How to Make Yarn Doll Hair - Machine Sew & Hand Stitch
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Time to read 13 min
We’re creating beautiful yarn doll hair today with a fast and simple technique. If you've ever wondered how to achieve that perfect fluffy, full head of doll hair, you're in for a treat!
This comprehensive guide will teach you the step-by-step process for making gorgeous yarn hair that stays securely attached through years of play and cuddles. In this doll hair tutorial you’ll learn:
- How to cut dozens of pieces of yarn hair the same size.
- The best foot to use on your sewing machine when stitching over bulky projects like this.
- Hand stitching techniques to secure the hair pieces in place so they wear well, even with hard toddler play!
Ready to follow along? Pick up the Mally Rag Doll Pattern to join in the fun!
Jump ahead in this yarn doll hair tutorial:
Why Choose Yarn Hair for Your Dolls? Materials You'll Need for Perfect Yarn Hair Step 1: Creating the Foundation Braid Step 2: Cut Your Yarn Hair Strands Video – How to Make Doll Hair from Yarn Step 3: Machine Stitching Your Hair Pieces Tips for Machine Stitching Over Yarn Step 4: Fold Over the Braid to Finish the Yarn Hair Pieces Step 5: Hand-Stitching Hair to Your Doll Attaching the Short Hair Piece to the Doll's Head Creating the Doll's Crown Hair Styling Your Doll Yarn Hair Troubleshooting Common Yarn Hair Challenges Caring for Dolls with Yarn Hair Products Featured In This Blog Frequently Asked Questions Learn More About Quilting
Why Choose Yarn Hair for Your Dolls?
Dolls with yarn hair are classic. Ever heard of Cabbage Patch dolls? Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls? Now you can create look alike rag dolls with a big mop of yarn hair!
Yarn creates texture, warmth, it’s inexpensive, and available just about everywhere in a million colors. You can create a wide variety of hair styles and looks to fit your doll, too.
Unlike synthetic doll hair that can tangle or fall out, properly constructed yarn hair doll creations are durable, washable, and can be styled and trimmed to your heart's content.
The technique shared in this post creates individual hair pieces that attach securely to your doll's head. Best of all, this yarn doll hair technique works with any yarn weight and color, letting you create everything from flowing princess locks to short pixie cuts.
Materials You'll Need for Perfect Yarn Hair
Before diving into the doll hair-making process, gather these essential sewing supplies. Affiliate links to Amazon are used in this post to link to relevant, tested products at no additional cost to you.
Yarn Selection:
- Choose a soft, durable yarn like Red Heart With Love or similar acrylic yarn
- Amount needed: 1 skein could likely make enough hair for a dozen dolls!
- Color of your choice (natural tones or fantasy colors work equally well)
Tools and Notions:
- 12-inch square rotary cutting ruler
- Soft measuring tape
- Sharp fabric scissors
- Sewing machine
- Open-toe applique foot or walking foot
- Thread matching your yarn color
- Hand sewing needles and embroidery needles
- Small clips or pins
- Thumb thimble (helpful for hand-stitching phase)
Step 1: Creating the Foundation Braid
The secret to professional-looking doll hair starts with creating a strong foundation. Begin by measuring and cutting three 40-inch lengths of yarn. Don't worry about being perfectly precise – we’re cutting these pieces longer than they need to be.
Tie the three yarn pieces together with an overhand knot at one end to prevent unraveling. Now braid the three strands together to create a foundation for your yarn hair pieces.
Do you remember how to braid friendship bracelets? It’s super simple!
- Secure the knot to a chair or heavy book, then cross the left strand over the middle strand.
- Next cross the right strand over the middle strand.
- Repeat, left across the middle, right across the middle.
- The strands change place each time, left cross, right cross, left cross, right cross. As the yarn pieces switch position, the braid grows quickly.
When you run out of yarn, you’re done and the braid is complete. Tie another overhand knot to secure the end from unraveling and we’re ready for the next step.
Leah's Braiding Tip
Try to maintain the same tension on the yarn throughout the braid.
- If you pull too tight, the braid will get skinny.
- If you let the strands slide through your fingers, the braid will become wide and loose.
Aim to create a consistent, sturdy braid by maintaining the same tension on the yarn pieces throughout. This foundation braid will be nearly invisible in the finished hair, but it provides the structure that makes yarn doll hair attachment so much easier and more secure.
Step 2: Cut Your Yarn Hair Strands
Creating full, natural-looking locks of yarn hair requires cutting lots strands, all roughly the same length. The fastest way to do this is to wrap the yarn around a ruler, then cut along the edges to create dozens of strands all at once.
Using your 12-inch ruler, begin wrapping yarn around it densely, starting at the 6-inch mark and wrapping to the 1-inch mark. This creates approximately 5 inches of wrapped yarn.
Keep your wrapping around the ruler loose – tight tension will shorten your finished hair length. The goal is to wrap enough yarn that you can't see the ruler through the strands, creating a thick bundle that will create a big mop of doll hair.
