How to Create a Doll With Clay Using a Porcelain Mold
- 1). Create a doll head blank. Sculpt a basic, blank head shape like that of a wig stand, proportioned so the face from the mold will be the right size. Leave the face smooth and blank. Sculpt a slightly extended neck and bore a hole through the clay, front to back, at the extended point; this will help you attach the head to the rest of the doll later.
- 2). Mold the face. Press the blank area of the face into the porcelain mold. Apply pressure to the back of the head using several fingers at once, or pressing with part of your cupped palm. This will spread out the pressure and cause the least amount of shape distortion to the sculpted head.
- 3). Smooth out any seams from the mold by smearing them with your finger. Re-shape any portion of the head that may have become misshapen during the molding process.
- 4). Bake or air-dry the clay according to the manufacturer's instructions.
- 5). Create a wire frame body. Twist five pieces of wire together and trim them to form a shape like a stick figure body (a central wire "spine" with two stick arms and two legs). Thread the "neck" of the figure through the hole in the bottom of the neck to attach it.
- 6). Sculpt hands, feet or any other features you plan to leave exposed on the doll using the same clay you used for the head. Bake (you can bake polymer clay a second time, as well as bake wire along with it) or let these dry to hardness.
- 7). Build the rest of the doll's body. For a fixed, figurine doll, sculpt the rest of the body in clay. To make a posable doll, form the body by wrapping the wire frame in layers of yarn until it's thick enough. Secure the yarn with knots, using a new knot for every couple feet of yarn. Secure the final knot with yarn.
- 8). Dress the doll in clothing. Glue hair to the head to finish.