Interior dolls fuel interest among themselves among collectors and simply connoisseurs of beautiful designer gizmos for many decades. Knitted, clay, textile and many other homemade pupae are made by needlewomen on individual orders. Unique sketches are drawn in accordance with the theme of the design of the room, which will be located or based on the appearance of the future hostess. But despite the wide interest of the public, for many people dolls are still a mystery. Meanwhile, the details of these beauties are thought through by every master to the smallest detail: make-up, hair, clothes - all this is drawn and sewn in a single copy according to the original idea of ​​the author.

Distinctive features

There are several key features that distinguish amigurumi toys:

• The size of the toy. Knitted little men and little animals make a height of 5 to 8 centimeters. Because of the size of the toy, it traditionally crocheted, although today you can find amigurumi, knitted and much larger than the Japanese did.
• But the proportionality is absolutely not respected and as a result the head of the finished product is much larger than the rest of the body. This is a classic method of drawing Japanese cartoons like "Pokemon", brought to life.
• Another important feature of the heroes made in the amigurumi technique is their kindness. Absolutely all human beings, animals, even interior objects and crocheted food, have a nice kind face with a broad smile. This is an eastern philosophy, embodied in toys.
• Knit toys with a single dense fiber in a circle. This is made possible by the fact that a small hook is used for thick yarn. Ready-made parts filled with sealant are stitched together with simple threads.
• The most cute distinguishing feature of the amigurumi is that every toy made by ones own hands, the master comes up with a name that remains with her even after the sale of the thing.

       

Materials for making dolls

Having decided to manually recreate the Japanese doll, the needlewoman should thoroughly purchase materials, without which the creation of this small masterpiece is impossible. And they are selected based on the idea of ​​the author or the order of the client. To buy the same material in large numbers does not make sense. Experienced masters prefer to increase their reserves due to their diversity, not quantity. Nevertheless, there is a basis that is worth buying:

• Acrylic yarn is the most favorite material in the work of amigurumi masters, and it is recommended to begin their journey with young needlewomen, who are new to the technique of knitted dolls. Acrylic is soft to the touch, obedient in the work, and a wide range is presented even in the smallest shops at affordable prices. The great advantage of acrylic threads is their ability to keep their shape even after washing, so acrylics are ideal for children.
• Cotton yarn is preferred by masters with some experience of creating amigurumi. In order to keep the toy in shape, the knitting must be done with a thick cloth. If everything is done correctly, then the threads will provide a rigid frame with a neat appearance.
• Woolen yarn can make a volumetric toy, give it some weight. However woolen amigurumi are suitable only as a collection specimen or decorative element. All because when washing or active use the wool will lose its shape. Inexperienced needlewomen will appreciate the wool for the opportunity to scratch it in a finished toy and hide any possible shortcomings.
• Yarn "grass" will help to create the hair of a man or hairy animal hair. True, when using it, it makes sense to change the hook to spokes, especially if the knitting experience is not great.
• The hook is selected depending on the thickness of the thread, slightly smaller than what is taken for knitting large items. The thinner the hook, the higher the density of the canvas of the toy and the stability of its shape. In the finished toy should completely be missing holes left by the tool.
• Needles will certainly be needed when using individual materials. For example, if the mating is carried out almost blind in the use of "grass". It is important that the thickness of the spokes does not exceed 1.5-3, then the knitting will be dense.
• Silicone and sintepon are the most common fillers. They are not caked, poorly absorbed moisture and pleasantly springy than create a good shape for the finished toy.
• Beads for the eyes. As mentioned earlier. A distinctive feature of amigurumi are the large eyes. To make their masters use a large, shiny beads of high quality. To save by buying cheap Chinese or Korean beads, in this case there is no sense. They can spoil the overall impression of the finished doll. It is better to purchase a more expensive option that meets all aesthetic requirements.
• Simple needles with a wide eyelet, in which you can insert a thick thread of yarn, will need to sew the parts between toys together.

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A variety of decorative accessories in the form of ribbons, buttons, beads, fabrics, wires - all that can help in decorating the appearance of the doll.

Sewing tools, such as scissors, tweezers, knitting forks.

Important advice, at the very beginning of your journey, try to tie anything from different types of yarn. This will provide an opportunity to feel the material and understand which one will be convenient in a particular toy and at a particular stage.

       

Knitting patterns and techniques

The basis of the technique of knitting amigurumi is knitting in a circle, so all the details are round or oval. However, knitting patterns will allow you to make a huge variety of toys. The essence of the "amigurumi ring" technique lies in the fact that 6 loops are thrown on the index finger, which are then pulled together by a hook, forming a dense circular web. It is this method that the Japanese themselves use to create the amigurumi. The needlewomen from other countries adapted the technique by reducing the number of revolutions of the thread around the finger, although the essence of the technique remained the same. The novice master has the right to use any of the options, although it is proved that the Japanese technique is more stable and dense.

