ARTISTIC RUBBER STAMPS
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PROJECT #2----BY SHERRILL KAHN
Doll Making

Other completed dolls!

DOLL MAKING WITH “IMPRESS ME” RUBBER STAMPS

It is incredibly easy to make a variety of dolls using “Impress Me” rubber stamps.  The possibilities are endless, even using the same stamp over and over. Children can make this doll with guidance. The dolls can be left as is or can be turned into pins, centerpieces for necklaces, decoration for handmade books, or any other creative project that you decide. So have fun and unleash that creativity that all of you have!!!  

CHILDREN SHOULD BE SUPERVISED!!!

BASIC SUPPLIES

Fabric and Stuffing:

Muslin---quilter’s muslin---at least ¼ yard of bleached or unbleached. I do not pre-shrink the fabric when making dolls. Iron the fabric very well before starting.
Fabric for the back of the doll---it can be painted muslin or commercial fabric---you won’t need very much—about 1/8 yard will do it.
Stuffing---I often use cotton balls that can be found in most drug stores, but some artists prefer using polyester fiber fill. I have used both and they both work fine. The choice is up to you.

Paint and Coloring supplies:

Acrylic Paint---A variety of acrylic paints can be used: For bottled acrylic paint from the craft store---I use Ceramcoat, Folk Art, and Americana craft paint. For tube acrylic paints, I prefer Golden.  For liquid acrylics, I prefer Golden.
Fabric Paint---you can also use fabric paint, but it must be heat set. The fabric paints that I use are: Jacquard fabric paints (especially Lumiere for gorgeous metallics), Versatex, Createx, and Ranger.
Applicator tipped paint---Tulip, Plaid, and Jones Tones applicator tipped paints work very well. These paints are used for highlighting selected areas.
Fabric stamp pads---the most popular ones are Fabrico by Tsukineko, and Crafter’s Ink by Clearsnap. (optional)
Permanent markers---to draw decorative details on the doll.
Water soluble markers---to create color washes over rubber stamped doll images.

Tools:

Sponges---I use “hydrophilic” sponges when doing rubber stamping. These are sponges that never harden. They can be purchased at Wal-Mart under the brand name “Stanley” in the paint department, and also at large warehouse home improvement stores under various brand names. The key thing to look for is that the sponges always remain soft and never harden, even after being wet. Typical household sponges are cellulose and harden after being wet. Cut the sponges into 1 ½” squares with a pair of Fiskars soft touch scissors or heavy kitchen shears.
Scissors---Fiskars soft touch scissors, or heavy kitchen shears.
Brushes---you will need one small detail brush—it doesn’t have to be expensive.  Some of the new synthetic brushes are fine. You will also need one flat tipped brush, also synthetic. You can purchase more brushes if you wish, but you really don’t need them.
Spray bottle---one that has a fine mist spray.
Stuffing Tool---You can create your own stuffing tool by taking a 6 to 8” piece of 16 gauge wire and flattening both ends with a hammer. Rubber coated copper wire, easily found in most hardware stores, will work if it is stiff enough. Remove the last inch of rubber on either end of the rubber coated wire and then hammer the tips flat. File the edges with a small file or even a metal nail file if you don’t have a small file. Make sure that the wire is stiff and doesn’t bend easily.
Sewing Machine---a sewing machine is optional, but having one will speed up the completion of the doll. You can also sew the doll by hand with very small running stitches.
Sewing supplies---needle, thread to match the color of the doll, small sharp sewing scissors, ball headed pins, seam ripper, etc.

Embellishment Supplies:

Beads---you can embellish with seed beads if you wish or any other beads. Sew the beads onto the doll before or after stuffing it.
Buttons of all sizes to decorate the doll.

Decorative thread, ribbons, cords, trims, and yarns

Charms and dangles

Miscellaneous Supplies:

Freezer paper to use as a palette and to cover your work area. Cut some of the freezer paper into 12”x12” squares for a palette. Roll the freezer paper several times in the opposite direction of the fold to flatten it.
Old shirt to protect your clothing.
Paper towels folded in half---have a stack about 2” tall.
Water containers---two large shallow containers---one to clean the stamps and one for cleaning brushes and sponges.
Fabric glue---there are many glues that you can use for fabric---check your sewing or craft store.
Toothbrush---old toothbrush to clean the rubber stamps.
Plastic to cover the table you are using.
Hand brush to clean your hands after working

"Impress Me" Doll Rubber Stamp

If you don't already have any of our doll sets, you can order them from us!
Click here to view our doll sets.

INSTRUCTIONS
(Click on the images to view them full sized,
use your browser BACK button to return.)