Once you've achieved good coverage, carefully cut along both edges of the ruler, creating two bundles of 12-inch yarn strands.
Now divide these into two sections: one smaller section (about 4 inches worth of yarn) for the back of the head, and one larger section (about 7 inches of yarn pieces) for the crown of the doll’s head.
Video – How to Make Doll Hair from Yarn
Do you need a visual guide to this yarn hair making process? Watch how I make doll hair for my Mally dolls step-by-step in this video:
Step 3: Machine Stitching Your Hair Pieces
This is where the magic happens! Using your sewing machine, you'll sew the cut yarn strands to the foundation braid, creating two stable and easy-to-handle yarn hair pieces.
Question – Can I do this step by hand?
If you are really determined and super patient, yes, you can stitch dozens of yarn strands to the braid by hand. It will be challenging and slow.
Personally, I can just see yarn strands going everywhere and probably getting distracted before it's done, which would just make a big yarn mess all over the place... but if you only hand stitch, give it a try and let me know how it goes!
You don’t need a fancy machine to do this technique. Just a basic sewing machine with a straight stitch will help you achieve professional results with doll making. Make sure to use thread that matches your yarn color exactly. I'm using orange thread in this tutorial just so you can see the stitches, but it can show, so make sure to match thread to yarn, and use the same color in your bobbin too!
Attach an open toe applique foot to your machine (also called a satin stitch foot), set the machine to do a straight stitch with the needle in the center position. Adjust the stitch length to 2.0 mm.
These are the settings I like, but if you find your foot not feeding well, increasing the stitch length can help to give the feed dogs more force to feed the yarn through.
If you don’t have an open toe foot, check out this Deluxe Foot Kit which is compatible with most inexpensive sewing machines that use snap-on feet:
This foot set includes an awesome snap-on open toe applique foot AND an open toe walking foot. Either foot will work great for this technique.
- Start with the longer hair section. Place your foundation braid behind the presser foot (never put the knot under the foot – it will get stuck and the machine won’t be able to feed).
- Measure 7 inches from the needle down the braid and mark this point with a clip or pin.
- Arrange your larger bundle of yarn strands over the braid, centering them carefully. The braid should run down the middle of your yarn strands. Lower your needle and begin stitching with a straight stitch.
Tips for Machine Stitching Over Yarn
- Stop every inch to smooth and reposition the yarn
- Keep the foundation braid centered under your stitching
- Watch out for the foot gagging - it can easily stop feeding if you try to stitch over too many strands at a time
- Apply firm pressure with your fingers to help feed the thick layers through
- Don't worry about perfection – you'll be doing multiple passes
After completing the first line of stitching, rotate your work 180 degrees and sew back across, about 1/8 inch to one side of your first stitching line.
Don’t worry if this line lands exactly on top of the previous line of stitching or if you veer off the braid a bit. Stitch slowly and stop often to keep everything aligned and moving steadily through your machine.
Step 4: Fold Over the Braid to Finish the Yarn Hair Pieces
This final machine-stitching step ensures this lock of doll hair will last forever! Fold the foundation braid over the stitched yarn, essentially sandwiching all the hair strands between two layers of braid.
Stitch down the center of this folded braid, creating a third line of stitching that locks everything together.
This technique ensures your yarn hair will withstand years of brushing, styling, and play. It also creates a finished side with only one line of stitching so if the hair does part in the wrong spot, it will still look good!
Repeat this entire process for your shorter 4-inch hair section, creating a second hair piece for the back of the doll's head.
Step 5: Hand-Stitching Hair to Your Doll
We're on the home stretch! It's time to attach your yarn hair doll pieces to create that perfect head of hair! This part requires hand stitching the hair pieces to the doll’s head.
Question – Can I do this step with my sewing machine?
No, you can’t feed a stuffed doll head through a sewing machine – it’s too bulky.
Also for the line of hair down the center back of the head, it would stitch a line through the middle of the doll's face. And I don't think that's the look you're going for!
Question – Can I glue the hair pieces in place instead of stitching?
Yes, if you’re making a doll for display only, glue will work just fine. However, if you’re making a rag doll for a child, hand stitching is key to securely attaching the hair.
Attaching the Short Hair Piece to the Doll's Head
Start with your 4-inch hair section. Position your doll face-down on a table with her legs pointing away from you. I like to do hand stitching on the couch with a pillow to support the doll.
You can stitch on the yarn hair working up the back of the head towards the head seam, or you can follow the image above and stitch on the hair piece from the top of the head down. This is entirely up to you.
Within the instructions for the Mally Rag Doll Pattern, you’ll mark this center line on the back of the doll's head. Place the hair piece along the marked line, with the "wrong side" (the side with two lines of stitching) facing the doll head.
I fold the edge of the hair piece under 1/4-inch to create a nice finish. Thread a hand sewing needle that feels comfortable in your hand (I like a size 9 sharp) and tie an overhand knot to secure the two thread tails together.
Insert the needle into the back of the doll's head along the marked center line. Begin stitching the hair piece to the doll.
