• Home
  • Blog
  • Resource Library
  • Craft Supplies
  • Free Primitive Patterns
  • About
  • Contact Us

Prim Mart

Home Decorating - Gardening - Lifestyle

  • The Home
    • Decor & Design
    • Cleaning & Organizing
    • Buying and Selling Homes
    • Electrical & Energy Use
    • Heating & Cooling
    • Home Appliances
    • Pest Control
    • Plumbing
    • Roof Maintenance
    • Security
    • Tools & Equipment
  • Outdoor Living
    • Gardening
    • Landscaping
    • Lawn Care
    • Patio Decorating
  • Art & Crafts
    • Craft Tutorials
  • Food
  • Lifestyle
    • Family
      • Parenting
      • Pets
      • Senior Living
    • Beauty & Fashion
    • Finances
    • Education
    • Fun
    • Legal Matters
    • Technology
    • Car Care & More
    • Celebrations & Holidays
    • Safety
    • Shopping
    • Travel
  • Wellness
    • Dental Health
    • Diet & Fitness
    • Holistic Health
    • Mental Wellness
    • Physical Health
    • Self Improvement
  • Work & Business
    • Business Tips
    • Business Marketing
    • Office Design
    • Building Upkeep
    • Career Training
    • Work at Home
Home » Art & Crafts » Craft Tutorials » How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

Craft Tutorials · July 10, 2017

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

Have you been thinking that making a round 3D doll head is too hard to do? Instead of a doll head with just two pieces to sew together, you need a pattern with multiple pieces sewn together. Thus, making the doll’s head is 3D instead of 2D. With this tutorial by an experienced doll maker, you will find it much easier than you imagined.

Learn how to make round 3d doll head to create your own country, primitive, and whimsical style handmade dolls. Learn step by step from a doll artist.

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

Making a Round 3D Doll Head

There are a few things you need to get started with this tutorial. First, it’s helpful if you have some basic experience with making dolls. You’ll find following this tutorial easier if you’ve accomplished some sewing already.

Next, you need a good sewing machine. There’s nothing more frustrating than a sewing machine that won’t perform well. Before I changed to a new machine I was constantly annoyed by my old machine’s thread tension. I couldn’t get a smooth, even stitch. It made doll-making next to impossible. Since getting my Brother® Sewing machine, I can sew without worrying about lousy-looking stitches. It’s very easy to thread. I like how the bobbin lid is clear allowing me to spot it when it’s low on thread. Plus, it has several pretty top stitches on clothing and other sewing projects.

Of course, you need basic sewing supplies:

Muslin fabric

Doll Pattern with 3D head (Look for one at www.homespunfromtheheart.com)

Mark B Gone pen or pencil

thread (all-purpose for machine and quilting for hand sewing – I sometimes use machine quilting thread for both the machine stitches and hand stitches)

sewing needle (smaller size to make tiny stitches)

sewing scissors

Tutorial by Cindy of Homespun from the Heart

1. Cut out your template on a fabric cutting table for your round head; the one shown in just a quick sample I made. Click here for the template of the one I used here. Click on it to open; then right-click and ‘save as’ to your computer. It’s a .jpg file so you can adjust the size as you need to to make your head bigger. Use this one to practice, then apply your learning to a doll pattern of your choosing.

In this sample, I used 5 pieces to make the head – cut them from muslin.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


2. Lay down your pieces – I numbered mine 1-5 to help with the tutorial. At the top of each piece mark with a Mark B Gone pen or pencil a line about 1/2″ down (this is going to be the opening to turn and to attach the head to the neck, so you may need a bigger opening if you have a larger doll).

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


3. Place piece #2 on top of piece #1, right sides together (RST).


4. Sew together, using a 1/4 – 1/2″ seam allowance (or whatever your pattern calls for).

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


5. It will look like this when you open it:

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


6. Now take piece #3 and place it, RST on top of piece #2.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


7. Sew together.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


8. Continue around with pieces #4 and #5. Sew piece #5 back to piece #1. When finished it will look like this:

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


9. Turn RSO and you will have what looks like a deflated ball.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head


10. Stuff firmly through the top opening and you will have your round ball head.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

Now that we have made the doll’s head, we need to know how to attach it to the body. When making country primitive dolls, they are commonly made with a 2d head. They have a front for the face and back that usually has hair. And, on a 2d doll, the head is already attached to the neck and body. However, a round 3d doll head is made separate from the neck and body. Here I’m going to show you the steps to attaching the doll’s head to the neck and body.

