Children, especially little girls, love playing with dolls well past the toddler stage, and these quirky dolls are great for this older age group. Fabric scraps, cast-off clothes and buttons are pretty much all you need to make them.

Finished size: about 45cm tall
Gather your supplies
Scraps of different stretch knit fabrics; matching thread; knitting needle; toy fill; sewing needle; 2 buttons for each doll's eyes

Note: Use a 3mm seam allowance.

Download your pattern template here

Here's how
Enlarge the patterns and cut out body parts as instructed. For boy: cut 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 heads, 2 shorts, 2 tops, 4 ears, 1 hat front and 1 hat back. For girl: cut 2 legs, 2 arms, 2 heads, 2 dresses, 1 hair front and 1 hair back.

Boy
STEP 1 With right sides together, stitch down leg and around foot. Turn right side out and stuff with toy fill using a knitting needle. Stitch 3mm down from raw edge and set aside. Repeat for other leg and both arms.

STEP 2 With right sides together, stitch around curved edge of head. Turn right side out and fill with toy fill. Stitch opening shut using the same method as for the limbs.

STEP 3 With right sides together, join 1 shorts to 1 top at the waist. Repeat for the back.

STEP 4 Stitch the top of the legs to the right side lower edge of the shorts. Stitch the arms to each side of the top, 3mm down from neck edge.

STEP 5 With all limbs folded into the body, join the front to the back, stitching around the body but leaving the neck edge open for turning. Turn right side out.

STEP 6 With the front of the head facing the right side of body front, join the head. Fill body with toy fill then, turning the allowance in, hand stitch back of neck closed.

STEP 7 With right sides together, stitch around outer curved edge of
2 ear pieces. Turn right side out and fill with toy fill. Close opening using the same method as for limbs. Repeat for remaining ear pieces. Attach ears to right side of hat front as pictured.

STEP 8 With right sides together and sandwiching ears, join hat front to back around outer curve. Turn right side out.

STEP 9 Hand stitch button eyes onto the face (head front). Place hat on head and hand stitch to base of neck to hold it in place.

Girl
STEP 1 Complete Steps 1 and 2 as for boy.

STEP 2 Stitch the legs to right side lower edge of the dress and the arms to the sides of the dress, 3mm down from neck edge.

STEP 3 Complete Steps 5 and 6 as for boy.

STEP 4 With right sides together, join hair front to hair back around outer edge and down around points. Turn through to right side and edge stitch on the right side, as pictured.

STEP 5 Complete Step 10 as for boy, substituting boy's hat for girl's hair.

Source: Better Homes and Gardens magazine, December 2006