I’ve really been enjoying coming up with new patterns for felt dolls! As I was making a list of potential patterns, I thought: “hey, why don’t I add in some influential historical figures?” My husband particularly loves Gandhi, so I decided that making a Gandhi doll would be a great way to kick off my historical figure dolls.
Gandhi Doll Pattern
Attached is the pattern page for Gandhi. You can either print the patterns on paper, or transfer the patterns onto something sturdier, like cardboard or card stock.
If at any point you need a more in-depth tutorial, I have a step-by-step video you can check out. It is particularly helpful with placing the pieces before gluing.
Step One
Print and cut out the pattern pieces.
Step Two
Using patterns as guides, cut out the pieces from felt. Fortunately, this pattern requires very few colours.
Step Three
Sew the body. I sewed the top part of the body first, leaving the bottom open so that I could stuff. Once I had the stuffing in the top section, I sewed the legs. It was tight stuffing the legs after, but I used a chopstick to help! If you are a confident sewer, you can sew around the feet as well, but I prefer to glue them.
Step Four
Using a glue gun, glue the arms, ears and feet, then attach the pieces. Again, if you are lost on placement, you can watch the video above. I do have a front and back view below as well that is also helpful.
Step Five
Add the details on the face. You have a few options here. Personally, I use acrylic paints. However, I suggest you go with your strength, which could include embroidery, fabric paints, or maybe even markers. I apply the paint with a stylus, but you can use a small brush, or even a toothpick for the fine details. If you aren’t feeling confident in the placement of the facial features, you can lightly draw them on first.
Use Your Gandhi Doll to Teach History
Kids love a good visual aid, and this doll can help you with that. Our family loves the “Ordinary People Change the World” book series when learning about amazing influential people. You can find them at your local library, or you can find the Gandhi book on Amazon here. They tell the life story of different people in history in an engaging way for all ages. If you haven’t checked out this series before, I highly recommend that you give it a try!
Looking for more doll tutorials? I have some Harry Potter dolls, Encanto dolls, and even Avatar dolls. More are coming, so be sure to check back often.
What historical figures would you like to see in doll form? Let me know in the comments!