Dolls made of polymer clay. 105 step by step photos

Handmade dolls are highly valued not only among lovers of miniature copies of people, but even among professional collectors. The work skillfully executed in the smallest detail fascinates and evokes a feeling of admiration. A human figurine can be made from a variety of materials, both traditional and relatively new ones that have appeared not so long ago. Performance techniques are also varied. The figurine can be sewn, knitted, woven and even sculpted. In this article you will learn how to make a doll from cold porcelain at home.

Before we begin to consider the process of making dolls from cold porcelain, we will consider their main varieties that can be sculpted.

Polymer clay dolls for beginners

If you are already puzzled by the question of how needlewomen make dolls from polymer clay with their own hands, then our review article will help you understand this topic. We do not promise that you will easily master this technique; some products require great perseverance and a lot of time.

However, you can start with simple crafts made from polymer clay; they do not require a lot of material or painstaking work; the basic thing is that you will definitely need an oven with a thermometer.

And so, it will be enough to purchase:

polymer clay;
wire (thick and thin);
foil (preferably soft);
acrylic paints;
hair for dolls;
glue;
varnish;
tools - stacks, metal and plastic sticks.

The main thing in creating a craft is to accurately maintain the proportions of the doll’s body. Masters of polymer clay sculpting recommend creating a body in the size of approximately 7–9 toy heads.

Next, a step-by-step master class for creating a doll from polymer clay is as follows:

Bend a thick wire so that you get a loop on top, cover it with foil, forming a ball, cover the ball with clay - this will be the head.
Form hands from plastic, cut fingers in the hands so that they are slightly apart. String them on both sides onto the ends of the second piece of wire and attach this part to the existing wire with the head.
Form the legs in the same way; they should be strung on the ends of the wire of the main workpiece. Twist the wire in the center, mark the waist and stick the chest and neck onto the frame. Evaluate the craft, add material where it is missing.
Place the product in the oven. We'll talk about baking temperature and time below.
Using paints, draw eyebrows, freckles, eyes, cheeks, lips. Glue the hair with glue (craftswomen advise pressing strands of hair with a needle, but if the doll is small, then much work will not be required). Dress up the doll.

Additional materials

They paint the doll with food coloring or acrylic paint and give its body the desired color. The outline of the eyes, lips, eyelashes is drawn with pencils of different colors. You also need to purchase them and, of course, a brush. They are sold in an art store, which means it won’t take much time to find them. There is only one store to visit.

You also need to think about what kind of dress the doll will have: find material, sew it. The hairstyle is made from artificial hair, gluing it in neat rows. You can also buy a small ready-made wig or not do the doll’s hair at all. Prefer a haircut to zero - why not? Using pencils and paints, it’s not a problem to create an illusion. Hats will save you from standard decoration.

The doll should be the way you want it. The cost of materials is low. You can make as many dolls as you like and each one will be special.

Polymer clay doll master class

If you are already familiar with polymer clay and know all its intricacies, then you can try making a doll. But get ready for the fact that such an activity will take a lot of time and effort.

Don't forget to think through all the details, from what color your character's skin will be, to small details on clothing or additional attributes to complete the look.

Preparation for production

Making a doll based on polymer clay is a lengthy process. Sometimes it can take several months to create this sweet masterpiece. Before you make a doll from polymer clay, you need to understand that this is not easy work.

Before you start you need:

carefully consider the image of the doll;
choose the type of product (dolls can be static or articulated);
draw a drawing (exact parameters are indicated on it and details are drawn);
prepare all the necessary materials for manufacturing based on well-thought-out details.

It is appropriate to say that there are few people who make dolls based on polymer clay. Thanks to hard work, almost every one of them becomes famous. The works of such people can be found in special magazines.

It is impossible to make completely identical dolls; each one differs in small details. It is this nuance that makes the finished products attractive.

Let's move on to a more detailed look at the topic of how to sculpt a doll from polymer clay.

Step-by-step production of a polymer doll

Before sculpting a doll from polymer clay, carefully think through all the details, decide on the color of the skin, the shade of the eyes and even the small components of future clothing. Come up with additional attributes for the perfect image.

