Interior dolls have been fueling interest among collectors and simply connoisseurs of beautiful designer gizmos for many decades. Knitted, clay, textile and many other home-made dolls are made by needlewomen for individual orders. Unique sketches are drawn in accordance with the design theme of the room, which will be located or based on the appearance of the future hostess. But despite the wide public interest, for many people dolls are still a mystery. Meanwhile, the details of these beauties are thought out by every master to the smallest detail: makeup, hairstyle, clothes - all this is drawn and sewn in a single copy according to the original idea of the author.
The knitting technique "amigurumi" was born in ancient Japan. Then small dolls and souvenirs were created as amulets. This tradition was not unique in itself. Various charms in the form of little men or gods were made in most cultures of the world. But amigurumi is one of the few techniques that has been able to survive to the present and win the hearts of millions of beginners and experienced craftsmen. Today, amigurumi toys are part of the fashion for Japanese Kawaii culture. Fans of traditional Japanese anime cartoons see their favorite characters in these dolls. Tiny cute toys with large eyes crocheted, cause an irresistible desire to cuddle them, regret, kiss. Gradually, amigurumi toys left Japan and began to conquer other countries: America, Great Britain, France. Now they are familiar with them in our country.
Distinctive features
There are several key features that distinguish amigurumi toys:
The size of the toy. Knitted little men and animals make a height of 5 to 8 centimeters. Due to the size of the toy, traditionally it was crocheted, although today you can find amigurumi knitted and much larger than the Japanese did.
But at the same time, proportionality is absolutely not observed, and as a result, the head of the finished product is much larger than the rest of the body. This is a classic drawing technique of Japanese cartoons like "Pokemon", brought to life.
Another important feature of characters made using the Amigurumi technique is their kindness. Absolutely all the little men, animals, even home furnishings and crocheted food have a sweet, kind face with a wide smile. This is an Eastern philosophy embodied in toys.
Knit toys with a single dense fiber in a circle. This is made possible due to the fact that a small hook is used for thick yarn. Finished parts packed with sealant are sewn together with simple threads.
The sweetest distinguishing feature of amigurumi is that for each handmade toy, the master comes up with a name that remains with her even after the sale of the little thing.
Materials for making dolls
Having decided to manually recreate the Japanese doll, the needlewoman should thoroughly procure materials without which the creation of this small masterpiece is impossible. Moreover, they are selected based on the ideas of the author or the customer’s order. buying the same material in large quantities does not make sense. Experienced craftsmen prefer to increase reserves due to their diversity rather than quantity. Nevertheless, there is a basis that is worth acquiring:
Acrylic yarn is the material most beloved in the work of amigurumi masters and it is recommended that young needlewomen who are new to the technique of knitting dolls start their journey from it. Acrylic is soft to the touch, obedient to work, and a wide range is presented even in the smallest shops at affordable prices. A great advantage of acrylic threads is their ability to hold their shape even after washing, so acrylic is ideal for children.
Craftswomen with some experience in creating amigurumi prefer cotton yarn. In order for the toy to keep its shape, knitting should be done with a dense cloth. If everything is done correctly, then the threads will provide a rigid frame with a neat appearance.
Woolen yarn can make a toy voluminous, give it some weight. However, woolen amigurumi are suitable only as a collection sample or decorative element. That's because when washing or using it actively, the coat will lose its shape.Inexperienced needlewomen will appreciate the wool for the opportunity to comb it in the finished toy and hide possible flaws.
Yarn “grass” will help to create a little man’s hair or furry animal hair. True, when using it, it makes sense to change the hook to the knitting needles, especially if the experience of knitting is small.
The hook is selected depending on the thickness of the thread, a little smaller than that 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, the holes left by the tool should be completely absent.
Knitting needles will probably be needed when using separate materials. For example, if knitting is carried out almost blindly using "weed". It is important that the thickness of the spokes does not exceed 1.5-3, then the knitting will be tight.
Silicone and synthetic winterizer most often become a filler. They do not cake, do not absorb moisture well and are pleasantly springy, which creates a good shape for the finished toy.
Beads for the eyes. As mentioned earlier. A distinctive feature of amigurumi are large eyes. To make them masters use large, shiny high quality beads. Saving by buying cheap Chinese or Korean beads, in this case it makes no sense. They can ruin 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 eye, into which you can insert a thick thread of yarn, will be needed to sew parts between each other toys.
A variety of decorative accessories in the form of ribbons, buttons, beads, fabric, wire - all that can help in the design of the appearance of the doll.
