The most expressive part of the toy is the eyes; they reflect the character of the product. For a doll, they are like a reflection of the soul. Not every craftsman will think about the fact that you can make them yourself and crochet the eyes of a doll. Most people prefer to resort to alternative methods, such as purchasing glass, plastic or plaster accessories. The eyes of a knitted doll should be harmoniously combined with the product and be of the same material as the doll itself. Therefore, this method is relevant for crocheted toys.
Knitted eyes
Types and shapes of eyes for dolls
The eyes can be made in any shape as your imagination allows. They can be round or oval. You can also find voluminous and embroidered eyes on the doll itself.
Their appearance depends on the very idea of the toy; the eyelid may be half-closed or completely absent; in rare cases, the doll is made to sleep.
Volumetric embroidery
The color of the iris is also matched to the color of the toy; blue or brown are more often used.
On a note! Particular attention should be paid to knitting; if the toy is made using a hook, then the eyes should be denser. When the doll’s body is made with loose knitting, then the eyes can be made more “openworked”.
Eyes embroidered directly on the face
Necessary materials
First, you need to decide which eyes and which doll should be knitted with them. The number of colors and whether a hook or knitting needles will be used depends on this.
The most basic thing that should be on the master’s table is:
- yarn (white for the protein, black for the pupil, and the chosen color for the color of the iris);
- scissors;
- hook or knitting needles.
Knitting materials
Photo of a peephole for crafts
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Eye expression
Sometimes it’s hard to imagine how to make eyes for a knitted doll and at the same time give her a special expression. A lot depends not only on the shape of the eye, but also on the knitted highlight inside the iris and the eyebrow above the eye itself.
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A round eye without an upper eyelid will give the toy surprise or fear; if the eyebrows are a house, it will look very cute and naive.
A squinted eyelid with dropped eyebrows towards the nose will show an angry or dissatisfied emotion. Closed eyes with raised eyebrows will give the feeling that the toy is having pleasant dreams. It all depends on the imagination of the master himself.
Doll's emotions
Clay
Flat eyes are made from polymer clay. The material is rolled out and the desired eye shape is squeezed out of it. The parts are baked. Later they are painted with acrylic paints.
Before making eyes for crafts in volume, the clay is formed into balls and divided in half. Next, the material is baked and the iris is painted, and a black pupil is applied.
How to make eyes for a knitted doll: master classes and patterns
The simplest knitting pattern for beginners is the example of round eyes. This format is suitable for toys such as an owl, a cat, a hare or a Lola doll. They look simple and can give the doll a rather cute look. How to easily crochet a doll's eyes is described in the following diagram.
Abbreviations by designation:
- PR - from 1 loop 2 columns;
- WHO. p - air loop;
- С1Н - one slip loop in a column;
- *2 turns — number of repetitions (2 repetitions are indicated here).
Eye white
Color: blue or white (optional). First you need to collect 10 carts in the chain. p. Then you should knit around the chain, first on one side, and then repeat on the other side.
- Row 1 - 3 С1Н from 1, 6 С1Н, should be repeated 2 times;
- 2nd row - 2 carts. p lifting, (3PR, 6 C1H) * repeat 2 times;
- 3rd row - 2 carts. p lifting, (PR, 1 C1H, 2 PR, 1 C1H, PR, 6 C1H) * repeat 2 times;
- 4th row - 2 carts. p lifting, ((PR, 1 C1H, PR, 1 C1H, PR) * repeat 2 times), 6 C1H) * repeat 2 times.
eye iris
Color: dark blue or rich blue. The iris is knitted according to the same pattern as the white, the only thing is without the 3rd and 4th rows.
Afterwards, the iris is sewn onto the white, and then you should knit a highlight on the eye.
A gray, silver or white thread is suitable for this.
As a result, you should get an eye like this, see fig. below.
Simple embroidery option
Important! Without glare, the doll's eyes will look blind and not alive.
A few more simple patterns on how to crochet a doll’s eyes in pictures
Pattern of a knitted eye for sewing on a doll.
Scheme 1
To create expressive eyes on a bunny, you need to try hard. For most amigurumi toys, they occupy almost the entire part of the face and form its main image. A simple pattern for knitting them is shown below.
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How to tie beautiful eyes to a bunny (diagram)
Another option for knitting round eyes.
Step by step knitting
Round eyes with eyebrows are perfect for amigurumi and Monster High dolls; one of the knitting options is listed below.