All this preliminary preparation will help you get inspired before starting the creative process.

We select materials for work

Before you start manufacturing, prepare a number of necessary materials:

main material – polymer clay;
special knives with different designs;
foil;
sanding paper;
pliers;
hard wire;
tassels;
glue;
dye;
primer.

You can start preparing material for the clothes of the future doll in advance. Don't forget about your hair. For them it is better to use wool, which is used for felting. In the future, everything will depend on the course of your thoughts and imagination.

When you have all the materials ready, make a choice towards a specific model of the doll.

They can be:

Articulated. This is the most difficult manufacturing option. It requires experience and more time.
From several types of materials. This is the simplest type of pupa. In this case, the body is made of fabric, and the head, arms and legs are made of clay.
Static. There are no complicated elements here and making such a doll is not that difficult.

We will focus on the last variety. Make a drawing of the doll, draw the expected image of the future product. Here you need to pay attention to its size and features. Check if you have all the materials. Let's start work.

Frame making

The frame in the product plays one of the most important roles. Thanks to him, the finished doll will be durable. Before making dolls from polymer clay, prepare a skein of strong wire and a second skein of thin wire.

In the future, work will be carried out in the following order:

take a thick wire and give it the shape of the “skeleton” of the future doll;
use thin wire to wrap the “skeleton” to give it density;
Seal the resulting frame with foil;
smooth out all the folds, press and compare the result with the drawing.

The frame preparation stage is over. Let's proceed to the basic steps that will tell you how to make a doll from polymer clay.

Head decoration

It's time to start preparing the blank. To ensure that the process does not cause difficulties, the clay must be kneaded well and heated to a plastic state. Perform the following actions based on the instructions:

When the clay becomes plastic, shape the part of the head that is covered with foil. The resulting result should be baked in the microwave or oven. If you used clay that hardens on its own, this is not necessary. It is necessary to bake the material so that in further work it does not lose its shape.

Important! If foil was used and it is not covered with polymer clay, then it cannot be placed in the microwave oven. Is it dangerous! It can only be heated in the oven.

We take out the blank of our doll. Using a knife, carefully add volume to the head. Select the nose, cheeks and lips. We smooth out the unevenness so that the face becomes realistic and resembles a living one.
We make recesses for the eyes. Watch for symmetry, so the work will turn out neat.

We've finished the head work. It can be decorated with pastel or aerosol paints to give the face a lively tint. We send the doll to bake again and finish the ears on the head.

Body sculpting

We continue to work. Now we will start sculpting the arms and legs. Try to do this work carefully so that there are no unevenness. When the base of the arms and legs is ready, start cutting out the fingers.

If the small elements are ready, sculpt the torso, back and tummy. If you want to. To give the doll a more sophisticated look, we recommend adding small elements such as collarbones and ribs. But here it’s up to you, each doll is individual. The finished product is sent to bake.

It may take longer to bake than was required when making the head. It is important that the product becomes very durable.

When the material has completely hardened, you can begin grinding. To make the doll without any roughness, use sandpaper with different grain sizes. While sanding, leave a parting on your head.

Now you know how to make a doll from polymer clay. The work is not finished yet. It's time to start styling your face.

The following materials can be used here:

pastel;
acrylic;
watercolor pencil.

Pencil is the perfect choice if you need to add freckles to your doll.

When you are finished applying makeup, coat the product with varnish. He will record the result.

Hairstyle for a doll

We figured out how to make the base of a doll from polymer clay. Now she definitely needs to get her hair done. It has already been said that for this purpose it is better to use wool for felting.

But you can use:

silk threads;
doll wig;
big wig.

A wig for dolls is not always beneficial, as you can make a mistake with the size. It is better to use a large wig, from which you can make a separate doll hairstyle.

To attach the hair you will need glue. Separate each strand separately and attach it to the head. To make your work more convenient, you can use an awl, hook or other thin metal object.

Lastly, we insert the finished hair into the previously prepared parting. This will give your doll a neat crown.

The doll is ready, give it the desired hairstyle, decorate it with additional elements and be sure to dress it. The work is long, painstaking, but exciting.

