How to Crochet a Doll Face: Eyes, Cheeks and Smiles
The face is the part of a crochet doll that people notice first. Move the eyes one stitch and the doll goes from sweet to surprised. Pull a smile a little too tight and she looks grumpy. The good news is that a few simple rules make a cute face almost every time.
This guide walks you through each part of a crochet doll face: placing the eyes, choosing safety eyes or embroidered eyes, adding rosy cheeks, stitching a smile, and finishing with a nose, brows and lashes. Grab a doll head you have already made and let’s start.
What You’ll Need
- Safety eyes (6 mm to 12 mm) with backs
- Black, brown and white embroidery floss
- Pink or red yarn or floss for the mouth
- Long doll needle and yarn needle
- Straight pins with colored heads
- Powder blush or a pink colored pencil for cheeks
- Water-soluble fabric marker
Step 1: Plan the Face Before You Stuff
It is much easier to place safety eyes before the head is closed, because the backs must go on from the inside.
Step 1: Crochet the head up to the last few rounds, but do not close it yet.
Step 2: Find the widest part of the head. For a cute look, the eyes usually sit on or just below that round.
Step 3: Stuff the head lightly so it holds its shape while you plan.
Step 4: Push two colored pins where you think the eyes should go. Step back and look. Move the pins until you love it.
Step 2: Eye Placement Guide
Small changes in spacing make a big difference. Use this table as a starting point.
| Look | Eye height | Space between eyes |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet baby | Just below the widest round | Wide (6 to 8 stitches) |
| Classic doll | On the widest round | Medium (5 to 6 stitches) |
| Older or fashion doll | Slightly above the widest round | Narrow (4 to 5 stitches) |
| Sleepy or shy | Low on the face | Wide, with closed eyes |
Lower and wider eyes look younger. Higher and closer eyes look older.
Step 3: Choose Safety Eyes or Embroidered Eyes
Safety eyes look neat and shiny and are quick to add.
Step 1: Push the post of the eye between two stitches, not through a stitch.
Step 2: Check both eyes are on the same round and look even from the front.
Step 3: Press the back washer on firmly from the inside. You will hear or feel it click.
Embroidered eyes are softer and safer for babies and toddlers, because there are no hard parts that can come loose.
Step 1: Thread black floss or yarn on a long needle.
Step 2: Bring the needle out where the eye goes. For a simple closed, sleepy eye, make a small curved line of 2 or 3 stitches.
Step 3: For a round open eye, work several short stitches side by side, or wrap the floss around the needle 2 or 3 times to make a knot (a French knot) for a tiny bead eye.
Step 4: Add a tiny white stitch in the top corner of each eye for a sparkle.
Step 4: Add Rosy Cheeks
Cheeks make a doll look warm and alive. There are three easy ways.
Step 1 (blush): Dab a little powder blush on a cotton swab and rub it gently in small circles under each eye. Build up the color slowly.
Step 2 (pencil): Rub a pink colored pencil lightly over the stitches. This gives a soft, dotted look.
Step 3 (stitched cheeks): For a toy that will be washed, use pink yarn to make a few short straight stitches or a little oval under each eye. You can also crochet two tiny pink circles and sew them on.
Place the cheeks just below and slightly outside each eye, in line with the corners of the mouth.
Step 5: Stitch a Smile
A smile is just one long stitch held in a curve. Jess Huff has a helpful video called “How to Embroider a Smile on Amigurumi” (jesshuff.com/videos/embroider-smile/), and the designer Lilleliis shows a wrapped-stitch smile in “How to stitch a mouth to your amigurumi doll” (lilleliis.com/amigurumi-how-to-stitch-mouth/).
Step 1: Place three pins: one at each corner of the mouth and one at the bottom center. The mouth usually sits 2 to 3 rounds below the eyes.
Step 2: Bring the needle out at one corner and go back in at the other corner. Leave the stitch a little loose.
Step 3: Hook the loose stitch under the center pin to make the curve.
Step 4: Take a tiny stitch over the yarn at the center to hold the curve in place, then remove the pin.
Step 5: For a cheeky look, add a short stitch at each corner. Pull the tails to the back of the head and knot them so the knot sinks in.
Step 6: Finishing Touches
Nose: Make a small bobble or work a few tiny stitches in a skin tone that is a little darker. Many doll patterns, like the Mama Smiles baby doll, use a bobble nose.
Eyebrows: One short straight stitch above each eye in brown or the hair color. Slanting them changes the mood: up for surprised, down for worried.
Lashes: Two or three tiny stitches at the outer corner of each eye.
Freckles: Little dots of brown floss or a brown pencil across the nose and cheeks.
Common Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)
- Eyes are uneven: Count the stitches from the center front to each eye, and check from straight on, not from the side. Use pins before you lock the eyes in.
- The smile looks flat or pulled: Your stitch is too tight. Leave a little slack and tack the center down.
- The face looks “off” and you cannot tell why: Take a photo with your phone. It is much easier to spot problems in a picture.
- Safety eyes are loose: The hole was too big. Push the post between stitches, not through a stretched stitch, and add a stitch around the post from the inside.
- Knots show on the face: Always bring tails out the back of the head or under where the hair will go.
- Cheeks are too bright: Blush builds up fast. Rub gently with a clean swab to soften it.
Tips
- Make the whole face before adding hair. Hair gets in the way of your needle.
- Use a long doll needle so you can come out at the back of the head and hide all tails.
- Keep a little notebook of the eye size and stitch spacing you like. Then all your dolls will match.
- For dolls made for babies, use only embroidered eyes and stitched cheeks.
- Try faces on a spare head first. It is good practice and takes the pressure off.
FAQ
Where should eyes go on a crochet doll?
For a cute look, place the eyes on or just below the widest round of the head, with about 5 to 8 stitches between them. Lower and wider eyes look younger, while higher and closer eyes look older. Always test the spot with pins before you add safety eyes.
Are safety eyes safe for baby dolls?
Safety eyes lock in with a washer, but they can still come out with a lot of chewing or pulling. For babies and toddlers under 3, embroidered eyes are the safest choice. They take only a few minutes and give the doll a soft, sweet look.
How do you make cheeks on a crochet doll?
The easiest way is to dab a little powder blush with a cotton swab. You can also use a pink colored pencil or stitch small pink lines with yarn. For toys that will be washed, stitched or crocheted cheeks last much longer than blush.
With a few pins, a long needle and a little practice, every doll you make will have a face full of personality.