1. Choose an “Impress Me” rubber stamp to make a doll. The doll can also be an animal if you wish.
    
2. Rubber stamp the image onto your cloth:
1. Place a piece of well ironed muslin onto a piece of freezer paper on your work area.
2. Place your “Impress Me” doll rubber stamp face up on a paper towel adjacent to the piece of muslin.
3. Squeeze one to three colors of paint onto your freezer paper palette--one color on top of the other. The paint you use is up to you, but all fabric paint must be heat set if you choose fabric paint.
4. Dip a dry sponge square into the paint.
5. Pat the paint onto the rubber stamp with the sponge. Make sure that the paint is evenly distributed onto the stamp by patting all over the stamp with the paint.
6. Turn the stamp face down onto the piece of muslin.
7. Use your fingers to press the rubber stamp evenly across the back of the stamp to get an even impression onto the muslin.
8. Remove the rubber stamp.
9. Wash the rubber stamp in water using your old toothbrush, or leave it in the water to clean later.
10. Troubleshooting:

1. The rubber stamped impression will be affected by the weave of the fabric. Inexpensive muslin will not give good impressions.

2. If the impression is too light, not enough paint was applied to the stamp.

3. If the impression is too dark and the detail has been lost, too much paint was applied.

4. To get a perfect impression, fabric stamp pad ink can be used, such as Fabrico by Tsukineko, or Crafter’s ink by Clearsnap. Both of these have to be heat set before further coloration.

3. Color the rubber stamped impression with water soluble markers.
    
4. Spray the markers with a fine mist spray bottle. The colors will run and create a nice surface to paint on. The rubber stamped impression will show through the sprayed washable markers. Let the fabric dry and then iron it very well to heat set the colors.
5. Paint details onto the marker colored fabric with acrylic or fabric paint.
6. Paint a piece of fabric to use for the back of the doll, or else use commercial fabric.
7. Pin the rubber stamped doll and backing fabric right sides together using ball headed pins.
    
8. Sew the doll together. Using a sewing machine, set the stitch length to 1 and sew all the way around. If sewing by hand, using tiny running stitches.
9. Painting the edge of the doll: Using full strength acrylic paint, brush acrylic from the stitching line out about ¼” on the front and the back of the doll. I usually use craft acrylic from the bottle for this step since it is easier to use. I shake up the bottle and paint directly from the lid with my flat ¼” brush.
    
10. After the paint has dried, trim the doll to about 1/8” from the stitching line using a small pair of sharp sewing scissors.
11. Paint the raw edges of the trimmed doll with the same color of acrylic paint that you used to paint around the doll in step 10.

 Stuffing the doll:

1. Cut a small slit at all of the key points on the back of the doll. The slits should not be larger than about ¼”. The angel dolls only need one slit about an inch down from the neck. On more complex dolls, you will have to make slits at the top of the arms, legs, arm joints, etc. Each doll requires different stuffing points and you will have to decide where to make small slits for stuffing.
2. Stuff the head, arms and legs first: take a very small part of a cotton ball or tiny piece of polyester fiberfill and stuff it through a slit with your stuffing tool. Keep stuffing until the doll is firm in that area. Then stuff the next area. Stuff the center of the doll last. The doll should be very firm.
3. Cover the stuffing slits with fabric motirfs: (refer to the archives of this website for E-zine number one for extensive information about how to create fabric motifs). If you can’t find this reference, fabric motifs are created by rubber stamping a design, then gluing three to four layers of fabric together. I usually put the stamped piece on the top and a painted piece of fabric on the bottom of the glued stack. If the motif is going to be glued to your item, it is not important to have the bottom piece of cloth decorated. Let the glue dry completely and then trim the design with a sharp pair of scissors. Finish the cut edges with paint. Fabric motifs make wonderful decorative elements and are very easy to do.

Decorating the doll:

1. The doll can be decorated with more paint. I like to paint checkerboards along the acrylic painted edge of the doll. In addition, you can paint more details on the front and the back of the doll. You can rubber stamp details with various paint colors on the front and the back of the doll.

2. The doll can be decorated with dangles and decorative yarn and threads.

3. The doll can be decorated with beads and buttons. These can be sewn on  before sewing the doll together if you wish.

4. You can draw details on the doll with permanent markers.

5. You can add hair to the doll with yarn or strips of fabric.

6. You can add a mask to the doll by using one of the “Impress Me” mask stamps and creating a fabric motif. (see step 12c for information about fabric motifs).

It will be impossible for you to make just one doll. The dolls are great fun to make. The important thing is to make the whole experience joyous and to try all sorts of different decorations, paint combinations, embellishments, and rubber stamps!!!    Have fun!!!

SHOWN BELOW ARE EXAMPLES OF THREE FINISHED DOLLS
SHERRILL CREATED USING THESE TECHNIQUES:

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