Today, I wanna share my experience making a darumaka doll. This little guy is a traditional Japanese craft, full of good wishes. Let’s get started!
First, I gathered all the materials needed. I found some red fabric for the body, black fabric for the eyes and details, white fabric for the face, stuffing to fill it up, and a needle and thread. I also used a marker to draw the features.
Cut out a big circle from the red fabric. This will be the doll’s body. I made sure it was a decent size, not too small, not too big, and a round circle shape.
Then, I sewed a running stitch around the edge of the circle. I did a basic up and down motion, nothing fancy, around the edge. After that, I gently pulled the thread to gather the fabric, like making a little pouch.
Next, I stuffed the pouch with the filling. I pushed it in until the doll was nice and plump, like a well-fed little round figure.
Once it was all filled, I pulled the thread tighter to close the opening and tied it off securely. I made a few extra knots to make sure it wouldn’t come undone.
Drawing the Face
- I cut out a smaller circle from the white fabric for the face.
- Then I drew a simple face with the marker. Usually, these dolls only have one eye filled in at first.
- Next, I stitched the white circle onto the red body where the face should be.
Then, from the black fabric, I cut out shapes for the one eye and the beard. I glued these onto the white face. Some people sew them on, but glue works just fine for me.
Finally, I added some details with the marker, like the mouth and some patterns on the body. These dolls are known for their bold expressions. In the end, the little guy was all done! Making this darumaka doll was a fun and rewarding experience. It’s a simple craft, but it feels good to create something with your own hands. Plus, it’s a nice reminder to stay focused on your goals and wishes.
I hope you had some fun following along. If you ever try this out, remember to have fun with it. There’s no strict way to do it, so just use your own idea and see what you create.
