The Magic Bean

Free Two-Sided Kokeshi Panel Doll Pattern with Tutorial

Quite possibly one of the easiest types of cloth doll to make are panel dolls.  With a pre-printed front and back you simply sew around the outside of the doll, stuff it and voila!

I was fooling around with the things I learned in the Illustrator course I am taking.  Scratch that.  I was diligently perfecting the skills I recently picked up in my Illustrator course and came up with a simple image of a Kokeshi doll.

Kokeshi dolls are a traditional Japanese dolls usually made from wood and painted.  Here I've used the look of the Kokeshi doll to create a simple panel doll that you can print onto printer ready fabric with your home printer.  I stuffed my Kokeshi doll with lavender so that I could use her as a sachet, but it would be just as easy to stuff her with toy stuffing and use her as a toy.

 

Here's how to make one:

What You'll Need:

• The free printable panel, just click the link to Download Kokeshi doll

Tip:  If you are having trouble downloading the panel doll then please ensure that you have Adobe Reader installed and that you have updated your Adobe Reader.  It is free to both download the reader and to update it, just click the link to visit the Adobe site.

• Printer ready fabric sheets such as Jacquard InkJet Cotton Fabric
• Sewing machine, thread, scissors, hand sewing needle
• Polyester stuffing
• Lavender (optional)
• Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash (optional)
• Access to a home printer
• 1/8" (3mm) wide ribbon for hair

 How to do it:

 1.  Print the Kekeshi doll image that you downloaded above onto paper first, just to make sure that it prints correctly.  Once you are confident that the image is printing properly, follow the printer ready fabric manufacturer's instructions to print the photos onto the photo ready fabric. I advise feeding one sheet into the printer at a time. It is also usual to leave the paper backing on the fabric for 24 hours after printing to allow the ink to dry fully. 

2.  Optional:  I find that printer ready sheets can have a quite crispy texture once the paper is removed, so I like to soak the sheet in Eucalan No Rinse Delicate Wash.  The lanolin in the Eucalan conditions the fibres and improves the hand of the fabric.  This step is not strictly necessary but I like that the process both improves the feel of the fabric and ensure that any excess ink is washed away. 

3.  Fold the fabric in half with right sides together, matching the outline of the front and back of the doll exactly. Pin layers together.

4.  Sew around the outer outline of the doll as accurately as you can.  Leave a small opening along one side of the doll.  Be sure to back-stitch at the beginning and end of your stitching.

 

5.  Cut out the doll leaving a 1/4" (6mm) seam allowance around the seam.  Clip into the curves at the neck and hair and trim the bottom corners.  Turn right side out through the opening.

6.  Stuff your doll using a pair of haemostats if you have them, or alternatively use something like a chopstick to get the stuffing into place through the opening.  First fill the doll's hair buns and head with polyester stuffing.  I chose to use my doll as a lavender sachet, so I filled the rest of the doll's body with fragrant lavender.  However, if you intend to use the doll as a toy, continue to stuff the body lightly with stuffing.

7.  With a hand sewing needle and thread, ladder stitch the opening closed.

If you don’t know how to do the ladder stitch, have a look at this diagram.

I’ve used red thread so you can see the stitch better. The blue lines indicate where the thread is travelling through the fold of the fabric. When you pull the thread taut the two bits of fabric butt together. You should pull the thread taut as you go, but I have left it loose at the end here so you can see the stitch better. 

When you have closed the opening, finish by anchoring your thread and bury the tail in the body of the doll.

8.  Tie a piece of 1/8" (3mm) wide ribbon into a bow around each of the doll's hair buns.

9.  Give the doll's body a light press with an iron where you have used polyester stuffing (that might be the whole doll or it might be just her head).

Enjoy this little Kokeshi doll!

Freebie Friday - Last Minute Christmas Ideas for Wrapping and Setting the Table

Set the scene for Christmas with some of these gorgeous ideas and tutorials for everything from wrapping to setting the Christmas table.

If you are new to the Magic Bean, every Friday I do a round-up of free craft tutorials on a certain theme. So stop by every Friday for your weekly dose of free crafts. Or browse posts of Christmas past by combing through the "Free Craft Tutorials & Patterns" category (just click the link) or use the Google Search function on the top left of my blog to search for something specific.