Sewing tools such as scissors, tweezers, knitting fork.
An important tip, at the very beginning of your journey, try knitting 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 technique
The basis of the amigurumi knitting technique is knitting in a circle, so all the details are round or oval. However, knitting patterns make it possible to make a huge variety of toys. The essence of the Amigurumi ring technique is that 6 loops are thrown onto the index finger, which are then pulled together by a hook to form a dense round web. It is this method that the Japanese themselves use in creating amigurumi. Needlewomen from other countries adapted the technique, reducing the number of revolutions of the thread around the finger, although the essence of the technique remained the same. A novice master has the right to use any of the options, although it is proved that Japanese technology is more stable and dense.
As for crochet patterns, two are used in amigurumi: single crochet or double crochet. The first option is the main one, since it is able to provide a tight connection of threads, which means that the finished toy holds its shape. The second option is good because it reduces the time of knitting. Both techniques are widely used in crocheting, and therefore it is not difficult to find their master classes on the Internet or in special magazines. The single crochet column in the drawn diagrams is indicated in the form of an elongated letter "T", with a crochet - an elongated letter "T" standing on an oval. To create amigurumi, the author needs to master both knitting options.
Amigurumi Accessories
Initially, amigurumi involves the creation of toys, but in recent years some accessories have also been made in this technique: key rings, pendants, Christmas balls and much more. This is very convenient due to the tiny size of amigurumi products and their high durability when using the right materials.Actually, accessories fit in exactly the same way as toys, with the only difference being that additional hooks, fasteners, and chains are sewn to them. Amigurumi souvenirs 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 polymer clay molding. This wonderful material allows you to create small sculptures that look so natural that it seems like small dolls are about to come to life. The dolls made in the form of angels and kids look best, but the author’s imagination is not limited to anything. There are clay fairies, princesses, even dolls made from photographs of their future master. From polymer clay, you can make both stationary figurines and articulated dolls that can bend your arms or legs.
An important tip, before you start creating polymer clay dolls. Work with this material in a different, simpler direction to feel its flexibility and ductility.
Materials and tools for work
To create an author's doll, you will need to collect an impressive case of materials and tools for work. Among them: a small block of flesh-colored polymer clay, a set of dental stacks, wire, simple foil for baking, as well as materials for decorating the doll (fabrics, dyes, yarn). If you want to give the doll a pleasant shine, stock up on glossy varnish in a bottle. Experienced craftsmen gradually replenish this standard set with professional tools. For example, pliers, engraver, grinding sponges of different stiffness. All of these tools are traditionally considered masculine, and therefore craftswomen need time to master them and make good use of them in creating the dolls.
Manufacturing technique
The technological process of making dolls made of polymer clay includes many stages:
First, a sketch of the toy is created, which includes not only the shape of the body, but also the decorative elements of clothing.
A frame is made of copper wire, on which clay will later be glued. Instead of finished limbs and head, discs made of foil are formed.
A uniform clay layer is applied to the frame, a face is formed.
Then the doll is tinted with paints or crayons and burned.
After firing, the body is wrapped with a bandage, which is fixed with glue or thread.
The prepared body is sheathed with cloth and put on clothes. It can be simply worn on top or sewn directly on the doll.
Paints paint the face, varnish.
Dolls are created from yarn or artificial hair.
In the process of working on a doll, the master can change the technology, make it more convenient for himself, but in general, the creation process looks just like that. A polymer clay doll can be a wonderful New Year's gift.
Fabric dolls
Designers love to decorate the delicate rooms of girls with textile interior dolls. But using them for active games is not recommended. Fabric dolls are quite fragile, an active child will probably stain or tear this one in just a couple of days. However, if a mother knows how to restore dolls and is often not afraid to sew new ones, then a fabric doll can become one of her favorite toys. There are many techniques for stitching a textile doll, but the attic doll, Big-legged, Tilda, and the sheep doll were and remain the most beloved. Whatever technique the seamstress prefers, she will need the standard set of materials and tools that most women have.
Materials and Tools
In order to make rag dolls, needlewomen equip a whole working corner. The reason lies in the fact that the creators of these beautiful toys use the largest number of materials, relative to lovers of other manufacturing techniques:
As a basis, bleached calico is used. It is quite dense and easy to handle.
For clothes, sets of fabrics for patchwork are used. This facilitates the task of selecting the base material and companion fabric.
Holofiber, synthepuh, silicone are suitable as packing - in short, everything that is available and is worth it.
