No-Sew Rag Dolls

Some of my happiest memories as a child are centered around things that didn’t cost money. My mom was an expert at making memories out of nothing- good home-cooked soups and breads, curtain rods nailed to the bottom of blocks of wood so we could “skate” on the pond in the backyard. And these cute little no-sew rag dolls, my Mom taught us how to make from scraps of fabric.

We didn’t put hair on ours when we were young, but I couldn’t help adding hair to the ones my daughter and I were making.

How to Make No-Sew Rag Dolls

Here’s how you can make your own no-sew dolls. I don’t have pictures of this but I have a quick video below to help you see how these come together.

First, cut out a round piece from white, off-white, or brown fabric. I used a dinner plate for a pattern. This will be the body of the doll. It will be easier to form a smooth head with softer fabric. The fabric I used in the video was a bit stiff.

Then cut a rectangle of fabric for the arms. Roll it up and tie it to the body in a criss-cross way to secure the arms to the body.

Cut a rectangle of fabric with x’s for armholes to dress the doll. Use a thin strip of fabric to tie the dress on to the doll. I remember enjoying how easy it was to make new clothes for my dolls.

Then draw a face with permanent marker. You could stop here, but we couldn’t resist adding yarn hair. This process is explained in the video.