Felt your friends, just not for voodoo

Why would you ever need a felt miniature version of yourself?

The idea originally blossomed… Why would you ever need a felt miniature version of yourself?

The idea originally blossomed when I was sprucing up the director’s board at WPTS. I needed a cute idea to personify everyone’s quirks into something tangible, something to complement their pictures on our bulletin board. When I saw this pattern online, I knew it was perfect.

But, instead of seeming endearing like I intended, everyone seemed to think it was incredibly creepy that I was making miniature felt people that looked like all of my friends. That is, until they saw how cute the dolls were turning out.

In this how-to, you too can learn how to felt your friends. Don’t worry, as long as your adorable-to-creepy ratio is in check, no one will make a “Dinner for Schmucks” joke when you show them how cute your mini felt replicas are.

Materials: Assorted felt colors, microfiber fill — aka pillow stuffing — thread and needle, seed beads, red pen, stencils

Step One: Felt Limbs

Cut out the stencils for the main body. Cut each piece out twice. Fold the arms and legs over to create a limb. Sew these three-quarters of the way shut, then stuff with the fiber fill. Sew the two head and chest shapes  together, then stuff to create a round shape.

Step Two: Putting the Parts Together

Once all body parts are made, sew them together so that the stitched parts mimic the way joints connect limbs to a torso.

Step Three: The Face

Use the seed beads to make eyes. If you’re feeling ambitious, you can stitch little eyelashes too. Use red thread to make a mouth and lightly shade the cheeks with red pen to give more depth to the face.

Don’t be alarmed if your doll looks a little like Voldemort. Adding hair will make all the difference.

Step Four: Hair and Clothing

Cut out the patterns for the clothing and hair you want. Sew the hair pieces together separate from the body you’ve already made. Your finished product will look like a miniature wig.

If you intend on making jeans, sew the pieces together while they are fitted to the doll. The patterns run a little small, making it difficult to put premade clothing on the dolls.

The sweatshirt pattern here will fit over the doll’s head if assembled separately.

Put all of the pieces together and you’ve got a mini you!

Visit http://nuno-runo.blogspot.com for many more patterns for a variety of hair and clothing styles.