The flesh color of the exposed parts of the body is created using cinnamon, vanilla, coffee mixed with water and glue. You can tint the doll with special powder or chalk, but on the fabric they will quickly lose their color.
Everything is used as sewing tools, from needles to a sewing machine.
Sewing accessories for decoration may include beads, ribbons, rhinestones, lace, stones, elastic bands.
In short, with professional tailoring of textile dolls, needlewomen need their own small sewing store.
Attic doll
The technique of sewing attic dolls originates in America, which mothers sewed to their children from the remnants of fabrics, after sewing clothes. Their feature was 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. Linen and cotton are used as materials. The finished doll is always artificially aged, so that it looks like it was lying in the attic of your house, among other things, trash for many years. To do this, the doll’s body is soaked with a coffee-water-glue mixture and baked in the oven. Coffee aroma stays with the toy for a long time, which attracts fans around the world.
Doll Big Bear
Bigpods or Snowballs are created in such a way that they can stand on their legs, without having a solid frame inside themselves. There are two things to achieve this effect: the special shape of the foot and the very tight padding.In order for the Bigfoot not to fall, its authors use a standard pattern, so the uniqueness of the doll is limited by its external design, namely, hairstyle, clothes and accessories. The faces of the Bigfoots are similar to each other: they all have small eyes and a small mouth; on some dolls the mouth is completely absent.
Tilda doll
Tilda was invented just a few years ago by Norwegian designer Tony Finnanger. These pupae are distinguished by long legs and rosy cheeks. Among the author's tildes you can find women of all professions, bunnies, cats, even Santa Claus. They are sewn according to the sketches of their creator, and therefore, like Snowballs, they differ only in their external design. Any departure from Finnanger's patented doll ultimately leads to the fact that the toy ceases to be Tilda in the full sense of the word. You can find patterns in the books of the author or rummaging through the Internet.
Doll sheep
In fact, sheep 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 then appear on TV screens. Lovely and kind animals simply could not help but become a prototype for hundreds of needlewomen of the world. And therefore, each of the directions creates its own fluffy dolls of lambs, based on individual patterns and completely different sizes. Sheep can be found in patterns of Tilda’s direction, on the hands of Big Bunnies, and some craftswomen even combine texil and clay, creating original animals, whose muzzle is made using sculpting and the wool is completely sewn. Therefore, you can find or create your own sheep as you like.
From felt
The real game dolls are sewn from felt, which not only decorate the interior, but also delight the girls. Such dolls are created according to the pattern of wool felt of medium and large thickness. The material is quite soft and plastic, so the fabric does not break in the process, leaving ugly strips.A feature of a felt doll is that it is sewn by hand, so the stitches should be small, neat and as uniform as possible. The work is carried out in parts, individual parts are sewn to each other at the very end. As for the variety of felt dolls, it is absolutely unlimited. You can draw on your own or find your favorite doll sketch and make your own masterpiece. Interestingly, outerwear, such as a coat or hat, can be sewn separately and dress up the doll as you play.
From nylon tights
Such dolls create an especially homely atmosphere of the interior. Moreover, materials for creating a doll cost a minimum of money, but the result is so realistic that it leaves no one indifferent. A doll sewn from nylon tights is first stuffed with a filler and only then is formed the way the author intended it. This feature allows you to create not just according to the model, but in the cooking process. As a result, a unique gift is created in a couple of hours and almost at no cost: old tights, a little sintepon, threads and textiles for clothes - that's all that is required from the author.
From paper mache
Making papier mache dolls is not just a hobby. This is a passion that is born back in school and does not let go throughout life. They are based on paper, glue and a primer. If the doll is created exclusively for decorative purposes, then old newspapers will do. If it is assumed that they may fall into the hands of children, it is better to replace it with plain paper or toilet paper. In the newsroom, harmful lead may be detected. The essence of production: the paper is soaked in water and then kneading to a porridge, then excess moisture is squeezed out, glue is added and a kind of “dough” is kneaded, from which the doll is created, after the model hardens, it is covered with a primer.Even a small child can do all this work, so mothers can safely take their children, both boys and girls, as their assistants.
In a huge needlework world, finding such an interior doll that you like is easy enough for you. They are all cute 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. Small or large, boys or girls, animals, birds, angels - the fantasy of the authors of the dolls is absolutely unlimited, you only have to try it once.
