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Stuffing Stuff Arms

Optional:  Wired Hand & Thumb

• The wires in pipe cleaners are made from steel. They will rust if the hands and arms get saturated with water. If they do get very wet blot the excess liquid up as best you can and use a hair dryer to dry it as quickly as possible.

• If you live in very humid conditions I suggest that you not use these wires in your dolls. You can use thin aluminum wires instead. I understand that cake decorators and sculptors use aluminum wire in some of their art work. Check any major art supply store that stocks supplies for professionals.

• Fold two pipe-cleaners in half, not tightly, but have the center shaped as the turned and pushed out hand. Fold one inside the other and fit down arm and into hand.
  
  

• Fold another pipe cleaner and place it into the thumb. Move thumb over into position; check your own thumb to be sure.
  
  

• Optional: Clamp the arm fabric and the bouquet of pipe cleaners around the wrist with the hemostat jaws and fold the arm fabric down so you can reach the wires.
  
  

• The thumb wire should be on top and in the center of the arm wires when the palm is facing you.

• Twist the tops of the wires together. Wrap with floral tape. it keeps the wires in place while you are stuffing.
  
  

• Put a tiny bit of stuffing in the hand on either side of the wire loop. Not enough to make the hand appear round. The hand is wedge shaped.

• Stuff in the round. While stuffing the arm turn the arm after every insertion of stuffing to keep the armature in the center of the arm.

• Begin to add stuffing to the wrist, around the wires. When wrist is full, stuff up the arm keeping the wire in the center. The top of the arms should be a bit softer than the rest of the arm to fit snugly against the torso

For Hands Without Wires

• Put a tiny bit of stuffing in the hand. Not enough to make the hand appear round. The hand is wedge shaped.

• Begin to add stuffing to the wrist. When wrist is full, stuff up the arm. The top of the arms should be a bit softer than the rest of the arm to fit snugly against the torso

For all Hands

• Re-mark stitching line at the top of the arm if it has faded.

• Ladder stitch closed. After stitching two or three stitches on each side, add more stuffing as necessary.

• Squeeze the arm closed and pull thread tight. Don’t expect the thread to do all the work.
  
  

	Or Select: Stitching Stuffing Stuff Torso Shape Torso Crotch Stuff Legs Optional Flat Foot Only All Legs Stuff Mer-Tail Stuff Arms <You are here Optional Wired Hand & Thumb For Hands Without Wires For All Hands Stuff Head Optional: Wire Pointed Ears Optional: Stuff All Ears Stuff Head Assembling