Homemade Headcoverings For 18-Inch Dolls

 

I am a Christian woman and I wear a headcovering, so of course my dolls wear them too. Several years ago a few moms asked me if I had any ideas for easy headcoverings for their daughter’s 18-inch dolls and this post is the fruit of my labor. In the picture above you’ll see half a dozen Springfield Craft Dolls each wearing a different type of headcovering. They range from simple headbands to long veils to lacy bun covers. Some of them are no-sew. Some require a bit of stitching.

We’ll start on the left. You can see Maria wearing a hijab style headcovering over a blue headband (similar to the green one on Abby, the blond doll). The headband is really easy to make; you can see the method below. The white hijab is made from stretchy t-shirt fabric. I used an old white undershirt (that my youngest son had outgrown) for the fabric and then sewed it with a zig-zag stitch on my sewing machine. You must use a stretchy fabric for this pattern or it won’t fit the doll’s head properly.

Hijab Headcovering Pattern

 

Now, in case you  are wondering why I offer a pattern for a Muslim style headcovering, you may trust that I have a very good reason. In all of the testimony I’ve heard from formerly Muslim women who have converted to Christianity, there is one motivation they all  share over and over again. One of the biggest reasons they converted to Christianity is because of the warmth, kindness and forgiveness that they experienced from other Christian women. As a Christian woman, this really affected my perception of myself. I realized that part of my duty as a Christian is to be kind and loving to others, and to teach my children and grandchildren to do the same. So, as a Christian woman, I have taken it upon myself to always be kind to the Muslim women I see in the supermarket and about town. I treat them the way I would like to be treated, with kindness and respect. Because it’s the right thing to do. In my understanding of the bible, hostility and a cold shoulder do not serve God’s purpose. Love and kindness do.

And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven: Luke 6:31-37

I realize that there are lots of political and tragic events between Muslims and Christians in the International scene. I am not in charge of that stuff. Besides praying for peace, there is little I can do to affect it one way or the other. I have not been called to the missionary field in other countries. However I believe we can all do our part for His Purpose. For me this means being kind other women, regardless of their religious affiliations. This is how I serve God to the best of my ability in my own small, humble way.

Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. Matthew 7:12

Don’t worry ;-). You don’t have to agree with me to use the patterns and ideas found on this page.

Enough preaching and on to the next headcovering.

Olivia, the red haired doll, is wearing a Springfield Dolls brand scarf, simply wrapped around her head and tied in the back. It’s an easy, no-fuss way to wear a headcovering, and it doesn’t stand out as odd, which is especially important for headcovering beginners and children.

Next we have Madison. She is wearing a bun-cover made from a lace doily. This is a medium-sized lace doily. You can find them at Dollar Stores and Department Stores. They cost $1 or $2. All you do is get a length of narrow ribbon and a safety-pin. I start off with a yard of ribbon and trim it as necessary. Place the safety pin in one side of the ribbon and then weave it in and out of the holes around the outer edge of the doily. Draw up the ribbon to tighten it around a bun. Trim the ribbon so it’s not too long, but still long enough to be tied easily. This can be worn by people and dolls. On Madison it looks a little like a lace mob cap. On a person it looks like a bun covering. Quick, easy, no-sew. A kid can easily make this themselves.

Abby is wearing a very simple headband. It’s another no-sew idea. This is simply a regular people headband, with a knot tied in it. The knot is centered at the lower back of the doll’s head, underneath her hair. Some women who cover do not consider a headband to be an actual headcovering. I’m of the opinion that when we begin to wear a covering we need a lot of grace. There have been times in my life that this was the best I could do. Also, girls, especially if they attend public school, may need a headcovering that doesn’t stand out too much. I believe that under such circumstances a headband can be a perfectly legitimate alternative.

Also, easy huh?

Emma’s headcovering is similar to the bandana worn by many who cover. To make it I cut out a 12 or 13-inch square of fabric and then hemmed the edges. If you don’t sew you could use hem tape or iron-on glue to hem the ends. You could also cut the square out with pinking shears (the kind that cut a zig-zag line) and, assuming you used a tightly woven fabric, the edges wouldn’t fray too much and will still look tidy.

To wear the headcovering you simply fold it half, making a triangle, wrap it around the doll’s head and tie it under the hair, at the back of the doll’s neck. I used a pink printed gingham for Emma’s covering and folded all of the edges of the square under before hemming in place with a straight stitch on  my sewing machine.

You’ll notice that the part that goes around the doll’s face is somewhat stretchy because this is the bias of the fabric. If you make headcoverings for yourself or your daughters please note that they fit better and hang more neatly if the bias of the fabric is the part that wraps around your face. This is what makes bandanas so easy to wear.

Lastly, Gina, a discontinued doll, is wearing a cotton handkerchief as her headcovering. White cotton handkerchiefs make great coverings for little girls and for dolls too. They can found very affordably at Dollar Stores. Dollar General and Family Dollar both have 3-packs for about $2. Sometimes you can find very pretty handkerchiefs at Thrift Stores and yard sales. I always keep an eye out for them.

To wear the covering I simply folded the handkerchief in half, wrapped it around Gina’s head and tied it under her hair, at the back of her neck. It’s very pretty and I admit, probably my favorite of the entire collection.

That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace. Psalms 144:12