Take small stitches through the fabric, then through the foundation braid, working your way up the center back of the head.
Occasionally backstitch to secure your thread and ensure the hair is locked in place.
If the hair piece extends beyond the head seam that connected the front and back of the head together, or beyond the marked line, fold the extending section under. This adds extra fullness of hair to that spot, so win-win!
Creating the Doll's Crown Hair
For the longer 7-inch hair piece, fold the section in half, find the center point and mark it with a pin. This center point will align with the 4-inch hair piece that’s already attached.
Place the large hair piece on the head and pin it in place from the top center of the head. If you still have enough thread left from stitching the back section, you can continue stitching down one side of the doll's head.
Stitch this longer piece around the crown of the head, following the seam line. Stitching the hair in place will be more challenging because you're stitching through seam allowances in addition to the yarn hair.
Use a thimble to protect your thumb as you push the needle through the fabric layers.
After stitching from the top down the side of the doll's face, secure the thread with a knot and hide it behind the hair piece. Cut a new piece of thread and stitch the opposite side of hair from the top the same way.
The hair should curve around from one "ear" to the other, creating natural-looking hair to frame the doll’s face.
Professional finishing tip: When you reach the ends of each hair piece, fold the braid under about 1/2 inch before securing. This creates a clean, finished edge and adds extra fullness to the sides of your doll's face.
Styling Your Doll Yarn Hair
Once both hair pieces are securely attached, you'll have a doll with gloriously full yarn doll hair! Your doll hair is now ready for styling:
Trimming and Shaping: Use sharp scissors to trim the hair to your desired length. The technique naturally creates layered, textured hair that looks remarkably realistic.
Adding Volume: For extra fullness, you can "unkink" plied yarn by carefully separating the individual strands. This time-consuming technique creates incredibly voluminous doll hair that photographs beautifully.
Styling Options:
- Ponytails and braids hold beautifully
- Gentle brushing with your fingertips or a wide comb creates soft, flowing styles
- Hair accessories like ribbons and clips work perfectly
Troubleshooting Common Yarn Hair Challenges
Thin or patchy hair: If you don’t like the effect or want more fullness, simply stitch more yarn hair pieces and sew them to the back of the doll’s head.
Uneven length: Don't worry! Yarn hair is meant to be trimmed and shaped after attachment. Sit your rag doll on a chair and give her a trim. Just remember to measure twice and cut once because this hair won’t grow back!
Machine feeding issues: If your machine struggles with the thick layers, try using a walking foot, or hand-walk the machine slowly through difficult sections.
Caring for Dolls with Yarn Hair
Yarn hair dolls are surprisingly low maintenance. The hair can be gently brushed, washed with mild soap, and even trimmed as needed.
Treat any doll with yarn hair as you would a sweater made from the same yarn. Hand wash gently, squeeze out the excess water, then place the doll in front of a fan to dry completely.
Watch out for pilling! Acrylic yarns especially can be prone to form pills, or soft little balls of fiber. Use a lint comb to remove pills as you see them and restore your yarn doll hair to perfection!
Conclusion
As you can see from this tutorial, making doll hair from yarn is simple, fast, and fun! We also got to play with our sewing machine, use up some yarn, and revel in hand stitching time too. All around, this was a technique playground!
I hope you enjoyed learning how to make dolls with yarn hair and are ready to dive in to creating your Mally the Maker rag doll, or a Raggedy Ann and Andy doll. These classic dolls are classics for a reason – they are fun to make, beautiful to display, and so much fun to give away.
Now you know...
How to create secure locks of hair with just three lines of stitching on your sewing machine.
The importance of using the right sewing machine foot for the particular technique you're doing. If you don't use the right foot, you might not be able to feed the yarn and braid through the machine!
Hand-stitching techniques that will securely lock the hair pieces you've created to your doll's head.
Have you stitched yarn hair to your Mally doll yet? I’d love to add a picture of your dolls to this tutorial so everyone can see your take on this technique. Get in touch to add your photo to this tutorial!
The Author: Leah Day
Leah Day brought her beloved characters Mally and Ms. Bunny to life first in her novel Mally the Maker and the Queen in the Quilt.
Now she's made them "real" as huggable cloth dolls! Having taught thousands of makers through her detailed tutorials, Leah knows the power of handmade dolls to inspire the next generation of sewists.
Her doll-making patterns combine professional sewing techniques with beginner-friendly instructions, making it possible for anyone to create treasured handmade dolls to love, give, or sell.
Products Featured In This Blog
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of yarn is best for doll hair?
Low or no-pill acrylic yarn works great. 100% cotton yarns also feel great and wear well.
Do I need a machine with a zigzag function?
For the doll hair technique taught in this tutorial, no. We use 3 lines of straight stitching to create the hair pieces. You will need an open toe applique or satin stitch foot to easily stitch over the yarn and braid.
What kind of glue would you recommend for doll hair?
Remember, only use glue if you're making your doll for display, not for a child to play with. I recommend this glue found on Amazon based on the reviews and volume of purchases (20K in the last month!).