Interior dolls have been fueling interest among collectors and simply connoisseurs of beautiful designer gizmos for many decades. Knitted, clay, textile and many other home-made dolls are made by needlewomen for individual orders. Unique sketches are drawn in accordance with the design theme of the room, which will be located or based on the appearance of the future hostess. But despite the wide public interest, for many people dolls are still a mystery. Meanwhile, the details of these beauties are thought out by every master to the smallest detail: makeup, hairstyle, clothes - all this is drawn and sewn in a single copy according to the original idea of the author.
Content
Amigurumi: a story
The knitting technique "amigurumi" was born in ancient Japan. Then small dolls and souvenirs were created as amulets. This tradition was not unique in itself. Various charms in the form of little men or gods were made in most cultures of the world. But amigurumi is one of the few techniques that has been able to survive to the present and win the hearts of millions of beginners and experienced craftsmen. Today, amigurumi toys are part of the fashion for Japanese Kawaii culture. Fans of traditional Japanese anime cartoons see their favorite characters in these dolls. Tiny cute toys with large eyes crocheted, cause an irresistible desire to cuddle them, regret, kiss. Gradually, amigurumi toys left Japan and began to conquer other countries: America, Great Britain, France. Now they are familiar with them in our country.
Distinctive features
There are several key features that distinguish amigurumi toys:
Materials for making dolls
Having decided to manually recreate the Japanese doll, the needlewoman should thoroughly procure materials without which the creation of this small masterpiece is impossible. Moreover, they are selected based on the ideas of the author or the customer’s order. buying the same material in large quantities does not make sense. Experienced craftsmen prefer to increase reserves due to their diversity rather than quantity. Nevertheless, there is a basis that is worth acquiring:
A variety of decorative accessories in the form of ribbons, buttons, beads, fabric, wire - all that can help in the design of the appearance of the doll.
Sewing tools such as scissors, tweezers, knitting fork.
Knitting patterns and technique
The basis of the amigurumi knitting technique is knitting in a circle, so all the details are round or oval. However, knitting patterns make it possible to make a huge variety of toys. The essence of the Amigurumi ring technique is that 6 loops are thrown onto the index finger, which are then pulled together by a hook to form a dense round web. It is this method that the Japanese themselves use in creating amigurumi. Needlewomen from other countries adapted the technique, reducing the number of revolutions of the thread around the finger, although the essence of the technique remained the same. A novice master has the right to use any of the options, although it is proved that Japanese technology is more stable and dense.
As for crochet patterns, two are used in amigurumi: single crochet or double crochet. The first option is the main one, since it is able to provide a tight connection of threads, which means that the finished toy holds its shape. The second option is good because it reduces the time of knitting. Both techniques are widely used in crocheting, and therefore it is not difficult to find their master classes on the Internet or in special magazines. The single crochet column in the drawn diagrams is indicated in the form of an elongated letter "T", with a crochet - an elongated letter "T" standing on an oval. To create amigurumi, the author needs to master both knitting options.
Amigurumi Accessories
Initially, amigurumi involves the creation of toys, but in recent years some accessories have also been made in this technique: key rings, pendants, Christmas balls and much more. This is very convenient due to the tiny size of amigurumi products and their high durability when using the right materials.Actually, accessories fit in exactly the same way as toys, with the only difference being that additional hooks, fasteners, and chains are sewn to them. Amigurumi souvenirs 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 polymer clay molding. This wonderful material allows you to create small sculptures that look so natural that it seems like small dolls are about to come to life. The dolls made in the form of angels and kids look best, but the author’s imagination is not limited to anything. There are clay fairies, princesses, even dolls made from photographs of their future master. From polymer clay, you can make both stationary figurines and articulated dolls that can bend your arms or legs.
Materials and tools for work
To create an author's doll, you will need to collect an impressive case of materials and tools for work. Among them: a small block of flesh-colored polymer clay, a set of dental stacks, wire, simple foil for baking, as well as materials for decorating the doll (fabrics, dyes, yarn). If you want to give the doll a pleasant shine, stock up on glossy varnish in a bottle. Experienced craftsmen gradually replenish this standard set with professional tools. For example, pliers, engraver, grinding sponges of different stiffness. All of these tools are traditionally considered masculine, and therefore craftswomen need time to master them and make good use of them in creating the dolls.
Manufacturing technique
The technological process of making dolls made of polymer clay includes many stages:
In the process of working on a doll, the master can change the technology, make it more convenient for himself, but in general, the creation process looks just like that. A polymer clay doll can be a wonderful New Year's gift.
