Waldorf Doll: Boy hair tutorial

(Goblin is 27 months)

Despite Goblin's complete disinterest in his waldorf doll I have got the making bug and decided to make another. I mentioned in my last waldorf doll post that I wanted to make a boy doll but couldn't find any tutorials on how to do the hair. So this time I just experimented, and I think it turned out quite well. My doll still has relatively long hair for a boy but thats because my son does and I wanted the doll to resemble him. The tutorial below can be used to make shorter hair too, either by using shorter lengths to begin with or by giving the final doll a good hair cut.

Start by plaiting a length of the wool you will be using to make the hair - I recommend using thick wool so that when you spiral it round it will cover up any gaps you leave. (Please excuse the nasty photo of me feet, they aren't very photogenic). My plait was the length of my leg (approx a metre I guess). It took two lengths exactly to cover my dolls head.

Next loop some lengths to make the hair. I guessed at how long I wanted it - you can always trim it afterwards. You will need several hand fulls. Cut through the loops to get the individual lengths. Take your plait and stick a crochet hook through the plait. 

Loop one of the individual strands onto the hook and pull it back through the plait, then put the hook through the loop of the individual strand you just pulled through, and pull the two tail pieces through the loop and yank them tight. (Like rug work). 

Do this along the entire length of your plait. I used one strand for every V of the plait. 

Once you have one whole plait finished start to pin it on your doll. Don't do your second length until you have sewn your first on or you may end up wasting a lot of wool if it turns out you don't need as much as you thought. The reason I say pin it on is because you will want to flip the hair back off the dolls face to check that you have framed the face nicely. If you haven't, adjust the pins until it does nicely frame the face. Sew one round of hair all the way round the head, then work in towards the centre laying the plait flat to the head. You should have very little or no gap between the back of the first plait row and the front of the second.

 Keep sewing the plait round the head until you have no flesh coloured material showing. If you have extra plait left over you can either sew it in if there is only a little bit, or sew across the plait to secure the ends and then cut the excess off.

I sewed mine in and you can't see where it ends at all. 

 At the front, take two long strands and pull them down in front of the plait edge. Stitch loosely to the sides just below where ears would be. This will cover the plait front and give it a nicer finish. Then, if like me you decide the hair is a bit too long and unwieldy you can give your doll a haircut.

 It doesn't need to be even all over - I cut mine shorter at the front and left a bit of length at the back.

 And there you have it. Boy doll hair. Incidentally the jumper he has on was the sleeve of an old jumper I had. I simply cut the cuff off and used it for the torso, and sewed some sleeves onto it. 

 Now he can join his big sister on the sofa. 

This is my first bit of craft for 2012 so I am linking it to lots of link up parties!

 

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