Crochet eye pattern
You can also use buttons as an accessory, painting them with white paint. But it's best to use them as a basis for the eyes themselves. The edging and transformation option is shown in the following figure.
Eye with button base
Eyes for a mouse: diagram
Expressive eyes for a little mouse. The white and the pupil with the iris are knitted separately. Two parts of the protein and two parts of the iris with the pupil.
Colors: black cotton thread, green or blue to choose from, and white (for highlights).
- 1st row - 2 carts. p, in the 2nd loop from the hook knit 6 C1H;
- Row 2 - (add) x6 times = 12 C1H;
- Row 3 - (1 C1H, add) x 6 times = 18 C1H;
- Row 4 - (2 C1H, add) x 6 times = 24 C1H;
They should be sewn in pairs with a slight shift, then embroider a highlight with white thread. This will give the toy expressiveness.
Knitted eyes for toys can be crocheted according to the previous descriptions. For cartoon characters, the scheme does not change, you just have to choose, and it doesn’t matter if it’s Luntik, Kroshik or Toothless. The schemes are the same for both.
Summary of the work using an example
Several examples of toys in the form of animals with knitted eyes
The following are ideas for creating eyes for various types of toys. Any knitting can be combined to obtain more original and unusual elements that will transform the master’s toy in his own way.
Sample peephole for a frog
An example of eye knitting for a frog. Volumetric and large, with a knitted pupil. Such eyes can be sewn not only on a toy, but also on a children's knitted hat.
Frog
For mouse
Volumetric knitted eyes for a mouse with the addition of beads instead of a pupil. You can also use small buttons or just a black marker to draw the middle.
Mouse
For the fox
The base of the eye is a white knitted with white threads, and the iris and pupil are replaced by an artificial element. Such accessories can be purchased at a craft store. With them the eye looks more alive and expressive.
Fox
Cartoon toys with examples of knitted eyes
Toothless, a cartoon character beloved by all children. The pupil and white are knitted separately, then they are sewn together and a highlight is knitted. An iris is not required for these eyes.
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Toothless
Kroshik, Barashik, Nyusha, Kar-Karych and others are some of the most beloved heroes of kids. The eyes of these cartoons consist only of a pupil and a highlight. The amount of white accent emphasizes the expressiveness of the toy's eyes. If it is very large, then the toy will look touching or sad. And if it’s very small, then the emphasis on the expression of the “face” will mainly be placed on the eyebrows.
Kroshik
The cartoon sun is often knitted for pendants on a child’s crib, so beautifully knitted eyes will form a general idea of the whole toy for the baby.
Sun
Crocheted eyes for toys with the listed description are easy to make for any needlewoman. It is important to think in advance what emotion and character it will carry. The main thing to remember is that dolls with round eyes and high-set eyebrows may look scared. And where the doll’s gaze will be directed depends on how the pupil is located.
Imagination and accuracy are the key factors for quality work, in which the hand of the master can be traced. If there is no general understanding of how to crochet eyes for a toy, then you should take the simplest crochet, you can also use ready-made products purchased at a craft shop.
How to quickly and easily make eyes for felt toys with your own hands
These eyes are perfect for handmade dolls. To work you will need sheet felt, artificial eyelashes, moment glue, scissors, a sheet of cardboard, and a pencil.
First you need to draw the eyes. Their shape can be different, depending on the type of toy.
The drawn eyes need to be cut out and tried on the toy, and if necessary, adjust the size or shape. We cut out the pupil of one of the eyes so that the cardboard patterns become templates. We cut out blanks from white felt along the outer contour. According to a small template - the internal parts are made of blue or green.
Glue the pieces together.
Cut and glue highlights from white felt. The outlines should be outlined with a thin black felt-tip pen. Glue the eyelashes. The eyes for the dolls are ready! Made of plastic and epoxy resin.
Black blanks of pupils with white dots-highlights need to be molded from plastic and baked.
We dilute the epoxy resin according to the instructions in the package. To give your eyes a beautiful shade, add a little ink from a gel rod to the solution; you can take any suitable color.
Then we take empty blisters from tablets. We place the pupils in the recesses and fill them with epoxy resin. It is very convenient to do this with a syringe. A toothpick will help move the pupil slightly. It is necessary that there are no bubbles in the resin.
Leave the eyes to dry for about a day. We cut out the cells from under the tablets so as not to capture anything unnecessary.
If desired, you can make eyelashes. Ready-made ones can be found in stores, or you can make them yourself using fishing line, thread, yarn, etc.