Advantages

Porcelain is the most original and unusual material for making dolls, but making gift and collectible toys from it is quite difficult. Sometimes the price of such dolls turns out to be very high because a master can work for several months to create just one porcelain doll. Despite the fact that porcelain becomes very hard when it hardens, doll makers have learned to add mobility and plasticity to their creations by creating individual joints.

Among the many advantages of porcelain dolls are the following:

The material from which porcelain dolls are made can retain its excellent properties for several centuries.
A porcelain toy can be passed down from generation to generation.
Such products will always maintain a high price, since the process of creating porcelain dolls is very labor-intensive and complex.
Author's porcelain dolls are hand-painted, so they look more alive and interesting.

DIY polymer clay doll

When starting to make a stationary doll, you need to be patient. To work you will need:

polymer baked clay white or flesh-colored;
wire for frame;
working surface - glass or ceramic, smooth;
soft foil;
plastic knife or stationery knife;
scalpel or other sharp cutting object for fine operations;
dots or stacks (you can get by with needles, knitting needles, toothpicks);
sanding machine or sandpaper No. 0;
alcohol-free wet wipes;
acrylic eyes of the desired size and color;
a small bunch of goat hair;
paints.

Drawing and frame

Start with a schematic drawing of a life-size doll. As you sculpt, you will place body parts against it to check the dimensions. All distortions of body proportions must be carefully planned, otherwise the doll will look awkward.

Here are some tips:

baby dolls or touching cartoon characters have large heads;
for greater grace, Barbie and models are created with an elongated figure, long legs and neck;
Foresters, gnomes, and hobbits have short legs with huge feet.

The sketch may have been made by an unskilled hand. The main thing is that its proportions and sizes match those of the future doll.

Static figures require a strong frame - it determines the proportions of the body and holds the entire structure. The basis of large dolls can be large-diameter steel wire; for miniature models, copper wire remains.

Bend and twist the figure - loop-head, torso, arms, legs. Where necessary, the wire can be twisted, but it is better to thicken it with turns of thin wire for strength. Next, increase the volume with foil.

Using your fingers or a tool, give the toy the desired shape, smooth out unnecessary bumps and strong dents.

The clay that will be used to cover the figure should be spread evenly - this will minimize the formation of cracks after baking and the entry of air into the structure. After that, attach the frame to the sketch and correct everything that is necessary.

You shouldn’t smooth the foil too much either. A smooth surface has poor adhesion, the clay will move around and build up poorly, which will make work very difficult.

Making the head

Before you start working with clay, wash your hands and wipe the work surface and tools with a damp, clean cloth. Spray the air around you with a household spray bottle. Everything sticks to plastic - tiny particles that we simply don’t notice sit on its surface and spoil the appearance of the product.

It is difficult to remove or pick them out, so it is better to take care of cleanliness in advance.

If the clay was stored in the refrigerator, remove it in advance and let it warm up to room temperature naturally. Knead the plastic well - this requires some effort, but this will make it easier to work with, and fewer cracks and internal air bubbles will form.
Tear off a piece of clay, roll it into a cake, wrap the doll's head, level it and smooth it. Draw a barely noticeable vertical line dividing the face into two halves. Mark the location and insert the doll's eyes.
Smooth out the joints and place the figure in the semi-baked oven. The oven should be preheated to 90-100 °C, the processing time should be half that indicated on the clay pack. This way the clay will remain pliable enough to be worked with with tools, but will become so dense that a careless touch will not be able to deform the figurine’s head.

When working, keep in mind that doll eyes made of acrylic are not afraid of high temperatures.

Wait for the oven to cool completely, remove the figurine and continue sculpting the doll's face from polymer clay. There are many master classes on making heads, but if you haven’t sculpted people from plasticine or dough before, try doing it yourself for the first time.

So next time you will know what to pay special attention to.

