How to Make Soft Sculptured Dolls

Choose the type of doll that you would like to sculpt. The doll can be a person or a type of animal. Determine the skin color you will need for your doll and dye your cotton muslin that color, using either fabric dyes or natural dyes like tea.

Create a pattern for the head, or use an existing doll head pattern. To make the pattern, draw the head with the neck in profile and add seam allowances of 1/2 inch all around. Cut around the seam allowances, and use this piece as a pattern. Place the pattern over a double layer of muslin and cut, so that you have two head pieces. Sew the pieces together at the seams, leaving the bottom of the neck open. Trim the seam allowances to 1/4 inch and turn the head right side out.

Stuff the head with batting, using the chopsticks to push the batting into hard-to-reach places like the nose. Thread a needle with strong thread and sculpt around the chin and the nose, stitching back and forth to pull the fabric and batting into place. When satisfied, tie off the thread. If desired, do the same for cheekbones and other facial features. To make the eyes, cut holes and fill the holes with glue. Place glass beads or other decorations into the glue to make eyes. To make eyelashes and eyebrows, stitch around the eyes and eyebrow area with embroidery thread. Stitch the neck hole closed by hand.

Create a pattern for the arms and hands of your soft sculptured doll. Either use an existing pattern or make the pattern yourself in the same way as Step 2, by drawing a hand onto a sheet of paper, adding seam allowances of 1/2 inch all around, and cutting. You can also trace a real hand and scale it down to the size of your doll. You will need to cut four of these in your muslin, two for each hand. Pay attention to where the thumbs are so that you have a left and right hand. Stitch each hand together, as in Step 2, and stuff. If you have made closed hands, stitch directly through each hand to create the illusion of fingers. Stitch the bottom closed.

Create patterns for the body, legs and feet or shoes. Sew and stuff them all separately, following the same directions as Steps 2 through 4. If you would like to make joints at the elbows and knees, do so by knotting stitches on the middle of the back seam of each piece, and pull the needle through to the front of each piece. Stitch a few more times in place to hold the creases.

Put the body together, joining the legs and arms to the body. When finished, attach the head and feet or shoes, using a ladder stitch.

Paint the face with acrylic paints to achieve the desired appearance. Sew or glue hair fibers, yarn or an existing doll wig to the top of the head to create the desired hairstyle.

Make doll clothes for your doll, using existing patterns or by creating your own patterns from the original body patterns. You can also purchase doll clothes and accessories in your doll's approximate size to dress it in.