Fabric dolls
Designers love to decorate the delicate rooms of girls with textile interior dolls. But using them for active games is not recommended. Fabric dolls are quite fragile, an active child will probably stain or tear this one in just a couple of days. However, if a mother knows how to restore dolls and is often not afraid to sew new ones, then a fabric doll can become one of her favorite toys. There are many techniques for stitching a textile doll, but the attic doll, Big-legged, Tilda, and the sheep doll were and remain the most beloved. Whatever technique the seamstress prefers, she will need the standard set of materials and tools that most women have.
Materials and Tools
In order to make rag dolls, needlewomen equip a whole working corner. The reason lies in the fact that the creators of these beautiful toys use the largest number of materials, relative to lovers of other manufacturing techniques:
In short, with professional tailoring of textile dolls, needlewomen need their own small sewing store.
Attic doll
The technique of sewing attic dolls originates in America, which mothers sewed to their children from the remnants of fabrics, after sewing clothes. Their feature was 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. Linen and cotton are used as materials. The finished doll is always artificially aged, so that it looks like it was lying in the attic of your house, among other things, trash for many years. To do this, the doll’s body is soaked with a coffee-water-glue mixture and baked in the oven. Coffee aroma stays with the toy for a long time, which attracts fans around the world.
Doll Big Bear
Bigpods or Snowballs are created in such a way that they can stand on their legs, without having a solid frame inside themselves. There are two things to achieve this effect: the special shape of the foot and the very tight padding.In order for the Bigfoot not to fall, its authors use a standard pattern, so the uniqueness of the doll is limited by its external design, namely, hairstyle, clothes and accessories. The faces of the Bigfoots are similar to each other: they all have small eyes and a small mouth; on some dolls the mouth is completely absent.
Tilda doll
Tilda was invented just a few years ago by Norwegian designer Tony Finnanger. These pupae are distinguished by long legs and rosy cheeks. Among the author's tildes you can find women of all professions, bunnies, cats, even Santa Claus. They are sewn according to the sketches of their creator, and therefore, like Snowballs, they differ only in their external design. Any departure from Finnanger's patented doll ultimately leads to the fact that the toy ceases to be Tilda in the full sense of the word. You can find patterns in the books of the author or rummaging through the Internet.
Doll sheep
In fact, sheep 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 then appear on TV screens. Lovely and kind animals simply could not help but become a prototype for hundreds of needlewomen of the world. And therefore, each of the directions creates its own fluffy dolls of lambs, based on individual patterns and completely different sizes. Sheep can be found in patterns of Tilda’s direction, on the hands of Big Bunnies, and some craftswomen even combine texil and clay, creating original animals, whose muzzle is made using sculpting and the wool is completely sewn. Therefore, you can find or create your own sheep as you like.
From felt
The real game dolls are sewn from felt, which not only decorate the interior, but also delight the girls. Such dolls are created according to the pattern of wool felt of medium and large thickness. The material is quite soft and plastic, so the fabric does not break in the process, leaving ugly strips.A feature of a felt doll is that it is sewn by hand, so the stitches should be small, neat and as uniform as possible. The work is carried out in parts, individual parts are sewn to each other at the very end. As for the variety of felt dolls, it is absolutely unlimited. You can draw on your own or find your favorite doll sketch and make your own masterpiece. Interestingly, outerwear, such as a coat or hat, can be sewn separately and dress up the doll as you play.
From nylon tights
Such dolls create an especially homely atmosphere of the interior. Moreover, materials for creating a doll cost a minimum of money, but the result is so realistic that it leaves no one indifferent. A doll sewn from nylon tights is first stuffed with a filler and only then is formed the way the author intended it. This feature allows you to create not just according to the model, but in the cooking process. As a result, a unique gift is created in a couple of hours and almost at no cost: old tights, a little sintepon, threads and textiles for clothes - that's all that is required from the author.
From paper mache
Making papier mache dolls is not just a hobby. This is a passion that is born back in school and does not let go throughout life. They are based on paper, glue and a primer. If the doll is created exclusively for decorative purposes, then old newspapers will do. If it is assumed that they may fall into the hands of children, it is better to replace it with plain paper or toilet paper. In the newsroom, harmful lead may be detected. The essence of production: the paper is soaked in water and then kneading to a porridge, then excess moisture is squeezed out, glue is added and a kind of “dough” is kneaded, from which the doll is created, after the model hardens, it is covered with a primer.Even a small child can do all this work, so mothers can safely take their children, both boys and girls, as their assistants.
In a huge needlework world, finding such an interior doll that you like is easy enough for you. They are all cute 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. Small or large, boys or girls, animals, birds, angels - the fantasy of the authors of the dolls is absolutely unlimited, you only have to try it once.