Dolly DIY: share the dolly love

If you’re a novice or experienced at sewing, knitting or crochet, and would like to help the children of South Africa, here’s a way to share some dolly love!

The Uthando (‘Love’) Project provides free patterns to make dolls for children in a community ravaged by HIV and AIDS. The dolls are to promote expressive play, which is essential for children’s development and mental health. Your doll could be a child’s first toy, shared by the whole family.

Why dolls?: The Uthando Project website says “The dolls are an invitation to play. They will bring delight to the children and their carers. This play may help the child with grief and loss. To own and play with their own doll encourages a child’s development in all spheres: physical, intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual”. Ah, so that’s why we play with dolls!

If you’re not sure that your sewing is good enough, think again. No need for perfection, wonkiness is just as loveable. Just make them strong, because these dolls are destined for a lot of love! Have a look here for the details and simple patterns:

http://www.uthandoproject.org/

If you decide to make one, post and link your pics here! There’s also a thread in the weplaywithdolls.net forum: http://weplaywithdolls.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=546&p=8511#p8511   I’ll be posting mine in a couple of weeks.