Making the Waldorf Style Dolls

A Waldorf Doll is usually of wool and cotton, using techniques drawing on traditional European dollmaking, its appearance is intentionally simple in order to allow the child playing with it to improve or strengthen imagination and creativity. For instance, it has no facial expression. Its legs and arms are flexible, allowing natural postures.

A couple of months before Christmas, August saw a picture of some Waldorf style dolls in a natural toys magazine. She really liked them. She even slept with the magazine. I thought it was sweet. Here is my 11 year old daughter wanting a doll. She could be wanting a cell phone. The price of this doll was $165.00. OUCH! Of course I told her there was no way we could buy her that doll and she had just spent all her own money on the Ugg Boots she wanted so badly. I told her to pray about it. God answers when you ask him.

The next day I was looking for one of these dolls at a cheaper price, which I didn't find. I did, however find several different websites that teach you how to make the dolls and even sell all of the materials needed to make your own. YES! God had answered August's prayers. How sweet that he provided a way for her to have her doll.I ordered two doll making kits. Kiley had also shown interest in the doll, just not on the same level as August, so I decided to make her one also. My mom said she would help me make the dolls and I ordered the materials. It was roughly $100 to order both doll kits.

Making the dolls was a little more work than we expected. Still, it was a lot of fun. My mom and I had to work while the girls were gone at school. She did all the sewing machine work and the making of the bodies, and I did the heads. The heads were a lot of work. Each one took at least 4 hours. To attach the head to the bodies was almost an impossible feat, but I did it and walked away with about 100 needle pricks in my fingers.

Mom took on the task of sewing the doll clothes, which she said was a little more difficult than sewing people clothes. The first dolls clothing took her about 10 hours. I helped with the other set and that still took us 8 hours.When all was said and done, the dolls were beautiful. We were so happy with them, and a little proud we had done it.

When the girls received them Christmas morning, they were very excited. They are such sweet girls, they were even more excited when they found out Mom and I had made them ourselves.

My goal to preserve their childhood as long as possible was evident in their asking for dolls for Christmas. I hope to keep them young and innocent as long as possible, without making them childish, immature and naive. Girls these days lose their innocence far too young. There is plenty of time to be an adult later. Childhood, only comes once and it should be wonderful, memorable and last the entire time a person is a child. I feel so blessed that God chose me to be their mom. They are such a gift and a blessing to Adam and me.