Free Sewing Pattern: Waldorf Bunting Doll

Print out your free sewing pattern, then follow along this free sewing tutorial for how to make a Waldorf Bunting baby doll!

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Today I will be showing you how to sew a Waldorf baby doll!

This simplistic style of baby doll is great for beginner doll makers.

Traditionally, this style of Waldorf doll is gifted to younger children as it resembles a bundled up baby.

The style of this doll can be altered however you prefer:

You can attach no hair, and leave the bonnet attached to the head. Great for beginner doll makers who are intimidated by making hair!
You can create a small amount of hair to attach to the doll (like I did) and keep the bonnet attached to the head.
You can create a full head of hair, and let the bonnet be detachable (the bonnet is reversible!)

The pattern for this doll is completely free!

Print your pattern out at the bottom of the page, then follow along my photographed tutorial below!

Let’s get started!

Happy sewing!

Supply List:

Cotton Interlock fabric for the head
Gauze Inner Head tubular tubing (1 1/8″)
Unwaxed Dental floss to shape face
Wool to stuff your doll with
Thread and hand sewing needle
Sewing machine
Knit (preferred) fabric for the body
Cotton (woven preferred) fabric for the bonnet and neck frill
Crochet hook
Wool locks for hair (optional)

Step 1: Cut and sew the head and body

Print out all of your pattern pieces.

Connect the pattern pieces with tape as instructed.

With the head and the body, you will trace your patterns onto fabric and sew through two layers of fabric — THEN, and only then, will you cut them out.

For the bonnet, you will trace your pattern onto the fabric, cut, and then sew.

Trace your body onto 2 layers of fabric.

I used knit fabric, but you do not have to use knit fabric.

If you use woven, use a straight stitch while sewing. If you used knit fabric, use a short zigzag stitch.

Sew around your body. Leave the neck open!

After you sew your body, cut your body out. Leave a 1/2″ seam allowance around all of your traced lines.

For the head, trace your head on the fold (as marked on the pattern). You want your stretch to stretch out WIDER, not taller.

Sew on your traced lines, leaving the top of the head open, as marked.

Cut out your sewed head.

Set aside.

Step 2: The bonnet and neck frill

For the bonnet, trace and cut 2 pieces of fabric for the lining and two for the outer bonnet. Cut out two pattern pieces for the ties.

The neck frill has the same template as the bonnet ties. The only difference is that you will trace and cut the neck frill pieces on the fold of the fabric, so that they are twice as long as the ties.

Cut two pieces of fabric for your neck frill.

To create the bonnet, place the two pieces of outer fabric right sides together. Sew around the top and back of your bonnet.

Repeat for the fabric lining.

Place your outer fabric and lining of the bonnet right sides together. Sew along the bottom line of your bonnet (you will be sewing through 2 layers of fabric only — don’t accidentally “close” your bonnet!).

Next, turn your bonnet right side out.

Fold the raw edges around the “face” of the bonnet inside the bonnet.

Then, top stitch the raw edges closed, and top stitch the bottom of the bonnet.

For the ties, fold your ties as indicated in the picture below. This will encase all of your raw edges.

Sew the ties onto the bonnet.

To create the neck frill, sew the pieces of the neck frill right sides together, on the long edges only.

Turn your neck frill right side out.

Fold the raw edge on your neck frill to the inside of the frill (a similar process to what you just did with the bonnet).

Top stitch all the way around the neck frill.

Gather one of the long edges of your neck frill.

Set aside.

Step 3: Let’s make the head

Let’s make the head.

Start by rolling up a very firm ball of wool.

Continue wrapping it around until it measures around 12″.

Put the wool ball inside tubular gauze that has had a knot tied on one side and has been turned inside out. (see photo!)

Use unwaxed dental floss (it’s very strong, stronger than regular thread!) to tie the head into place.

If you need to make your head a little wider, you can use some wool roving to wrap around the head, and then put another layer of tubular gauze around the head. Just keep the size around 12″.

Create a neck by stuffing some wool and tying with your dental floss.

To shape the head, tightly tie dental floss around the center of the head, about where you’d like the eyeline to be.

Sew the dental floss into place on each side of the head (where the “ear” would be).

Use a crochet hook to pull the back of the dental floss down towards the neck. This helps to shape the cheeks on your doll.

Use a needle and thread to pull up some wool inside your head and shape the nose. Just go back and forth with your needle, pulling tightly to gather up a nice hard nose on your doll.

Tip: when creating knots on your doll, leave long tail ends of thread. Rethread these tail ends of thread with your sewing needle, and pull them deeply inside your doll and out again before cutting short. This adds strength to your knots, making them much less likely to come undone over time!

Place your inner head inside your cotton interlock fabric head piece you have sewn.

Make sure the cotton interlock fabric head piece has been turned right side out!

The smaller enclosed part of the head is for the neck. The open end is the half of this pattern piece for the head.

Sew the top of the head closed, making sure the fabric around the face stays as smooth as possible!

(Keep reading for how to attach hair to your doll!)

Step 4: Assemble your doll

Stuff the body of the doll with wool.

Move some of the wool out of the way (or take some out, as needed) to create room for the neck of your doll’s head.

Place the doll’s head in the body. Sew into place, folding the raw edge of the neck on the doll’s body down to hem it as you go along.

Sew any extra fabric around the shoulders closed, using a ladder stitch.

Sew the neck frill around the doll’s neck.

Decide if you want hair for your doll.

You can skip this part, or even put on a full head of hair using this tutorial!

I just put a few locks of wool through my sewing machine for this doll’s hair.

I then sewed the locks of hair directly on the top of the doll’s head.

Next, sew the bonnet into place, sewing ONLY through the lining of the fabric so the stitches are not showing on the outer fabric of the bonnet.

When sewing on the bonnet, it’s helpful to fold back the bonnet so you can better see and control your hand sewing needle.

I also carefully pulled back the outer fabric layer of the bonnet while sewing so it wasn’t hard avoiding putting stitches on the outer layer of fabric on the bonnet.

Sew the bonnet onto the back of the neck, too.

Then, tie a nice pretty bow on the front of the bonnet and sew it firmly into place so that it doesn’t come undone.

If you’re doing a full head of hair, you probably want to skip sewing the bonnet into place so the bonnet can be taken on and off of the doll!

Step 5: Final touches

Lightly mark where you would like your eyes to go on your doll, or use straight pins to mark where you think the eyes should go if you’re not immediately sure.

Take some time to think about your eye placement. Take some pictures of various eye placements to compare how your finished doll will look. Some people also hold up their doll to a mirror to get another point of view of eye placement.

Use colored thread and a hand sewing needle to sew eyes onto your doll.

Go side to side in one direction while embroidering your eyes.

Aim for a square shape for the eyes. Your doll will look friendlier!

Just like with the rest of your doll, leave long tails of thread and hide them deep into the body of your doll for extra strength!