As for the crochet patterns, in amigurumi two are used: with columns without a crochet or with a crochet. The first option is the main one, since it is able to provide tight connection of the yarns, so the finished toy keeps the shape. The second option is good in that it reduces the time of knitting. Both techniques are widely used in crochet, and therefore find their master classes on the Internet or in special magazines is not difficult. A column without a crochet in the illustrated schemes is designated as an elongated letter "T", with a crochet - an elongated letter "T", standing on the oval. To create an amigurumi, the author needs to master both variants of knitting.

       

Accessories amigurumi

Initially, amigurumi involves the creation of toys, but in recent years, some accessories have been performed in this technique: trinkets, pendants, toys on the Christmas tree, and much more. This is very convenient due to the tiny size of the products amigurumi and their high resistance when using the right materials. Actually, accessories are knitted absolutely as well as toys, with the only difference that additional hooks, fasteners, chains are sewn to them. Souvenirs made in amigurumi technique will be a wonderful gift, suitable for almost any age.

       

Polymer clay dolls

Another amazing technique that helps to create interior dolls with your own hands is molding from polymer clay. This wonderful material allows you to create small sculptures that look so natural that it seems like little dolls are about to come to life. The dolls made in the form of angels and toddlers look best, but the author's imagination is not limited to anything. There are clay fairies, princesses, even dolls, made according to the photograph of their future master. From polymer clay it is possible to make both fixed figurines, and hinged dolls, capable of bending arms or legs.

Important advice, before the creation of a doll made of polymer clay. Work with this material in a different, simpler direction to feel its flexibility and plasticity.

       

Materials and tools for work

To create the author's doll you will need to collect an impressive suitcase of materials and tools for work. Among them: a small block of polymer clay flesh color, a set of dental stacks, wire, a simple foil for baking, as well as materials for decorating dolls (fabrics, paints, yarns). If you want to give the doll a nice shine, stock up the glossy varnish in the bottle. Experienced masters gradually supplement this standard set with professional tools. For example, pliers, engraver, grinding jaws of various rigidity. All these tools are traditionally considered male, and therefore skilled workers need time to master them and use them qualitatively in creating dolls.

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Manufacturing techniques

The technological process of manufacturing a doll made of polymer clay includes many stages:

• First, a sketch of a toy is created, which includes not only the shape of the body, but also decorative elements of clothing.
• A wire frame is made of copper wire, to which clay will later be clapped. Instead of the prepared limbs and head, blanks made of foil are formed.
• On a skeleton impose an equal layer of clay, the face is formed.
• Then the doll is tinted with paints or chalk and burned.
• After baking, the body is wound with a bandage, which is fixed with the help of glue or thread.
• The prepared body is lined with a cloth and put on clothes. It can be simply put on top or sewn straight on the doll.
• Paint a face and varnish.
• From the yarn or artificial hair create a doll's hair.

While working on the doll, the master can change the technology, make it more convenient for himself, but in general the creation process looks like this. A doll made of polymer clay can become a wonderful New Year gift.

                         

Dolls made of cloth

Textile interior dolls are very fond of decorating the delicate rooms of girls. But using them for active games is not recommended. Tissue dolls are fragile enough, the active child is likely to get dirty or tear this in just a couple of days. However, if the mother can restore dolls and is not afraid to sew new ones often, then a doll made of cloth can become one of your favorite toys. There are many techniques that make it possible to sew a textile doll, but the most favorite were and remain the attic doll, the Bigfoot, the Tilda and the lamb doll. Whichever technique a shawl would prefer, she would need a standard set of materials and tools that most women have.

       

Materials and Tools

In order to make rag dolls, needlewomen equip the whole work area. The reason lies in the fact that the creators of these beautiful toys use the largest amount of materials, in relation to lovers of other manufacturing techniques:

• The basis is bleached coarse calico. It is quite dense and easy to handle.
• For clothes are used sets of fabrics for patchwork. This facilitates the task of selecting the main material and the companion tissue.
• As a stuffing suitable hollofayber, sintepuh, silicone - in short everything that is available and worth it.
• The fleshy color of the open parts of the body is created with the help of cinnamon, vanilla, coffee, mixed with water and glue. You can tint the doll and a special powder or chalk, but on the fabric they quickly lose their color.
• As sewing tools everything is used, from needles to sewing machine.
• Sewing fittings for decoration can include beads, ribbons, rhinestones, laces, stones, elastic bands.

