The Waldorf Method of education is known for its beautiful, handcrafted toys and an emphasis on all natural materials that ground children in the natural world. There is also a particularly adorable style of doll-making known most often simply as “Waldorf Dolls.” These dolls are beautiful, durable, well made, and very expensive.
If you’ve ever shopped for a baby doll for your child and looked closely at the faces, you’ve no doubt noticed, as I did, that they tend to be a bit… creepy looking. I searched high and low for an attractive baby doll for my son, and finally settled on the most inoffensive one I could find. My mother took one look at it and said, “you know, I hate to say anything, but that is one ugly baby.”
Who WOULDN’T rather have a lovely Waldorf style baby doll than an ugly (or frightening!) molded plastic baby to play with? Too bad the price tag stands in the way… The good news is that even the most beginning doll maker should be well able to make one from a kit- and there are many reasonably priced kits available. Having once made one from a kit, it’s quite likely even a beginner would feel comfortable making another… and another… and another with just a pattern. Check out the resources below, and make a beautiful doll for your child or for a gift!
kits and supplies: http://www.weirdollsandcrafts.com/waldorf-doll-kit/waldorf-doll-making.html
Wooden doll bases: http://www.weirdollsandcrafts.com/waldorf-dollmaking-supplies/wooden-doll-base.html
on eHow: http://www.ehow.com/how_4963805_make-waldorf-dolls.html
Do it at the dollar store: http://dollarstorecrafts.com/2008/11/make-a-waldorf-doll-dollar-store-style/
Overview: http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/Waldorf-doll.html
I’m sorry to say but it is Wardorf type dolls that both myself and small daughter find very ugly and rather creepy. We love fabric dolls – of the rag doll kind, which are often beautiful with pretty faces. But a plastic doll is so much nicer than the Wardorf types with their strange in and out concave shape faces, blank expressions and beady dark eyes. I have no idea why they need to look this way. They don’t resemble any child I have ever seen and some are very ugly indeed. I’ve not seen any that I like. They are also so expensive. I like beautiful things and would never had played with a Wardorf doll. Ditto my daughter. Conversely the animal toys are rather lovely, mostly because they avoid cartoon faces and look realistic.