5 Doll Making Tools I Can't Work Without

When making dolls, I use a lot of different tools. Mostly the obvious ones, like needles, thread, and occasionally a ruler. But there are a few tools I've come to use every time I make dolls that are not as apparent. Here are 5 doll making tools I couldn't live without.

#1 Fabric Markers

When tracing my patterns onto felt, I of course use pattern templates that I have cut out from paper, usually cardstock paper. Instead of cutting around the templates though, which would be difficult for me with my clumsy hands, I trace around them using fabric markers first. Then I cut them out. I also use fabric markers to add little notes onto my pieces, such as with the Demon Girl skirt to mark which end is the top of the skirt, and I use them to draw the face on my doll's head before I embroider it. Because the marks fade with both time and a damp washcloth, I can make as many markings as I need to.

#2 Doll Eye Template

When embroidering dolls' faces, proper placement of facial features is key. So I don't have to do guesswork to figure out if my eyes are going to be even, I use a self-made eye template like the one pictured to line up the eyes on the face properly. Then I use my fabric markers to draw the eyes. Once I have the eyes drawn on the face, marking where the eyebrows, nose, and mouth go is pretty easy. There's no way I could ever get faces done without my eye template. I even have a separate eye template that's just for my Cyclops dolls!

#3 Shoe Box Lid

In order to make the yarn hair for my dolls, I wrap the yarn around a shoe box lid anywhere from 60-100 times depending on the thickness of the yarn. Then I sew across the yarn using back stitch while it's still wrapped around the lid. The lid is the perfect length for long hair, measuring about 11 1/2 inches tall.

#4 Hemostats

Stuffing dolls can be tricky, especially smaller dolls like mine. In order to get into tiny places with the stuffing, I use hemostats. Hemostats are a perfect stuffing tool. I still use chopsticks as a stuffing tool from time to time, but nothing can replace my hemostats.

#5 Pipe Cleaners

Pipe cleaners are invaluable to me because I sew them in the inside of the doll's neck to help hold the head up and give it some small movement. Eventually I'll make poseable dolls and switch over to wire but until then pipe cleaners are a good, easy, simple, and cheap method for adding some flexibility to my dolls' necks.

If you're interested in my dolls, you can view the gallery at the bottom of the home page, or you can check out what dolls I have for sale at my Etsy shop:LuParisDolls.

Link to my Etsy shop: https://luparisdolls.etsy.com