Bandana Baby Tutorial

This quirky little doll is another bandana project. (Can you tell I bought a few bandanas?) It is made of one bandana and is intended as a quick and easy doll for a young child. It could also work as a puppet, as you can get your hand up under it to move the arms and head. It is inspired by the handkerchief babies my grandmother made for me a few times by simply folding the handkerchief and knotting the points to form arms and legs.

1. Start by folding the bandana in half from point to point as shown.

2. Fold the wide end down about 5".

3. Fold each end straight down.

It should look like this. (My bandana has a variegated color.)

4. For face and hands, cut a square about 7" and two about 3" and draw a 5" circle on the back of the big square and 2 1/2" circles on the other two squares. Sew large gathering stitches around the circles. Stuff with polyester fiberfill and pull the stitches closed. These will form the head and hands.

5. Set the face in the top of the bandana and pin in place.

6. Sew in place about 1/2" under the edge of the opening.

7. Sew the front together from the "chin" to about 4" down.

8. Sew the hands in at the end of the "sleeves".

9. Knot the "feet". If you want to, add beads for eyes and mouth. If this is for a baby, I would leave off the beads and even the hands for safety reasons. 

 

  That's all there is to it. You can make on in no time at all! It's a baby only a very young mother could love, but it leaves a lot of room for imaginative play. 
I'm off to paint the house......... (UGH!)