In short, with the professional sewing of textile dolls, needlewomen need their own small sewing shop.

                                                               

Attic doll

The technique of sewing attic dolls originates in America, which mothers sewed to their children from the remains of fabrics, after sewing clothes. Their peculiarity was the sewn patriotic attributes: flags, national costumes, inscriptions on clothes. Today, attic dolls are such a special class of toys for which there are no strict patterns. For their sewing, each author himself comes up with a pattern, based solely on his own preferences. The materials used are flax and cotton. A ready-made doll is always artificially aged to make it look as if it was lying in the attic of your house among other stuff for many years. For this, the body of the doll is soaked with a coffee-water-glutinous mixture and baked in the oven. The coffee aroma remains with the toy for a long time, thus attracting fans from all over the world.

       

The Doll

Snow boots or Snowballs are created in such a way that they can stand on their legs without having a rigid frame inside themselves. To achieve this effect is due to two things: a special form of the foot and a very tight padding. In order for the Snowball not to fall, its authors use a standard pattern, so the uniqueness of the doll is limited to its external design, namely, hair, clothing and accessories. The faces of the Scarf are similar to each other: they all have small eyes and a small mouth, on some dolls the mouth is completely absent.

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Tilda doll

Tilda came up with just a few years ago a designer from Norway Tony Finnanger. These pupae are distinguished by long legs and ruddy cheeks. Among the author's tildes one can meet women of all professions, bunnies, cats, even Santa Claus. They are sewn according to the sketches of their creator, and therefore, like Snowball, differ only in their external design. Any departure from the patented Finnanger doll ultimately leads to the fact that the toy ceases to be a Tilde in the full sense of the word. Find patterns can be in the books of the author or povryshis on the Internet.

       

Doll of a lamb

In fact, lamb dolls are not a separate direction in the classification of textile dolls, but rather a tribute to fashion. In recent years, cute lambs now and again appear on TV screens. Lovely and kind animals simply could not not become a prototype for hundreds of needlewomen of the world. Therefore, each of the directions creates their fluffy dolls of sheep, based on individual patterns and absolutely different sizes. You can find sheep in the Tilda direction patterns, on the hands of Bolshozhek, and some masters even connect the texel and clay altogether, creating original animals whose muzzle is made with modeling and the wool is completely sewn. Therefore, you can find or create your own lamb as you like.

       

Of felt

Of felt шьются самые настоящие игровые куклы, которые не просто украшают интерьер, но и радуют девочек. Создаются такие куклы по шаблону из шерстяного фетра средней и большой толщины. Материал достаточно мягок и пластичен, поэтому ткань не заламывается в процессе, оставляя некрасивые полоски. Особенностью фетровой куклы является то, что шьется она вручную, поэтому стежки должны быть маленькими, аккуратными и максимально одинаковыми. Работа проводится частями, отдельные детали пришиваются друг другу в самом конце. Что касается разнообразия фетровых кукол, то оно абсолютно ничем не ограничено. Можно нарисовать самостоятельно или найти понравившийся эскиз куколки и сделать собственный шедевр. Интересно то, что верхнюю одежду, например, пальто или шляпку, можно сшить отдельно и наряжать куколку по мере игры.

From kapron tights

Such pupae create a particularly homely atmosphere of the interior. And the materials for creating dolls cost a minimum of money, but the result is so realistic that it leaves no one indifferent. A doll, sewn from kapron tights, is first stuffed with filler and only then is formed such as the author conceived it. This feature allows you to create not just the pattern, but in the process of cooking. As a result, a unique gift is created in a couple of hours and almost without costs: old pantyhose, a little synthepon, threads and textiles for clothes - that's all that is required from the author.

       

From papier mache

Making dolls from papier mache is not just a hobby. This is a passion that is born in school and does not let go for life. They are based on paper, glue and primer. If the doll is created exclusively for decorative purposes, then old newspapers will do. If it is assumed that they can get into the hands of children, it is better to replace it with clean paper or toilet paper. The newspaper may show harmful lead. The essence of production: paper soaked in water, and then kneaded to the state of porridge, then excess moisture is wrung out, glue is added and the original "dough" is stirred, from which the doll is created, after setting the model, it is covered with a primer. Do all this work under the power of even a small child, so moms can safely take in the help of children, both boys and girls.

       

In a huge handicraft world to find such an interior doll, which you like just enough. They are all nice and attractive, but they have features that distinguish them from each other. To get carried away with the creation of dolls means to doom yourself to many interesting evenings, new acquaintances, creative meetings, pleasant gifts. Little or big, boys or girls, beasts, birds, angels - the fantasy of the authors of dolls is not limited to anything, it is only worth trying once.