Proceed in the following order:

Roll into small sausages and place on the cheeks, lips, brow ridges and nose. Smooth the joints with a spatula.
Using dots, needles and toothpicks, form and draw the nostrils and mouth.
Make sure that symmetry is maintained and correct any shortcomings.
Use a needle or scalpel to shape the eyelids. Please note that the top must protrude relative to the bottom.
The visible part of the eye is a hemisphere. Its most convex part is at the pupil.
To give a natural doll-like look, use a needle to make an indentation near the inner corners of the eyelids.
Using different tools, work on detailing the face and giving it the desired expression. This is a long and complex process; if necessary, moisten the clay with water.
Attach and shape the ears.
Use dots and wet wipes to smooth out the doll's face.
Color your lips, cheeks, eyebrows. Keep in mind that when heated, the color of acrylic remains the same, but pastel may change shade. To protect yourself from surprises, paint small pieces of clay and bake them in the oven until ready.
In the middle of the doll's head, make a parting or hole for attaching hair.
Send to half bake. After cooling, use plastic to correct all defects, seal cracks and sand.

Creating a body

Form the doll's body from clay cakes and send the figurine to the semi-bake. This way, when creating arms and legs, you can hold on to the body without fear of deforming it. Attach the limbs without feet and hands, and put them in the oven again. The number of half-bakes can be any.

For large dolls, when forming the hands, a frame is made for each finger. For little ones, they sculpt the palm right away.

Using a needle or scalpel, 4 fingers are made, the big one is attached separately. Use a napkin to smooth out any unevenness, and use a toothpick or other sharp object to draw the nails. Attach the brush to the arm, smooth out the joints. Shape and attach the feet in the same way.

Finishing touches

If necessary, touch up and polish the figure. Send to bake, set the temperature and time, following the recommendations indicated on the pack of clay. Let the product cool without opening the oven.

If necessary, cover the cracks with special plastic, and finally smooth out any missed irregularities by sanding.

Using the selected colors, paint the face, neckline, palms and nails. If desired, cover the eyes and lips with a special varnish (nail or decoupage varnish is not always suitable for dolls).

It's hair time. Before gluing the hair, dye the goat hair, apply balm and dry it. Using an awl or other metal object (the wool sticks to toothpicks or wooden skewers), glue the strands to the bottom of the head. Finally, glue the hair to the crown, tucking the ends into the parting.

Clothing and jewelry

Where can I get doll clothes? You can buy it, order it from a dressmaker, or sew it yourself from any old, but not shabby, things. The fabric needs to be washed, starched and ironed, and the finished outfit needs to be sprinkled with water so that it does not bulge.

When choosing a material, it is important to correlate its design with the size of the doll. The same applies to jewelry - huge beads or rhinestones on a miniature doll will look ridiculous.

As a finishing touch, you can highlight the folds and folds of clothing with oil paint or tea leaves.

What you will need

What is needed to make dolls? It would be great if creativity required only desire and imagination. But it’s not that simple: you’ll have to stock up on patience, time and some tools:

beige polymer clay;
rags for clothing;
copper wire;
foil;
acrylic paints, brushes, varnish;
tools for modeling: dots, needles, pliers, knives;
goat hair for hair;
sandpaper;
beads for eyes;
non-alcohol wet wipes and a hard, flat work surface.

In a craft store you can purchase ready-made eyelashes, hair, and eyes to decorate a doll’s head.

Food for polymer clay dolls

Bananas

Cut the yellow clay into equal pieces and roll them into balls. Roll them into cones, forming a banana. We stick a little green clay to the very tip and smear the edges. We combine several bananas into a bunch. Cut off the excess and blacken the end of the cut.

Fresh loaf

Take a piece of bread-colored polymer clay and roll it into a ball and then into a sausage. Press the stack of strips. A loaf, carrot or banana is food for dolls that is not at all difficult to make. It is somewhat more difficult to make, for example, cut-away berries.

Strawberry

Fold white, yellow and red clay tightly and roll into a thin sheet.
Roll a tight tube lengthwise and form a brick.
Cut it across and insert thin white plates into the cuts. Cut in half lengthwise and form them into two halves of a berry using polymer clay.
In the same way, make a plate from three colors (beige, yellow and white), twist it, form a cone and insert it inside the berry. Slice the strawberries into thin slices.

Oranges made of polymer clay

You can make beautiful food for dolls with your own hands if you practice a few simple techniques. For example, an orange can be made using three colors of clay: white, orange and yellow.

