How to make a basic body
How to make hair, face, and clothes
- 1. Decide on the size of the doll to make
- 2. Print the pattern
- 3. Cut the pattern and paste it together
- 4. Transfer the pattern onto the fabric
- 5. Sew the face (head)
- 6. Sew the body (torso)
- 7. Sew the face and body together
- 8. Sew the lining
- 9. Sew the outer material and lining together
- 10. Fill with cotton
- 11. Close the hole at the back of the head/Complete
- 12. Completion
Download this pattern here
Decide on the size of the doll to make
Please print it out in "actual size" on A4 size paper to check the hand size of the person using the puppet. The guide can be downloaded from the link below.
Once you have decided on the size, purchase the pattern and download it from the link provided after purchase.
print the pattern
Please print the downloaded data at the indicated print size (A4 or A3).
Please note that if you order the wrong print size, we will not be able to provide a refund.
A "3D drawing" is included in the pattern, but it is not used in the "Basic Edition". Please see the “Advanced Edition” for how to use “3D drawings”.
Cut the pattern and paste it together
Cut out each part from the printed pattern
Cut the fabric according to the shape of the pattern
Make sure to cut the triangular parts of the pattern and the matching seals* as well.
For example, if it says "x2 pieces", you will need two parts, one on the left and right, and if it says "x4 pieces", you will need to cut out four parts, two on the left and right.
- [Joint seal]
- Marks for overlapping fabrics
Transfer the pattern onto the fabric
Sandwich the charcoal paper between the pattern and the fabric and use a wheel to transfer the pattern.
This pattern has a seam allowance of 5mm.
Therefore, basically, if you sew 5mm from the edge of the fabric, it will be finished according to the pattern.
However, there are places where it is difficult to see the sewing lines, and there are exceptional places where the seam allowance is not 5mm.
We recommend that you take at least a photo of the parts shown on the left.
sew the face (head)
The first thing to sew is here on outer material A. Fold the fabric inside out* and sew the “A” darts*.
The letters from A to O are written on the pattern. Basically, start sewing in order starting from A.
(1) Sew the “B” darts* in the same way.
Sew the "C" darts* on outer material B in the same way as the "A" and "B" darts*.
Turn the outer material B into two pieces, right side out*, and sew along the "AD" line. Be careful not to sew the “stops” together.
- [Darts]
- To make the fabric three-dimensional, a part of the fabric is sewn into a triangular shape and pinched.
Turn the two pieces of outer material C right side out* and stack them together, sewing along the "EF" line.
Make two ears by sewing together two pieces on the left and right sides.
Turn the ears sewn together in step (5) inside out and fill them with cotton. Stuff the left and right ears with the same amount of cotton.
After filling with cotton, sew the ear openings closed. Please sew 2-3mm from the edge of the fabric.
(If you sew more than 5mm from the edge of the fabric, this seam will be visible when the face is sewn together.)
Overlap the matching marks* for outer material A, selvage, and outer material B.
Sew around the outline of the face.
Turn it over and the face is complete.
sew the body (torso)
Turn outer material D and outer material E inside out* and sew the sides.
Sew "JHJ" by matching the armholes* on the torso and the matching marks* on the arms.
When sewing the sleeves, stop just before the side seam allowance and sew the rest, being careful not to sew the side seam allowance.
Sew together the shoulder part "GJ" of the torso and the arm "JK". At this time, do not sew the armhole* seam allowance.
This way, when you turn it over, it won't strain.
Make cuts on both sides of the thumb to the very edge of the seam so that it doesn't stretch when you turn it over.
Align the edges of outer material E and sew the back together.
The body is now complete.
sew the face and body together
With your face facing up and your body facing down, insert your face through the hole in the body and align the dowel marks* on the neck.
Sew around the neck once, aligning the markings* on the face and body.
Turn your torso and arms face up.
The outer surface of the puppet is now complete.
- [Middle table]
- Layering the fabrics face to face together
sew the lining
Layer the two pieces of lining A, right side out*, and sew the sides.
Align the armholes on the torso* and the joint marks on the arms* and sew "NMN" together.
Sew from the end of the arm to the top of the torso, and then sew all the way to the end of the opposite arm.
The puppet's lining is now complete.
Sew the outer and lining together
With the outer material facing up and the lining facing down, insert the outer material from the hem and match the matching marks* on the hem.
With the outer material facing up and the lining facing down, insert the outer material from the hem and match the matching marks* on the hem.
Pull out the outer material from the hem of the lining.
Fold it over so that the front (face) of the outer material and the lining overlap.
Sew about 1cm around the seam allowances at the top of the head and both shoulders to prevent the outer material and lining from shifting.
The purpose of sewing a little seam allowance is to prevent the lining from turning up when you put your hands on it, so basically you can sew anywhere.
Recommended places are marked with ◯
Pull out all the outer fabric and lining through the hole in the back of the head.
It is OK if the arms are lined as well.
stuff with cotton
Fill the hole in the back of the head with cotton little by little.
Stuff the cotton in the areas that are difficult to insert first.
In particular, it is necessary to carefully avoid the lining when inserting the ``fingertips'', ``arms'', and ``front of the body''.
If you stuff cotton with only the appearance from the outside in mind, you'll run into the problem of not being able to handle it.
Occasionally, touch the puppet to adjust the amount of cotton.
Once you have filled it with a certain amount of cotton, sew around the edge of the hem so that the lining is not visible.
Close the hole in the back of the head/Complete
Close the hole at the back of the head with a U-shape*.
- [U-ji Festival]
- A type of "blind stitch" that is used to close the opening, etc., to prevent seams from appearing on the front and back sides of the fabric
Complete
This concludes the “basic” puppet making process.
