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Doll Making
Doll Making
Dolls are something that have always been around. Dolls have been found as far back as 2000 BC in Egyptian tombs. Dolls with movable arms and legs and wearing clothing that could be changed were not seen until 200 BC. The Romans made wonderfully elegant dolls, sometimes even out of ivory. They made clothing and accessories for the dolls as well. Later on in history Europe became the main area for Doll makers. The most popular design was the Peg Wooden Doll. After World War II there was suddenly plastic available and that made it easier to make cheaper dolls.
The materials Dolls are made from vary considerably both through history and now from artist to artist. Originally they would have been fashioned from stone or bone. Dolls now can be found made from plastic, rubber, china, porcelain, paper, cloth, corn, pegs, polymer clay, paper mache and wood.
Dolls have been traditionally looked upon as a child’s toy. But there is huge growth in the hobby of dolls as collector’s items and artists creations.
There are many different styles, techniques and approaches used in this art. The dolls designed and made vary from simple paper dolls, making soft cloth dolls, creating ceramic dolls to incredible sculptures. Doll making also usually includes the craft of making the clothing which can be so much fun.
As a hobby it covers a wide range of techniques and can be done at so many different levels of ability.
Patterns for making fabric dolls are widely available and the materials used are easily obtained. Fabric dolls can be anything from rag dolls or the very primitive style of doll that is known as a ‘Prim’ and can increase in difficulty to fabric dolls that are ‘sculpted’. There are also many sites and shops that sell doll pieces and molds for casting your own in resin.
The dressing of dolls also varies considerably. Some artists take great care to investigate the correct dress for a certain period in history, a set country or perhaps a particular culture. Others create a piece that is entirely fantasy and from their own imagination.
The best way to get into Doll making as a hobby is to have a look at the different styles around on the internet and decide which type appeals to you the most. You also need to take into account your budget. The cost for this as a hobby can be practically nothing, using up scraps of either paper or fabric from your stash, or as with most crafts it will get more expensive as the materials you choose to work with become more specialised.
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