Fun to make! A collection of simple handmade doll ideas using a variety of materials
Do you all have dolls?
When we were little, we used them for make-believe play, changed their clothes, and some people carried them everywhere—when going out or even when sleeping—and still treasure them to this day.
This time, we’ve gathered ideas for making such dolls by hand.
Many of these dolls can be made from recycled materials like cans and cartons, and most of the supplies can be found at 100-yen shops.
So find a doll you like, make it, and have fun playing with it!
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Fun to make! A collection of easy handmade doll ideas using various materials (11–20)
puppet
Here’s how to make a handmade puppet whose hands and feet are controlled with strings.
Draw a face and body on two toilet paper rolls: one cut to one-third and the other the remaining two-thirds.
Thread beads onto four strings cut to about 20 cm, tie knots, and attach them so that the strings for the arms and legs come out from the sides of the body.
Cut one more string about 20 cm and glue it inside the head to form a loop.
Attach the head’s top string to the center of a straw, then glue another straw across to match the length of the arms.
For the legs, attach straws of equal length as well.
Once assembled, you’ll have a marionette that moves freely.
A doll made from tissues
@monmon_nigaoe I tried making a bunny finger puppet with a single tissue ♡♡Simple craftfinger puppetCaricature Artist
♬ love is done – gani
Here’s how to make a cute rabbit finger puppet using just one tissue.
Prepare a tissue, colored pens, and clear tape.
Fold a single tissue in half, then fold both ends inward to meet the center crease.
After folding both ends up toward the center, it will look like a little triangular house; shape the fluttery parts into the rabbit’s ears.
Fold the shaped ears in half, make a ring big enough for your finger to fit through, and secure it with tape.
Finally, draw the rabbit’s face with colored pens, and you’re done! It would be fun to make lots of rabbit finger puppets and have them talk to each other as you play.
pop-up doll
@yopiko148 I tried making a paper cup puppet with fun movements ♡#StayAtHomeSquadLet's make it at home#tiktok classroom#HandmadeToys
Sambomaster – I Want to Work a Miracle With You
We’ll show you how to make a handmade doll using a paper cup.
Prepare a paper cup and some straws.
Keep the bendy part of the straw, and cut two pieces about 2 cm from the bottom end.
Attach these two pieces to the left and right sides of a full straw with tape so they look like arms.
Make one hole in the bottom of the paper cup and one hole on each side.
Insert the taped-together straw into the hole in the bottom of the cup, so that a single straw sticks out from underneath the cup.
Add additional straw segments to the arm parts to make the arms longer.
Finally, attach a face and hands, and your cute paper cup doll is complete! When you move the straw sticking out from the bottom, the doll moves too, which kids are sure to love.
Karakuri doll made of cardboard
Here’s how to make a mechanical puppet out of cardboard.
Prepare bamboo skewers, cardboard, colored pens, two ping-pong balls, a hot glue gun, yarn, and scissors.
Cut the cardboard and use the glue gun to assemble the head and jaw.
Make holes where the eyes go to pass a bamboo skewer through, then thread on the two ping-pong balls to complete the eyes.
Cut out the nose and eyebrows from cardboard, glue them on, and color them.
Draw a regular eye and a demon eye on the ping-pong balls to create expressions.
Make a horn mechanism from cardboard so the horns pop out when the demon eyes appear, add yarn hair to the head, and you’re done! Give this expressive mechanical puppet a try.
A doll made from a paper cup
These paper cup puppets are easy and fun to make for kids and adults alike.
Make a slit from the rim of the cup down to the bottom, then make another slit on the opposite side and turn the cup inside out.
That’s all it takes to create a puppet whose mouth opens and closes.
It’s even more fun if you draw facial features like eyes, mouth, and nose.
You can also make hair and clothes from colored paper or paint them with paints—there’s plenty of room for creativity.
Try making them with any theme you like, such as anime characters or animals.
Easy Long-tailed Tit
This is about making a long-tailed tit, notable for its white and soft appearance, using faux fur fabric.
The key points are how to make the most of the fabric’s softness and how rounded to make the final shape.
You’ll cut the fabric using a pattern, sew the pieces together, then stuff them with filling to create a round form.
Since you’ll combine the body and tail before adding the stuffing, it may be important to sew while keeping the final shape in mind.
It’s also interesting that the impression changes depending on how much stuffing you use.
A floppy, cute sitting teddy bear
A seated teddy bear plushie made with faux fur has a charming combination of softness and a relaxed, floppy look.
You sew together fabric with fur and stuff it with cotton, and the way you stuff it affects how relaxed it looks in the end.
Make the parts for the face, body, arms, and legs, connect them while keeping natural transitions in mind, and attach the small parts to finish.
Pay close attention to details like the size of each part and the colors you use, and craft it with care.
A cute dog plushie made from a towel
This is about making a cute stuffed dog using an everyday face towel you can find in any household.
First, cut the towel to create two identical pieces layered together.
Make small slits in both pieces, sew them together, turn the piece right-side out, and stuff it with cotton.
Then shape the overall form with thread and attach parts like the face made from felt to finish.
By changing the towel’s color and the facial expression, you can create plushies with a variety of looks.
Quirky Animals Made from Towels
Towels are essential items in daily life for things like wiping your face, and their softness is a big part of their appeal.
Let’s use that softness to make cute animal mascots.
Cut the towel into the shape of the animal you want to create, sew two pieces together, then stuff them with cotton to form the animal’s shape.
After that, attach parts like the face made from felt so it looks like the animal, and you’re done.
It’s also fun to add originality by choosing different towel colors, varying how you stuff the cotton, and designing unique shapes for the parts.
A rabbit plush made from fleece
Using fleece fabric that looks and feels soft, let’s make a palm-sized stuffed bunny.
The key is how you construct the body: cut the fabric into the shape you want, embroider the facial expression, sew the pieces together, then stuff them with cotton and shape as you go.
The way you stuff it will change the overall roundness and softness, so it’s a good idea to focus on this to create your own unique bunny.
After that, attach parts like the hands, feet, and ears, and finish it so it looks like a bunny, and you’re done.
It can also be fun to change the fabric color and the shapes of the parts to add originality.