I was very honored when Etsy recently asked if I’d be interested in making a new craft to post on their blog. I decided to make these fabric nesting dolls. The idea for them came after I painted a set of nesting dolls for a friend of mine. She said I should try making some nesting dolls that her niece and nephew could play with; maybe using fabric. They turned out to be very simple to make, and are suitable for the 0-3 age group, but also fun for older kids too. You can stand them up and even use them as puppets. If you want to try making your own, check out the post on the Etsy blog, with more photos and full instructions. Could be a fun gift idea for the holidays!

36 Responses
  1. The Little List

    These are adorable. You come up with the most wonderful designs for toys. It's always a treat dropping in here.

  2. samanthacurrie.com

    These are super dooper awesome!

    I like things better that aren't made out of cereal boxes – cause I spend half my life explaining to the kids that they can't have cheerios (or nearly every other cereal)as it is so bad for their teeth! :)

  3. Joel Henriques

    Thanks everyone!!

    suna – Nice! Your dolls turned out great! I love the drawings. What fabric did you use? It almost looks like ultra suede? Cool!

  4. Jamie

    Oh my, THANK YOU! I just finished the cutting and drawing…all I have to do now is the sewing. I'm so very excited to give these to my niece and nephew for Christmas.

  5. Sew Flippin Cool

    Hey Joel,

    I loved this idea so much I just had to do a few sets for myself. So fun!! You can see how mine came out here – http://wp.me/pkcUM-wU. Thanks for the idea. The families I gave them to loved them!!

  6. Emmeline

    This is a fantastic idea – I have just completed a set for my niece who is about to get her first baby brother or sister any day now. I made the dolls to represent my niece, her mummy, daddy, new baby and kitty-cat. They may not remain as sturdy as yours however as all I had to hand was felt for the backing!
    I can't wait to make another set! Thank you!

  7. Figliuluccia

    Thank you so much Joel! Yesterday was a beautiful day, and in a way, it was because of you (excuse me for my english's lingo!!!) you can see my Nesting dolls on my blog, you'll can see that they have travelled a lot to arrived in a small French town for a nice birthday's party! Thank you again and again!!!

  8. Joel Henriques

    Thanks everyone!

    Figliuluccia – Wow, those look fantastic! What a beautiful party. I love the photos. Thanks for showing me!

  9. I saw your web site and started just clicking away then I saw your nesting dolls. I thought hmmmm.. I wonder if I could make some of my own dolls with the same shape with cross stitch. They are all the same size tho. http://dawnmlc.deviantart.com/art/Medieval-Castle-and-Characters-326481334 The medieval folk needed a 3D castle– which was slightly over stuffed–still looks like a castle! There has to be an easier way to sew 3D things then the way I did it!! Will see with my next project.

    I have lots more characters via my etsy store. http://www.etsy.com/shop/FoxyLoxyCrossStitch

    1. Awesome Dawn! Those are great! I’ve seen a four panel sewn castle before that folds and stands up. It’s got cardboard inside to make it stiff. I think it was by Habba Toys. Anyway, yours is awesome!