Author: Aisling

Homemade dolls’ faces are easy to make, even with little or no sculpting skills. Whether you want to make a doll’s face, a doll’s head, or a mask for a doll, you can make it yourself in under an hour.

Sculpting skills are not necessary. Here’s what you need:

• An existing doll that’s the right size, in any condition.
• Fimo, Sculpey, or a similar clay that you can dry or bake at home.
• Optional : Tools for carving the clay. (They can be anything from kitchen utensils, manicure tools, or plastic or wooden tools for working with plasticene or other clay.)

In the photo above, you’ll see the molds I’ve made.  They’re on the right.

In the center column, you’ll see the results, after using those molds.

On the far left, to show size, I have an American quarter (25-cent coin) and 20p from Ireland.  (I wrote this article before Ireland joined the EU.)

You can make your own molds in any size.

Here’s how I used one doll’s face from this experiment.

Let’s talk about the two molds that I created, and how you can make them yourself.

The doll mask

In the top row, the mold was made from a vintage international doll. That doll is made of cheap plastic and her face has a nice expression.

To make the mold

1. First, I dusted the doll’s face with cornstarch.
2. Then, I kneaded a lump of Fimo to soften it, and then flattened it slightly so it was bigger than the face of the doll.
3. To create the mold, I gently (but firmly) pressed the Fimo onto the doll’s face.
4. Starting at the top, I carefully peeled the Fimo off the face of the doll.
5. I gently pressed the mold back into shape.
6. Following the directions on the Fimo package, I baked the mold and then let it cool.

To make the doll mask

1. Dust the mold very lightly with cornstarch or talcum powder.
2. Press kneaded, prepared Fimo (or any clay that you can bake at home or air dry) into the mold.
3. Carefully remove the Fimo from the mold.
4. If the Fimo changed shape as you lifted it out of the mold, gently bend it back to the shape you want.
5. In the edges (flaps) on either side of the face, create holes for the ribbon.  (I used the point of a mechanical pencil.)
6. Bake Fimo (or any clay) according to package directions.

The result is a mask that you can paint, add ribbons to, and tie onto a cloth doll as a mask or an alternative face.

By studying full-size masks — including Native American designs and Italian masks — you may think of more elaborate designs to modify your doll masks.

Stylized, modern doll head

In the lower row in the photo above, you’ll see a mold that creates a very simple face for a doll. This is a very stylized doll’s face, with a brow, a nose, optional area for eyes, and you can add a mouth if you want… or leave it blank.

It’s a little like faces in artwork by Paul Klee, and inspired by the figures on Easter Island.

To make the mold

I started with a small ball of kneaded Fimo. I smooshed it flat — about 1/4 inch thick — and smoothed the edges.

Then I cut out a three-sided notch with a paring knife.  That notch is the size and shape of the figure’s nose.

After cutting the notch, I smoothed its edges.

Next, I curved up the lower edge of the clay mold.  That created a handle that makes it easier to use the mold.

Then, I punched a small hole in the handle — with the tip of a mechanical pencil — so I can put a string through the mold, to hang it with others on my studio wall.  (I wish I’d done this with all of my molds.  It makes storage much easier.)

I baked the mold, following the directions on the Fimo package.

To use this mold

1. Roll a ball of Fimo (or any clay you can bake at home, or air dry).  Prepare to experiment with various sizes of lumps of clay, to get the proportions you want for your doll’s head.
2. Place the ball of clay on a smooth surface.
3. Press the mold into it
4. Carefully lift the mold from the clay.
5. Add as many details as you want*, or leave the face that simple.
6. Add a neck to your doll.  (Generally, I roll a piece of clay and smoosh it onto the base of the head.)
7. Push something round-ish through the neck sideways, to create a hole big enough for a piece of wire.  (I’ve used round toothpicks to make this opening, or a piece of spaghetti, or an orange stick, or a big yarn needle.)  That hole will enable you to attach the head to a wire armature/body, or sew the doll’s head into a stuffed cloth body.
8. Bake the head according to Fimo (or other clay) directions.

*If you’re going to add beads or jewels or something else as eyes or other decoration, create a gentle indentation for each of them, but don’t add them until after you bake the head.  Otherwise, the beads might melt, crack or even explode.

Summary

With an existing doll** or a simple design concept, and some use-at-home clay such as Sculpey or Fimo, you can make molds for doll’s heads and faces.

Then, you can use those molds to make doll heads or doll masks, also from home-baked (or air dried) clay.

**WARNING: Do not use a modern, copyrighted doll, particularly if you’re planning to sell or even give away the dolls you create.  Though I can’t advise you about copying the doll’s face for your personal use, it absolutely cannot be copied to make dolls you’ll sell.

This is the second page of a two-part interview with British dollmaker Ambermoggie.

Q. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could take just a few supplies with you, what would you need to make dolls?

A. If I were stranded on an island the items I’d need would be wool, wire, a needle and cotton and paint. I could make my own felt and the wool would also make the dolls hair. With paint I could make any colour and by thinning it down dye the fibres. I’d hate to not have a doll in progress… it doesn’t feel right.

