To assemble a doll kit you will  need

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Wadding (batting) 

 Head Torso Dolls

Legs

Take two or three pipe cleaners and twist them together.

Bend the pipe cleaners in half, forming an upside down V shape.

Glue a porcelain leg onto each end of the pipe cleaners.

Wrap a narrow strip of wadding around one of the legs, continue wrapping the wadding up around the inverted V and down the other leg.

Cover the V shaped end in glue and insert up into the dolls body cavity.

Check that the dolls height is correct, (adjust if necessary).

Leave to dry.

Arms

Place a hand on the end of a pipe cleaner.

Measure and cut the pipe cleaner so that when the second hand is put on, the length from finger tip to finger tip is the same measurement as the dolls height.

Thread the pipecleaner arm through the dolls body and out the other side.

Glue both hands in place.

Flesh out the arms by wrapping with a narrow strip of wadding.

Tip

Criss cross sewing cotton around the wrapped body parts to help keep the wadding in place while dressing the dolls.

Shoulder Plate Dolls

With shoulder plate dolls you will need to make a framework or armature for the shoulder plate to sit on.

Twist two pairs of pipe cleaners together to form two legs.

Dry fit porcelain legs onto each pipe cleaner leg.

Place both legs together with the feet level and twist the pipe cleaner legs together at crutch level.

Continue twisting upwards for another inch and a half or so to form the torso.

Open out the remaining ends of the pipe cleaners into a T shape to form the shoulders.

Try on the shoulder plate for height. (the whole armature will be wrapped in wadding so an allowance for that needs to be made).

Take another pipe cleaner for the arms and lay this along the top of the T.

Twist some of the body pipe cleaners around the arm to hold it in place.

Wrap the upper torso armature in wadding to flesh out the body, (particularly around the shoulders so that the shoulder plate will have a good base to fit onto).

Check the height.

Glue arms, legs and shoulder plate in place.

Leave to dry.

Finish wrapping the dolls arms and legs in wadding.

See instructions on wrapping and tip on securing wadding above.