Felt “Paper” Dolls are a great DIY quiet activity for toddlers and older kids. I made these as Christmas gifts last year. Felt dolls are fun like paper dolls but a lot sturdier! I made a boy and a girl version.
Supplies – Felt (different colors/patterns), scissors, pattern, freezer paper & iron (optional), small box or bag to store final project.
1. Download & Print Pattern for Doll & Clothes
Free Printable Pattern – download PDF here.
2. Trace Pattern & Cut Out Shapes
Freezer Paper Trick: Trace your pattern onto freezer paper and iron it shiny side down onto your felt. Then cut out both layers (pattern & felt) at the same time. Peel off the freezer paper and you have a perfectly shaped felt piece! TIP: Use SHARP fabric scissors. If you don’t have freezer paper just use regular paper and pin the pattern onto the felt and cut out the shape.
3. Create & Decorate
Felt sticks to felt, so the clothes will stick to the doll. I glued a few extra decorations to personalize the shirts (for example I added a butterfly to the pink shirt, a dinosaur for the boy, etc.)
4. Display / Store
I put the finished project in a snap lid box with a picture book of some of the outfit possibilities. I took pictures of outfits and put them in a small photo album, looks like a mini clothing catalog. Be creative! Other Display ideas – Use a Picture Frame – take the glass out and replace with a piece of felt or use an easel to create a display board. You can also just include a rectangle piece of felt that’s slightly bigger than the doll. The table works fine too, you don’t need a special display. Be creative and enjoy!
Great DIY gift idea for 2.5 years old and up.
Other ideas- make a “costume” box to dress up your felt doll for holidays. Create scenes out of felt – we built a house and learned about basic shapes too. We made a snowman and Christmas tree out of felt too.
Downloads are free, but I’d love if you would leave a comment! What are your favorite quiet time activities? Are you making any gifts this Christmas? What do you make out of felt? Follow me on Pinterest too!
I linked up with I Should Be Mopping the Floor, Craft-o-Maniac, Homemaker on a Dime, DIY Showoff, Alderberry Hill, Project Inspire.