Q. What’s your best advice for someone who’s just beginning as a dollmaker?

A. For anyone starting out I would say: Just play and let your mind lead you to your kind of doll. There are no right and wrong ways to make dolls; there are only people’s interpretation of the ideas within. I’d just go for it.

If after that you want to take classes that’s good, but don’t feel that is the only way to learn. It isn’t. I’ve never been able to take any classes in any of the arts I do but it doesn’t stop me having a go.

Q. Do you have a special way of displaying dolls that you keep, or your own collection of dolls?

A. I display my dolls that I keep on a fairy tree .It has tiny christmas lights on and the dolls. These change quite often as I tend to give most of them away.

For me the joy is in making them and then the pleasure people get from receiving them, They seem to bring something to people and that for me is the best reason to make them.

The ones that I most remember from selling were made for auctions to raise money for 9/11. People gave most generously and I received some lovely emails saying how they loved the dolls. I like the idea that my dolls are in many private collections around the world for one reason – they are loved. Not bad for someone who, up to a few years ago, was too scared to make anything.

Q. Do all of your dolls have names when you make them? If so, does the name “come to you” or do you think it up deliberately?

A. I don’t name them usually if they are going to other people; I leave that to them. I just think of them as a representation of the element they embody . I have named some of the figures that I’ve kept, from characters in books.

For example, I have one with feathers and gems who is my idea of Margaret Pye (Magpie) in the Charles de Lint Some Place to Be Flying. His work has influenced me the most. I see characters I want to make in all his books. Charles and Maryann have quite a collection of my figures and also commisioned one for a friend of theirs several years ago.

Q. Your art is always breathtakingly beautiful. Where do you plan to go with your dolls and figures in the future?

A. I look now at the first doll I made. She is sitting on my desk as we speak with her brush in hand, ready to create. The ones I make today resemble her but yet are different and that is what I’d like to continue doing: Moving ever on in different directions from this beginning.

I’m currently exploring pixie feet, faces and hands, and that is fun.

I’m also enjoying getting back to writing stories. I’ve had quite a few dolls and other items in magazines and I’d like to do more of that.

I’d also enjoy teaching some more. I did a workshop last summer at a camp we were at. There were 30 people there from around 4 years of age to 80, both male and female. It was a shock when I saw how many were waiting for the class, but we had great fun. Everyone made a doll and each one was different. It was so much fun to see how they all did.

Q. Is dollmaking an evolutionary process for you, and–if so–where do you see your dolls and figures going, in the future? Were there significant discoveries ∓ turning points for you, along the path?

A. The most significant stepping stones for me and my art were: Firstly, I could make something that reflected what I could see. Secondly, that following your heart is the most important tool in making dolls. Thirdly, that it doesn’t matter that I can’t cut a straight line or turn tiny fingers out of fabric with these stiff and clumsy fingers of mine. Finally, that I make my dolls and my art for me. That other people love them is a bonus… but not the reason to do it.

Aisling’s notes: Sukie–also known as Ambermoggie–has been a friend of mine for several years, and I’ve admired her dolls and figures for even longer. I was delighted when she agreed to an interview, because I know how busy she is. One of these days, I hope to visit her studio in England.

Q. Your dolls are wonderful! How would you describe what you do as a dollmaker?

A. I make elemental figures and goddess dolls primarily. However I’m always trying new ideas because it stops me getting bored.

Q. How did you get started as a dollmaker?

A. I’ve been making dolls for around 10 years, ever since my husband encouraged my “inner child” within to come out and play.

In my past, I had never been allowed to make things. So, it took me a long while to work up the courage to show the items I made to anyone.

Then, my husband purchased a computer for me to take my mind off my health problems.

While browsing the Internet, I found forums on different crafts. I had never heard of rubberstamping until this. I asked questions and became interested in the idea of papercrafts, and I started to make rubberstamped cards and gifts. From rubberstamping, I went on to mixed media collages and embroideries, followed by freeform beading.

One dark winters unday I was reading Somerset Studio and saw the call for artwork and a story. I started to write a story and part way through had to stop and go ask my husband “How will I make this doll I want to make?” Between us we figured it out and my first elemental was born along with a story. It went to the magazine–and unfortunately wasn’t printed–but that set me off on my elemental journey.

Q. What do you like best about being a dollmaker?

A. My favourite aspect of making them is waiting to see what they want to be. I can never make 2 alike and I never know which element I’m making until I start.

Q. Describe the creative process, when you’re making your dolls and figures.

A. I make my framework and then the doll decides what colour it is. I like the spontaneity of this… It’s an adventure! I do get ideas for other dolls and try to journal them. I then go back to them days or even weeks later, and see what I’ve written and what suggests itself.

I am not very good at drawing so I draw word pictures of what something will look like.

I also get a lot of ideas for stories and art as I am going to sleep. I used to find it hard to sit up and write them down. However my lovely husband gave me a dictaphone for Christmas which is ideal for those sudden inspirations at bedtime.

This is a 2005 interview with Italian doll artist Stefania Morgante. This is a very informative interview, and you may want to print it out to read offline.