Steps to Attach a Round 3D Doll Head

Okay so here’s what my head and body/neck area look like now they are all stuffed and ready to put together:

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

Preparing the Head

1. First thing, I make sure the extra flaps from the head are all tucked inside – I wet my fingers and smooth the edges together, almost finger pressing and flattening them together.

2. For this to work, I make sure the neck part is stuffed very firmly; as firm as you can get it. Sometimes if the neck is skinny, I will also put a dowel up there too, it must be firm to work!

3. I use my fingers and create a small ‘funnel’ through the stuffing in the opening of the head:

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

Stitching on the Head

4. I get a needle threaded. However, I don’t use sewing thread. Instead, I use crochet thread, a heavier cotton type. The body is turned upside down and then slip the neck part inside the opening; push it up as far as you want (as much neck as you want to show). I work the first couple of stitches with the body just as shown – use your needlework a whip-stitch going through the neck and the head.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

5. Continuing around the head, I take tiny stitches, grabbing both the neck and head as I go. After the first few stitches are in, I move the doll to my lap, so I can hold the head in place and get my stitches going. And if needed, go around the head twice, just make sure it feels secure. When I’m done, I knot the thread off and ‘hide’ it by popping the knot through the material.

6. All done – this is how it’ll look:

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head

The key to learning and getting good at this technique and not to hurry. Take your time making careful stitches. And, give yourself patience while you get accustomed to holding the 3d doll head and needle while stitching. The times you practice the easier it gets and the better your finished doll will look.

Tutorial submitted by Cindy Homespun from the Heart

Thanks to Cindy of  www.homespunfromtheheart.com for sharing her tutorial with Prim Mart. She is an accomplished doll designer and has many patterns, including 3D head ones, on her website.  Follow print to peer website for more craft ideas.

How to Make A Round 3D Doll Head
Spread the love

Posted In: Craft Tutorials

TedsWoodworking Plans and Projects

You’ll Also Love

Cold Porcelain Clay RecipeCold Porcelain Clay Recipes
How to Make Primitive Fabric SunflowersHow to Make Primitive Fabric Sunflowers
How to Make Blackened Beeswax OrnamentsHow to Make Blackened Beeswax Ornaments
Next Post >

How to Clean Gourds for Crafts

Search

Hello There!

Welcome to Prim Mart! I'm Katharine, a mom, wife, and blogger with a passion for all things related to homemaking and enjoying life. Prim Mart was founded in 2001 and has grown from just a craft blog to an online lifestyle magazine filled with helpful and creative articles for you!

Join Our Newsletter

Archives

Popular Posts

AntiqueFarmHouse

Categories

Woodworking Designs Plans and Projects

Copyright © 2023 Prim Mart · Theme by 17th Avenue

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Read More

Accept Decline Cookie Settings
I consent to the use of following cookies:
Cookie Declaration About Cookies
Necessary (0) Marketing (0) Analytics (0) Preferences (0) Unclassified (0)
Necessary cookies help make a website usable by enabling basic functions like page navigation and access to secure areas of the website. The website cannot function properly without these cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Marketing cookies are used to track visitors across websites. The intention is to display ads that are relevant and engaging for the individual user and thereby more valuable for publishers and third party advertisers.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Analytics cookies help website owners to understand how visitors interact with websites by collecting and reporting information anonymously.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Preference cookies enable a website to remember information that changes the way the website behaves or looks, like your preferred language or the region that you are in.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Unclassified cookies are cookies that we are in the process of classifying, together with the providers of individual cookies.
We do not use cookies of this type.
Cookies are small text files that can be used by websites to make a user's experience more efficient. The law states that we can store cookies on your device if they are strictly necessary for the operation of this site. For all other types of cookies we need your permission. This site uses different types of cookies. Some cookies are placed by third party services that appear on our pages.
Cookie Settings