago, a store bought toy was very expensive & considered a great indulgence.  Today the mother who crafts toys & dolls for her children is rare indeed.

Why?

Many mothers will say that they don’t have the time, the skill or the patience.

That may be true.

But the small effort to learn some new skills & the time it takes to complete a project for your child is far outweighed by the delight that shines in her face when you present her with something that you have made with your own hands & heart.

If you’re like me, you’ve seen “Waldorf dolls” & thought that they would be wonderful for your children.

They are so soft & natural, warm & inviting.

You imagine the time they’d spend dressing them, taking them out for walks, talking to them…

Once I saw one, it wasn’t long before I decided that my daughter would like a waldorf-style doll.   I knew that I wanted to make the doll for her myself, to imbue it with happy thoughts & care so that every time she held it, she would be holding a token of my love.

I assumed that I’d be able to make it in a week or so.  After all, I am a dressmaker, designer & costume historian!  Well…

I’ve made dolls before but these dolls are different & I wanted her to be so special.  I started looking for books or resources to figure out just how to make a waldorf doll LOOK like a waldorf doll.  It took me a long time to figure it all out from the few photocopied sheets I had, a couple of websites & my own handwork experience.

In the end, Miss Arabella Doll wasn’t hard to make but she would have been SO much easier if I had had someone to walk me through the process step-by-step.

I think anyone who wants to give one of these wonderful dolls to their daughter (or son) should be able to if they’re willing to stretch themselves a little.  

So, I decided to create :

 

 

To learn all about it & see photos of Miss Brighit Doll (who I made this spring)
click HERE

Happy Making !

A Waldorf Doll Make-A-Long was first posted on Handwork Homeschool.