Roll orange sausages, cut them lengthwise, insert yellow clay into the cut and roll again.
Wrap the sausages in a thin white sheet and flatten them slightly on one side.
Place 8 sausages together, wrap them again with a white clay plate, and then with an orange one.
Roll a long orange over the grooved surface, creating a citrus peel effect.
Cut the orange into slices, drawing a design on them in a stack.

Corn

A slightly different technique is used to make an ear of corn. We form the core from green clay. You can use improvised material. We roll a long rope out of yellow plastic and wind it onto the core in a tight spiral. Draw longitudinal stripes in a stack. Cut out thin green leaves and wrap them around the cob.

Photo ideas

Head

Knead the clay in your hands until it becomes flexible. Tear off a small piece and carefully stretch it in an even layer over the surface of the foil on the head blank. Divide it in half with a barely noticeable vertical line.

Mug with a doll made of polymer clay

Polymer clay was invented relatively recently. Masters have known about this material for no more than half a century. Today, sculpting with it is a very popular hobby for amateurs and a professional activity for experienced designers.

Buying polymer clay a couple of years ago was very problematic. Residents of various Russian cities ordered it from the capital or from other countries.

Now almost all art salons or craft stores offer such plastic, where it lies next to knitting yarn, dyes and floss that are familiar to us. You can make many interesting crafts from this amazing material.

These are not only souvenirs, but also a huge number of other things that will decorate our lives.

How to sculpt a body

We do the part of the body that will be hidden under clothes using tightly felted padding polyester. We cover the padding polyester with flesh-colored fabric: it turns out something like a closed swimsuit with elongated pants and sleeves.

Note!

Macrame: diagrams, interesting projects and detailed descriptions of making crafts
Crochet amigurumi - examples of how to make a beautiful toy with your own hands (75 photos)
Coffee topiary: step-by-step master class on how to make a small decorative tree from coffee beans

Ideas for inspiration: polymer clay dolls

Ready-made options

There is a compromise option for creating a BJD doll with your own hands. For beginners, ready-made kits are available on the market. The doll is purchased unassembled, which means a person can assemble it themselves, thereby experiencing many elements of the process. In addition, no one forbids, if you have the necessary skills, to subsequently sew clothes for the toy.

When purchasing, you should decide in advance on the correct size markings. Below is a list of product designations depending on the height of the assembled doll:

Tiny - from 25 to 30 cm.
MSD - from 38 to 45 cm.
SD - from 50 to 68 cm.

If this parameter has a value of more than 70 cm, then no special marking is provided. Among the standard skin colors of dolls you can find pinkish, flesh-colored, white and simulating tan.

Decoration of photo frames

A photo frame has always been an appropriate gift for any occasion. A stylish craft made with your own hands can become an independent element of a designer interior or simply serve as an item for storing family memories.

Photo frame design options:

Photo frame in a nautical style, decorated with shells and starfish, made in white and blue tones.
Children's photo frame with cute figures of cartoon characters and baby items (baby bottles, pacifiers, rattles).
A stylish interior accessory with large inflorescences of roses, peonies, lilies and hydrangeas.

The availability of ingredients and ease of manufacture makes cold porcelain mass a leader in the arts and crafts. Modeling methods are available to children and craftsmen just starting their creative activity.

Author: Maria Andryukova

Who invented cold porcelain?

The history of cold porcelain originates in ancient China. Masters of that time created works of art according to a recipe that Danes and Russian craftsmen later began to use.

Mention of the use of cold porcelain in Russia dates back to the beginning of the 19th century, when Pyotr Ulyanovich Ivanov, master of the imperial porcelain factory, began to produce the finest porcelain flowers using a special recipe to decorate perfume bottles, mirrors and vases intended for the emperor’s family.

Wooden alien

The most natural material for humans is wood. You can make an alien doll like this from a soft linden tree. The principle of hinge joints is repeated again. Among the tools, in addition to those listed in the first option, you will need a small woodworking machine. The only difference is that the parts are attached to a fishing line, the ends of which are brought out through a hole on the top of the head. They can be secured and cut off, masking the hole with lush curls. Or you can leave it like that.