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How to Make a Ventriloquist Doll Body

Making a ventriloquist doll body has been simplified with the readily available prefabricated urethane (fiberglass) ventriloquist figure body-inserts now available through puppet retailers. Using a pattern for a 36-inch finished cloth doll, the puppeteer can adjust the cloth doll body for the insertion of the cast torso and cast hands. With excellent sewing-machine skills you can make a cloth and urethane ventriloquist doll body from cotton muslin. Making a large cloth doll body is advantageous as the ventriloquist doll can wear child's size 3 or 3T clothing for ease of dressing.

Things You'll Need

Tape measure
Cloth doll pattern - 36-inch finished doll with gusseted bottom, finished arms at least 15-inches, finished legs at least 17-inches length
Scissors
Straight pins
Sewing machine
Thread
Cotton muslin
Polyester stuffing
Wood seat piece - oval, 4 ½-inches width by 9-inches length
Cast ventriloquist body - 36-inches finished doll size
Needle
Thread
Ventriloquist dummy hands - pre-painted, 7-inches length and 6-inches wrist diameter *optional
2 - Wire - 18-gauge, 10-inches length *optional
Wire cutters *optional

Instructions

- 1
  Adjust the doll pattern by cutting off the neck/head. If you'll be inserting cast hands, trim the hands from the pattern below the wrist. The arm length needs to be approximately 16 to 17 inches before sewing.
- 2
  Measure the diameter of the cast ventriloquist body at the widest part. Measure the width/diameter of the shoulders/torso of the doll pattern. Measure the gusset of the doll's bottom to ensure the oval wood will fit inside. Measure the length of the arms and legs. Finished arms should be 15-inches long (if using cast hands) and finished legs should be at least 17-inches length. If you're not using cast hands, finished arms should be about 21-inches long with legs equal or longer in measurement. Lengthen and/or widen the pattern as necessary by cutting/taping strips of paper to the pattern.
- 3
  Pin the pattern to the cloth and cut out.
- 4
  Sew the cloth body according to the pattern's instructions, leaving open the neck hole, the wrist holes, and the torso's back. If using cast hands, according to Puppets and Props, turn the hem of the wrist holes under one-half inches and sew a hem using a straight stitch and a one-half-inch seam allowance.
- 5
  Stuff the doll's arms and legs/feet. If elbows/knees are desired, hold the center of the arm/leg beneath the machine's pressure foot and sew a straight line across to create a joint.
- 6
  Insert the wood oval into the gusset of the doll body's bottom (rear end).
- 7
  Insert the cast ventriloquist body through the back torso opening in the cloth body. According to Puppets and Props, the cast body has a back opening already cut, but may require sanding for comfort's sake. Add stuffing inside around the exterior of the cast body/wood seat to fill out as desired.
- 8
  Sew, by hand, the back neck portion of the cloth body together enclosing the top back of the urethane body. Don't sew the neck hole or torso opening closed. The body is now ready for insertion of the dummy head and mechanism.
- 9
  Insert the cast hands, if using, into the wrist holes (right in right arm, left in left arm). Pull the wrist fabric over the insertion portion. Wrap a piece of 10-inch wire around the wrists repeatedly until tight. Twist the wire ends to secure. Fold the wrist fabric up and over the wire to conceal.

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