Yarn Dolls: An Easy Tutorial

Yarn dolls are all the rage at my home and school - you should try them too.  I used this tutorial as a guide and made a few changes so that it was easier for kids to make them independently.

The biggest change was replacing pieces of knotted yarn for pipecleaners.  Cut a pipecleaner into 4 pieces.  Kids had no problem twisting them and achieving the shape they wanted.  If they are good at knotting, then use little pieces of yarn tied around in place of the pipecleaners.

I modeled the basic doll for them, but as you can see, they went off on their own tangents and created ghosts, monsters, clothing, octopuses and more!

OK, let's get going.

Materials needed:  Yarn, pipecleaners cut into 4 pieces, a book, scissors.  You might also want embellishments such as google eyes, buttons, beads, felt and glue to stick them on with (we used hot glue.)

Step 1:  Tie the beginning of your yarn around a book.  Now, wrap the yarn around the book at least 25 times. If the yarn is thin, you might want to wrap more.  Cut the yarn when you are done.

Step 2: Carefully slip the wrapped yarn off the book.  Make a head at one end and secure with a piece of pipecleaner.

Step 3:  Cut the bottom fringe - not the head!   If you want to finish here, you have a yarn ghost. 

Some pieces of yarn might be too long, if that's the case, just trim them.  Also, cut just a few strands at a time.

Step 4:  Make some arms.  First, separate a little yarn apart to form arms.  Fold the arm pieces in towards the body.  Secure at shoulders with pieces of pipecleaner.

 Here you are with arms.  Maybe it's a monster??

Step 5:  It needs a body.  Put a piece of pipecleaner in the middle to make a body.  If you are making a girl, you can stop there.  See the dress?

Step 6:  Give him some legs!  Separate the bottom yarn into 2 pieces and secure at ankles with pieces of pipecleaner. 

You have a yarn doll!  Now if you want, you can embellish it with buttons, eyes, yarn hair, clothes, anything you can think of.