How to Make a Rag Doll: Home-Made Prairie Toys

One thing I have learned about myself this summer is that I never seem to throw anything away. While this habit usually means cupboards bursting at the seams and a shed that can barely be opened, it turned out to be an unexpected blessing during our summer of learning about pioneer living. This was particularly the case as we figured out how to make a rag doll: for our Little House on the Prairie Unit Study

As part of our Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, we set out to explore what daily life was like for pioneer families. With a cot stored in the shed, boxes of old clothes from all five children, and leather salvaged from an old sofa tucked away in a cupboard, we were surprisingly well-equipped. Best of all, we spent almost no money while creating a rich, meaningful homeschool experience, just as pioneer families would have done.

Catch Up! If you haven’t read all about our first week on the prairie, I would encourage you to go and read my Little House in the Big woods post. This covers everything we did from making nightdresses, to prairie cooking and making button strings. It also gives you a good idea of everything we achieved with our own little house on the prairie renovations!

Prairie Toys and the Value of ‘Making Do’

One of the most eye-opening lessons for my children was discovering how few toys pioneer children owned. Prairie toys were simple, handmade, and often created from scraps that would otherwise be thrown away. Dolls, balls, whistles, and games were all crafted with ingenuity rather than store-bought perfection.

That idea inspired me to attempt something I had never done before: learning how to make a rag doll using items that truly needed to be thrown out.

Check out week two! Last week we focused on Farmer Boy. This is the second book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did lots of prairie cooking (hasty pudding, making a sour dough starter and some prairie bread) and also made some button lamps, a prairie ladder, and some peg hooks. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

How to Make a Rag Doll from Scraps

This rag doll was meant to be a true rag doll, with an emphasis on the rag. Two very old, stained aprons became the foundation. I wanted to model the pioneer mindset of turning worn-out items into something useful once again. I knew it wouldn’t be pretty, but as Gary wisely pointed out, they were called rag dolls for a reason.

Step 1: Natural Dyeing

I dyed the aprons using coffee grounds as a natural dye. The result? Slightly grubbier aprons, but now in a skin-toned shade that felt perfect for a pioneer doll.

Step 2: Creating the Body

Each apron had a pocket, which I cut out and turned inside out. I stitched them together in pairs and stuffed them into a rounded rectangular shape. Scraps were sewn on for arms and legs (unstuffed, because pioneer shortcuts are still shortcuts!).

Step 3: Face and Hair

After stuffing the body, I drew a simple face with fabric pens. Then came the hair. What I thought would take an hour ended up taking six. Sewing hair by hand is no small task, and while Raggy is a little thin on top, she’s full of character.

Naturally, she’s a ginger, just like her delighted new owner.

Step 4: Clothing the Doll

Using the remaining apron fabric, I experimented with natural dyes again and began sewing a modest pioneer-style apron and dress. Raggy won’t stay in her unfinished state for long, she’ll soon be ready to join our ongoing Little House lessons. I’ll give you a peek at the beautiful colour I achieved, but you’ll have to wait until next week for me to actually make the clothes!

Check out week three! We focused on The Little House on the Prairie. This is the third book in the Little House on the Prairie book set. During the week we did some of prairie cooking (soda biscuits) and also made some curtains, hay sticks and a hammock net. Gary and the little ones did some gardening in our prairie garden and we tried to make some more of our rag rug.

Why This Matters in Your Homeschool

Making a rag doll isn’t just a craft, it’s a living history lesson. Children learn:

• Resourcefulness and thrift
• Appreciation for handmade items
• The value of time and effort
• How pioneer children played and cared for their belongings

In a Little House on the Prairie Unit Study, this project beautifully ties together history, life skills, art, and character development.

Week four we focused on ‘On the Banks of Plum Creek’ and the children learnt about herbal medicine, stained a rocking chair for the corner of the house, made some baskets and began a productive Little House vegetable garden. And lastly, we made some home-made yogurt and a blueberry pie.

Reflection Questions for Homeschool Discussions

1. Why do you think pioneer families rarely threw things away?
2. How were prairie toys different from toys today?
3. How would it feel to own only one or two handmade toys?
4. What skills did children learn by making their own toys?
5. How does creating something by hand change how we value it?

Last week, we focused on By the Shores of the Silver Lake. We made signs for over the front door and inside the cottage, wove our own baskets, Thomas began building a stove for the cottage, made some molasses popcorn balls and a very tasty prairie chicken with home grown green beans.

Hands-On Activities to Extend the Lesson on Making a Rag Doll

• Toy Comparison Chart: Compare modern toys with prairie toys: materials, cost, durability, and purpose.
• Natural Dye Experiment: Try dyeing fabric with coffee, tea, onion skins, or berries.
• Make-Do Challenge: Ask children to create a toy using only recycled or scrap materials.
• Journal Entry: Write a diary entry from the perspective of a pioneer child receiving a handmade doll.
• Family Heirloom Project: Talk about handmade or passed-down items in your family and why they matter.

Learning how to make a rag doll gave our homeschool something far richer than a craft, it gave us a tangible connection to history. Prairie toys like Raggy remind us that creativity thrives not in abundance, but in simplicity.