Meet the best kind of petite
Imagine a tiny you. Just the right amount of chubby, with cheeks that just ask for a little squeeze or boop, wearing a mini version of your favorite outfit. Stinkin’ cute. We’re talking about a mini me doll. If you’re curious how to make one of your own, read on.
Whether you’re making doll versions of your family for your child to play with, or for your mom to display, a gift to a friend, or to just add an extra touch of you-ness to your home, this is a craft that you can truly put your very own spin on. There’s not just one way of making a mini me doll, either. Depending on your style and skill level, certain crafts might suit you more than others. So in this article, we’ll have a look at four different ways of making a mini me doll. Plus, we’ll give some tips and ideas on how to give your doll character. Making it mini, and you (or another certain someone).
Contents
Cotton dolls
Let’s start with the doll that has been around longer than we know, the craft as old as time. For as long as there’s been fabric, and clothes have been worn and worn down, there have been rags. And what do we do with rags? Indeed, we make rag dolls. Or cotton dolls, as we like to call them.
Picking up this craft is easy, as you probably already have most if not all of the tools and materials needed. First and foremost, you’ll need a couple of pieces of fabrics in colors and textures that will work for you. Also, you’ll need something to sew with, whether it’s a sewing machine or simply needle and thread. Then there’s the stuffing that you’ll want to fill your mini me doll with. And lastly, some embroidery thread or a fabric marker would be handy for applying features to your doll.
How to make a cotton doll
Now that you know what you’ll need, let’s get to the more important bit: how to make a cotton doll? With centuries of doll makers preceding you, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel of course. Many patterns are available online that will help you craft a basic shape of the mini me doll. And for those that would like to take a proper plunge into the world of designing and sewing cotton dolls, we recommend checking out this online course on making fabric dolls.
After making the basic doll shape, it’s the details that will add style and personality. And in doing so, make it a mini somebody. From facial features to accessories to clothing items, this is where you can highlight and embrace uniqueness. Pro tip: keep a mental note for when your favorite clothing items become too worn down to wear. Before tossing them out, cut out pieces to turn into a miniature outfit. Not sure how? This online course on confection of miniature clothing has got you covered. After all, what better clothes for your mini doll than your own pre-loved ones?
Felted dolls
The second craft that we’ll be looking at, is needle felting. This approach to making a mini me doll is quite different from the traditional sewing and stuffing that makes a rag doll. Creating a felted doll is a form of sculpting. You start out with a wire skeleton, and build from there with wool, one layer at a time.
Now by wool, we don’t mean the typical balls of yarn. For needle felting, you use wool roving, processed wool fiber that has not yet been spun into yarn. With needle felt needles, you poke the wool, causing the fibers to come in contact and becoming locked together. Thus, creating felt. The more you poke, the more firm and smooth your doll becomes. So, depending on your preference, you can go for a rougher or a more polished finish.
Advantages of felted dolls
One thing that sets needle felting apart from the other crafts to make a mini me doll, is the ability to embed natural color nuances. Working with small bits of wool roving, you can add just the right amount of rosiness to your doll’s cheeks. Even freckles!
Moreover, the wire skeleton gives felted dolls a rigidity that allows you to pose and place them in a natural position. This is a great way to showcase their personality. Plus, the ability to pose also makes it possible to create fun content with felted dolls. By making small changes in their position, and capturing each change in a photo, you can bring your felted dolls to life in stop motion.
Like to dream big? With needle felted dolls, you can. Imagine your creations starring in a short film, and landing a nomination for an Academy Award, just like Siqi Song.
Ready to try your hand at poking and stabbing? Then we’d recommend taking a look at this needle felting starter kit, chock-full of wool roving and all the tools you’ll need. In addition, you might want to pick up some tips and tricks for the needle felting technique. For that, we recommend this course on Domestika, that will help you get the hang of it in no time. Your poke-free fingers will thank you.
Crochet doll
That brings us to our third craft for making a mini me doll. This one is perfect for you if you love to sit down with a ball of yarn and a crochet hook, and stitch away. We feel cozy just thinking about it.
The crochet doll is also known as an amigurumi doll. Amigurumi is the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small creatures. As connoisseurs of all things cute and kawaii, it should be no surprise the Japanese originally developed this ever so cute craft. But for 20 years or so, it has been one of the most popular techniques of crafters worldwide.
Getting started with making a crochet doll requires only a few supplies: some yarn in colors that work for you, a couple of crochet hooks for different stitch sizes, and stuffing material. And obviously, you’ll also need to master a couple of crochet techniques.
Making your mini me doll starts with crocheting the different parts of the body according to the crochet doll patterns. After stitching them together, it’s time to personalize your doll. For each hairstyle, there’s a way to make it with yarn. You can also crochet the clothes, of course. But mixing it up by giving your dolls fabric outfits could be fun too. For a great step-by-step guide to making a crochet mini me doll that is as unique as it is cute, this amigurumi course is the perfect resource.
Wooden peg doll
We finish this list with a craft that is easy, yet a lot of fun. With a simple wooden peg as a basis, you can create a mini me doll that is more minimalist in nature. As the more beginner-friendly craft in the bunch, making a wooden peg doll lends itself perfectly as an activity to do together with crafters of any age.
The size of wooden peg dolls makes them very fitting residents for a dollhouse. With a set of wooden pegs for dolls in different sizes, you can create a complete family of mini-mes for the little ones to play with, in just one crafternoon.
Peg doll ideas
Before becoming a doll, a wooden peg starts out as a very basic shape. Yet, it offers a lot of possibilities when it comes to turning it into a personalized mini. For example, you can use acrylic paint to create hair, facial features, and clothing onto the wood. But you can also use fabric to make miniature clothing, and create a hairstyle with yarn or doll hair. Another thing you can do is adding tiny accessories like glasses, hats, and a purse. And though your wooden peg doll starts out limbless, you’re not obliged to leave it that way. Add a few simple wooden attachments and you’ve got your mini self a pair of arms and some legs. Create as many custom details as your personality and style beckon – or perhaps you prefer the charm of the minimal.
If you make your wooden peg dolls easy to alter as well, it opens up even more possibilities. For example, you can use an erasable marker to make facial expressions that can change according to the stories the dolls take part in. Also, fasten miniature outfits with buttons, string, or velcro, to be able to switch up their style. That way, they can dress appropriately for the seasons. How cute would they look in a mini Halloween costume matching your own? With their changing appearance, these wooden peg dolls would also make for fun seasonal decor on your shelf.
Wrapping it up
How to get a doll of yourself? For us, there is only one real answer: you make it yourself. Sure, you can take a hands-off approach and have your mug printed onto a doll-ish-shaped face pillow. But you’d miss out on all the cuteness that a mini me doll can be. Not to mention the fun of crafting it. In this article, we’ve looked at four ways of approaching the question: Can I make a doll that looks like me? Specifically, there’s the cotton doll, the felted doll, the crochet doll, and the wooden peg dolls. But if you’re like us, you might just end up making a mini me doll army with them all.