Wrapping

Alisa Burke shares an idea to use decorated paper bags as Christmas wrapping paper complete with stunning rosettes and bows.

While browsing on One Pretty Thing I spotted this chandelier stenciled gift bag tutorial offered on the Plaid website.

Amy at Positively Splendid made some very beautiful printed twill ribbon to wrap gifts.  She provides the free printable text and a tutorial so you can make your own ribbon.

For many years I've been wrapping my gifts with Kraft Paper so I loved this round up of ideas on Emmaline Bride for making Kraft paper look spectacular under your tree.

Cards and Tags

Kirsty Neale has a selection of free Christmas card templates that you can download from the Papercraft Inspirations website, including this sweet angel.

The Three Sweet Peas has a great set of stunning holiday gift tags that you can print off for free.

Digi Art Cafe has some very cute primitive looking gift tags that are free to print out.

Don't forget my very own free printable typography Christmas gift tags. Click the link to get the free download.

For more free printable gift tags and wrapping ideas, revisit this post from last year where I rounded up some of my favourite free printables and categorised them by style from elegant to funny.

Table Settings

Print off a free Holly Leaf template to use as a place marker at the table, courtesy of Martha Stewart.

Martha Stewart shares a free downloadable template and instructions to make angel place markers from paper plates.

Martha comes through again with a free downloadable template to make a paper tree place marker.

Amy at Positively Splendid used a pine cone and a hammered tin can to create absolutely stunning place card ornaments.  You have to see them to believe it, so click the link.

I Gotta Create shared a tutorial to show you how to transform simple raffia and cardboard into beautiful napkin rings that would be gorgeous gracing any holiday table.

Kiki from Kiki Creates guest blogged at Craft Snob and shared a tutorial to make Christmas treat buckets that would make great party favours, particularly for kids.

Kristen Duke Photography shared some free printable Christmas jokes for you to use at your Christmas meal (or to perhaps include in a Christmas cracker, if you make your own?).

I hope this Freebie Friday helps your last minute Christmas preparations.  Merry Christmas everyone!

Free Printable The Heart of Giving Thank You Cards

When I was a little girl, my mum drilled into me the need to say thank you.  She said to greet every gift with enthusiasm, even if it was completely wrong.  She said to find at least one nice thing to say about it (that you mean) and then to say thank you.  And mean it.

This lesson was put to the test one Christmas when I was about 6 (My mum has since corrected me on this point in the comments, apparently I was 4).  I desperately wanted a walking doll for Christmas - you know, those large dolls that are meant to be only slightly shorter than the child who grabs onto their shoulders and makes them walk.  My grandmother had bought me one as a gift, but it came without a box, so my mum and dad offered up a box.  Said box had packaged the wood axe that my father had received for his last birthday.  The doll was duly inserted into the box and wrapped. 

When my six year old self unwrapped the package on Christmas morning, I took one look at the box and thought "Grandma's giving me axe?  That can't be safe.  And I don't think I can lift that."  But that was all internal dialogue.  Because I had been so drilled to be thankful, I immediately enthused, "Oh Grandma, an axe just like Daddy's.  Thank you so much!"  My grandmother laughed and laughed and told me to open the box.  When I pulled out the walking doll, I said "Oh phew, it's a walking doll."

I was very thankful for my Grandmother's gift and I think she was thankful for the laugh. 

If you want to pass on your thanks this Christmas - for axes or dolls or even new Christmas socks, download a free printable Thank You Card:

Download The Heart of Giving Thank You Cards

Print on card stock and cut out, then, fold down the centre.  The card will fit into an A6 size envelope (which is 4" x 6" for the North Americans).  If you buy yourself some stamps, you'll be all set to get thankful this holiday.

Have I said thank you for reading my blog yet this year?  Thank you.  From the bottom of my heart.

Free Printable Typography Christmas Tag Collection

Warm up your printer because I have some lovely free printable Christmas tags for your wrapping pleasure.

  

Download Typography Christmas Tag Collection by clicking the link. Tip: If you are having trouble downloading this document, try updating your Adobe Reader.

 
Then, print the Typography Christmas Tags onto white card, cut them out (if you have a paper guillotine, use that), punch a hole at the top with a hold punch and voila! Free Christmas tags in 6 different designs.

That's Christmas all wrapped up!