Keep your Heads...when making Doll Heads

I have once again run out of pre-made doll heads. I admit, it's the least favorite part of making dolls in my book. I need good music and lots of strong coffee to make it through a head making session.

I can't believe I actually used to offer pre-made heads in my Etsyshop. I  cannot bring myself to offer them any more - because that would mean I would have to make even more heads...Don't care what you offer me. I ain't selling them no more!

What has always fascinated me about Waldorf style doll heads, is the fact, that a number of people will follow the same recipe or formular for making them, yet their dolls look completely different. Just browse the internet and compare different dollmakers. It's quite intrigueing.
Kind of reminds me of cooking. Our perceptions of the end product are so vastly different as cooks. Is it because our tastebuds are different, and we taste the food and add different amounts of seasoning? Maybe it's that way with doll heads, too?

I prefer a rather firm and roundish looking head. I like my heads to be proportionate to the size of the body I am making. I measure each head as I shape it and try to make them the same size for a 12 or 15 inch doll.

Do the ingredients used in the process make a difference? I am sure it is another factor. What type string are you using? I have tried many different things over the years. Some books recommend dental floss. Ever tried that one? I found that plain old cotton crochet yarn works best for me.

The wool plays an important role too! If it's not carded right and full of plant residue such as straw and leaves - you will get frustrated because you spend so much time picking out foreign objects...I like my wool to be fluffy, white, and super clean.
Over the years I have received bags of wool from friendly souls. Proudly someone will present to me a bag of wool they bought at a craft fair they visited. Sadly I can never use it because it was carded differently. Not sure what they did to the fibers but usually the fibers are matted together and I am not able to wind the wool into the balls.

That's how each doll head starts -  at least - according to my formular...
If you have never made a doll head before, don't give up too soon! It takes many tries to come up with a recipe that works for you. I wrote mine down on a card as a reminder. I look at it as my own special concoction - recipe card. LOL. Seriously, you would think after so many hundreds of heads I would know how to do it. But I love to have it handy, in case I lose my head (patience) and turn into a total basket case while making another batch of heads...

Doll Heads/ Puppenkoepfe

I am so sorry, dear reader! I do apologize if I bored you with my musings on soccer. But when you are German and a soccer fan, it just can't be helped... I promise I will not mention soccer again! Or at least for while...Just once more, for the records sake I have to report: Germany came in third in the World Cup. What a great game against Uruguay! Did you know that Uruguay has only 3.5 million people? Do they all play soccer? What a great team but Germany persisted. Millions of Euro spent on the sport can't lie...

Congratulations to Spain who won the title in the end! But boy, that was one ugly game! 13 yellow cards! Plus there should have been at least one red card for the carate kick by a Dutch player... Not much fun. Now I have to wait four more years for the fun to start again. Aren't you relieved I won't be talking soccer any more?

Not sure where the next World Cup is going to take place. Anybody know?

During the breaks in the games I worked on some doll heads. I admit it is not my favorite kind of activity. But I was all out of heads, and what is a dolly without a head? Doll heads are so much work. Making a number of them really hurts my hands after a while. But somebody has to the job of rolling the wool into smooth even round balls. I have no helpers or elves. Christmas is on the horizon. Curiously kids and husband refuse to be roped into this project...Sigh.

I think I was able to make 13 nicely shaped wool balls between watching free kicks, corner kicks, and goals. The secret is to get them perfectly smooth and make sure they do not have any holes or gaps, for once you stretch fabric over the wool any such gaps will show!

Voila! The perfect head! Now I just have to do it 12 more times...