Q. What kinds of dolls do you make?

A. Italian…? I don’t know; Italians tell me that I make American dolls and the Americans say that I create Italian-style dolls. I like to think that my dolls are very international.

Mostly, I like to create unusual effects with materials, especially papier-mache. For example, my Pinocchio figure isn’t really made of wood; he’s papier-mache. I’ve also developed a porcelain effect with papier-maché.

And, I love materials of all kinds. They spark my imagination. I love weldments in copper, I love essential oils and terracotta, spices, leaves, beads, stones, bells, and… anything that piques my curiosity!

Last but not least, I love my dolls to have a “lack of perfection.” You will never see symmetry in my dolls.

For example, see my cloth bears. One of my recent teddy bears, Ichnusa, won First Prize (Undressed Bears category) in the 2004 Italian Festival of Teddy Bears.

Q. How did you become a dollmaker? How long have you been making dolls and figures?

A. I have been creating dolls since I was a child, and I have been collecting them for years, too. I think that I inherited my mother’s passion for creating things. She specialized in dresses made with little pieces of fabric that no one would ever have thought to use.

As I grew up, I used to paint, create sculpture and, when I wasn’t studying or reading… Well, I followed my mother’s example and kept creating.

I went online about five years ago and discovered the international world of dollmakers. I met many people, and soon my American friends encouraged me to open my own dollmaking workshop. That has become www.gufobardo.com. Soon I will have dolls patterns, dollmaking kits, and cross stitch patterns.

Also, I hope to offer art lessons, including instruction in painting. And, I have an idea for a challenge to connect the USA and Italy! 2005 will be a very exciting year for me.

Q. Did you study art in school?

A. Yes. I studied at the Art High School in Lecce. Lecce is in the little region of Puglia, and it is best known as southern Italy’s most important Baroque city. Lecce’s craftsmen are respected worldwide for their papier-mache art, especially for religious sculptures.

Then, I attended the DAMS University in Bologna (Art, Music and Performance) where I got my degree in Shapes Theory. My thesis was based on a Sylvia Plath poem that was, in turn, inspired by a de Chirico painting.

Q. When you make dolls, do your ideas arrive all at once? Or, do you have a few ideas, and then later think of some more, and–eventually–this becomes a doll?

A. I plan a doll as I would plan a sculpture. It’s the same approach. I start with something that I saw while traveling, a note, a sketch, or perhaps a fabric in a shop. Sometimes the idea comes from a dream and I’ll sit down to work on it that same day.

At other times, I think-think-think and then–when I see a decoration or a fabric–actually start work after some days or months.

I think that a doll, like any artwork, emerges from layers of ideas, and from things already seen: from books read, vegetables of flowers in my garden, or something that I noticed on TV.

Q. What inspires you as an artist, and as a dollmaker? Do you ever run out of ideas?

A. My country inspires me. I get inspired by the remarkable artistic tradition we have in Italy. For example, this was the birthplace of the Renaissance, and Italy has always been one of the world’s great artistic centers.

The food, the music (Rossini, Verdi, Paganini and so on…), and our characteristic creative spirit inspire me: colors and shapes of our small region, our rich history, culture, and Italy’s legendary wine and food. And, I love our continuous capacity to renew arts and craft. I attended the Bologna university, Europe’s oldest continuing institution of higher learning, and possibly the world’s oldest university!

And finally, my parents are native Italians, one from the south and the other from the north, so I think I can say that I’m completely Italian. And so, my country inspires me.

I won’t make the same doll over and over, just as I don’t want every day to be the same. I love to make things–dolls, sweaters, patterns, kits, angels, witches, amulets, talismans, and thousands of others things–but each one is different!

Q. Tell us how you make each doll unique.

A. Do you need cuddles? Do you want a new atmosphere in your house? In your life? Do you want an angel to protect you? Do you want a special gift for your wife? These are some of the requests that I get as a dollmaker, and I love this!

In Christmas 2003, I was asked to make a witch doll for a girl passing through an awful period. So I wrote a “magic formula rigamarole” and I tied it to the doll’s arm. The girl has been so happy, the lady who ordered it bought a second one for herself! I think to dream is indispensable for everyone!

Q. How do you name your dolls?

A. Well… sometimes my dolls haven’t a name until they are finished. And, sometimes the name is in my mind when I start, but it doesn’t suit the doll, after all. I love the sound of some words like “Camilla,” “Desiderio”(one of my angels is called Desire), and “Coriandolo” (coriander). These words inspire figures.

For example, right now I’m creating a cross stitch pattern of a colorful cat, and I don’t know why, but it’s called “the dreams of Theo”.

And, occasionally I give dolls to my friends’ children, and they have changed the dolls’ names. For each child, the doll seems to have another name. I don’t know why, but this always delights me.

Q. If someone wants to become a professional dollmaker, what advice would you give them?

A. Consistency, perseverance, discipline, and a sense of your own artistic identity. Learn from every person you meet. Remember, communication is essential! Keep these in mind, and good fortune will result.