If you make beautiful shoes for a doll to update her wardrobe, your daughter will be happy with such an update. At the same time, you can share with your child the joy of creating beauty with your own hands, and become even closer while doing something interesting. In addition, if you achieve mastery in making doll shoes, this can become not only a hobby, but also a way to earn extra money by selling designer products at a fair.
Which material to choose
Various materials can be used to make shoes:
- leather or leatherette;
- textile;
- crocheted or knitted;
- made using bead weaving;
- can be made from paper using the papier-mâché technique.
Shoes can also be made from various plastic materials: clay, plasticine or similar.
Tools
To complete the work, you need to prepare tools and materials:
- scissors;
- threads and needles of various sizes;
- centimeter;
- paper and pencil;
- glue;
- laces;
- transparent glue "Moment";
- soap or chalk, needed to outline the doll's legs;
- material for making doll shoes.
Depending on the production of a specific type of footwear, additional tools and materials may be required: fittings, knitting needles, beads, pliers, etc.
Taking measurements and constructing a pattern
In order to make beautiful doll shoes, it is necessary to take the doll's measurements correctly. This can be done in two ways, depending on its size.
In the first case, you need to take the following measurements:
- calf circumference (for a boot);
- shape and size of the foot;
- shoe height.
For small dolls, it is usually enough to outline the foot with a pencil. In this case, it is necessary to pay special attention to the accuracy of the outline. For this, it is important to hold the pencil vertically while taking measurements. Then, during the manufacturing process, the shoes are adjusted to size.
Step by step instructions
When making boots for a doll, the pattern looks like this.
Making shoes for dolls is not difficult. However, it is necessary to do the work carefully and accurately. For a big-foot doll, the sole is cut out of rubber, cardboard, leather or other similar material. The dimensions for this are obtained by accurately tracing the doll's foot with a pencil.
When all the sizes are determined, to make doll shoes with your own hands, the patterns are drawn on cardboard, then they are carefully transferred to the leather.
Upper part
Fabric, leather or leatherette are often used to make the upper part. To do this, you need to prepare two parts for each leg. The front part will be used to make the toe, and the back part will be used to wrap the heel. The first part is shaped like a triangle. The second is a wide strip.
First, install the front part. Wrap it around the insole so that it is tucked under it by a few millimeters and glued to it. After that, install the back part in the same way. In this case, it will also be necessary to tuck a narrow strip of material under the insole and glue it.
Insole
The pattern for leather doll boots includes an insole.
It is usually made of cardboard, which is cut to match the shape of the sole. Two strips of leather, approximately one and a half centimeters wide, are cut out for each foot. Their length should be such that one of them covers the back of the insole, and the second - the front. Each strip is bent so that one part of it is at the bottom of the insole, and another - at the top. Together, they completely cover the edge of the insole. They are glued along the entire length on both sides of the insole.
Connecting the top and bottom
In the previous stages of production, the upper part of the shoe was attached to the insole. At the same time, it was slightly bent and glued at the bottom. The sole is cut out of rubber. A leather strip is glued to the bottom of the insole in the middle.
The upper part needs to be glued to the sole. Now the main part of the shoe making work is complete.
Decorating
After the doll's shoes have been sewn, you need to make holes for the laces. It is convenient to use an awl for this. You need to thread the laces through the holes and tie them nicely.
Please note! You can use appliques, beads, embroidery or other decorations as decorations.
You can make the shoe in a different way. One possible option involves using felt for the sole and attaching the parts without using glue - with a needle and thread. First, you need to make holes with an awl through which they will be threaded. In this case, you can use, for example, a pattern for sneakers for a doll.
Other types of footwear
Here are some different ways to make doll shoes.
For miniature dolls
The manufacturing method described here is convenient to use for relatively large dolls. If they are miniature, you can use, for example, the following option.
In this case, the pattern of doll shoes is based on the correct determination of the shape of the sole.
A paper clip of the appropriate size can be used as a base for the sole. It needs to be bent so that it exactly matches the doll's foot. It is covered with sole material on both sides.
After this, they are attached to the leg with tape. This is especially convenient if you need to make heeled shoes with a correspondingly curved sole for the doll.
The tied shoe base is used to glue the remaining parts to it: the long heel and the front of the shoe. The pattern of handmade doll shoes in this case is only needed to make the sole.
From beads
The top of the shoes can be made entirely of beads or seed beads. To do this, you need to tie a thread around the doll's foot and then string glass beads on it.
The result is beautiful, high-class shoes that can be compared to Cinderella's crystal slippers.
Using clay
You can make shoes using polymer clay. In this case, for each foot, make a small rectangular block with a dent for the foot. Then, two strips are made from this material - for the front and for the heel. They are placed on the doll's foot, then the shoes are given the required shape, corresponding to the pattern of the doll's shoes.
After the shoes are made, they need to be baked. The temperature conditions under which this should be done are specified in the instructions for use for polymer clay. After baking, the craftsman must perform the final polishing of the shoes.
Please note! For decoration, you can paint. With the help of glue, you can stick on various decorations: bows, beads, sequins or others.
You can make moccasins for your doll out of clay.
From papier-mâché
With the help of such material, you can make elegant and durable shoes. In this case, for example, a pattern of boots for a doll can be used. Before starting work, the doll's foot must be smeared with a very thick cream. For this purpose, you can also use Vaseline.
You will need to prepare paper for the work. It should be torn into small pieces and thoroughly soaked in water. The first layer will be formed from it. The rest are made from dry paper. Each subsequent one is carefully coated with glue and left to dry completely. Only 18-20 layers will be required. If you make too many, the shoes will not look miniature.
Before proceeding to the next stages of work, it is necessary to allow the workpiece to dry for 24 hours.
Next, make the sole from a regular eraser. The heel is made from matches or similar material. After this, three more layers of papier-mâché are placed on the shoes removed from the doll and left to dry.
The final finishing is done by painting.
A doll for whom shoes were made will look much more beautiful. Having spent a little time and effort, having taken care of your daughter's favorite doll, you can give her a lot of joy.
