Online Courses
For anyone wishing to learn dollmaking techniques from master Artist Members of the National Institute of American Doll Artists.
OUR LIST OF ONLINE COURSES
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Victorian Girl
CourseDiscover the timeless charm of traditional European craftsmanship by learning an authentic technique from the 19th and early 20th centuries to create a beautiful Victorian doll Christmas ornament
$75
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Making Little Foxie
CourseThis tutorial class is designed for making a little fox character using polymer clay, cloth and wire. Start with my 'Mixing Polymer Clay' free video, prepare your clay, gather your materials and then follow along with the videos!
$65
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A Dreaming Journal
CourseA step by step tutorial on making a "dreaming" journal. Using simple tools and materials, everything you need should be found around the house!
$15
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How to make a Pierrot
CourseIn this course Ankie will teach you how to make a complete Pierrot. This means the sculpting, painting, putting all together and costume the doll.
$60
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How to make a Pinocchio
CourseIn this course Ankie will teach you how to sculpt, paint, create a body, costume and finish a complete Pinocchio!
$50
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FREE: Oyster Shell Santa Ornament
Coursewith JoEllen Trilling; gather your washed oyster shells and transform them into delightful Santa ornaments for your holiday tree!
Free
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LEGACY: Making Button-Faced Dolls
Coursewith Susan Fosnot... Explore the creation of doll faces using colored pencil and art pen on covered buttons. Then choose your favorite face and a handful of different fabrics to make a charming cloth folk art doll.
$75
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FREE TUTORIAL How to work with air-dry clay
Course5.0 average rating (2 reviews)This free PDF tutorial shows you tips, tricks and techniques to help you sculpting with air-dry clay
Free
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FLOWER GIRL Guide to Making a Hanging Doll
CourseIn this course, we will create a hanging doll in the shape of a flower, with dangling arms and legs, and a head resembling a flower bud. We will engage in sculpting, drawing, fabric dyeing, and a bit of sewing.
$65
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FREE: Making Leather Shoes
Course5.0 average rating (8 reviews)Nina’s demo will show the basic steps of shoemaking necessary for creating a wide variety of leather footwear.
Free
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LEGACY: The Ama
CourseLisa Lichtenfels body construction shows all aspects of building a body using soft sculpture techniques, includes basic anatomy.
$175
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LEGACY: Persephone
CourseLisa Lichtenfels shares her soft sculpture techniques for modeling realistic facial features
$125
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Papier-mâché Hands
CourseStep-by-step instructions for making doll hands using papier-mâché technique.
$35
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Animal Menagerie Part 1
CourseThe student will go on the journey to make whimsical wool blended felt animals that will compliment their doll composition. A Fox/Raccoon, Birds, Swan, Cat, Mice, Sheep, Fish and Rabbit/Bear, Dragonfly, Cats, Rabbit and Cooper’s Monkey.
$75
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Dreams on Paper
CourseDreaming of translating your costume sketches in to doll patterns, watch as Catherine shares 40 years of pattern making tips and quick techniques that take the mystery and mathematics out of making costume patterns for your dolls.
$50
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Steampunk Birds & Steampunk Fishes
CourseFun PDF course that shows you how to make these cute birds and fishes. Of course Marlaine Verhelst used a bit of textiles in it. You will learn how to make synthetic organza feathers and fins.
$20
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FREE: Patchwork Ball Ornament
CourseLearn how to make a fabric patchwork ball ornament for the holidays, for general decor, or for a doll accessory!
Free
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FREE: Christmas trees from toilet paper rolls
CourseA FREE fun video course showing how to make Christmas trees from toilet paper rolls. Great idea to do with children.
Free
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FREE: Little Lights
CourseA short tutorial on how to make a little glass jar into a candle light holder using polymer clay.
Free
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Little Star
CourseCreate a special ornament with your choice of faces, Paperclay, painted cloth or embroidered cloth.
$25
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Let It Snow!
CourseImplementing several simple techniques, you can create this stylish snow lady who looks to the sky, waiting to add the newest snowflakes to her wardrobe.
$10
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Wool Felt Dragon Pin
CourseDragon pin class creates a fanciful wearable Dragon pin inspired by The Chinese Year of the Dragon images. This will be fashioned from wool blended felt, polyfil, thread and floral wire.
$20
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How to Make a Crazy XMas Ball
CourseIn this tutorial you can enjoy creating your own Crazy Xmas Ball using all kinds of funny materials.
Free
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Kiln-Fired Raven/Crow
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)with Connie Smith In this 1st of 2 courses, create a Raven or Crow figure from Stoneware OR Air-Dry Clay, and an articulated cloth + wire body as Bird or Anthro Hybrid! Clay/Cloth Body Course resumes March 2023. Costuming Course, debuts Sept 2023.
$99
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The Triplets
CourseMake one or all three, sitting or standing. Work with unusual body fabrics and turn simple cloth shapes into beautiful clothing.
$55
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Sculpt a Bear Head
CourseHow to build a wire bear skull armature and using batting, wire and pantyhose
$100
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Make the Perfect Doll Body
CourseIn this course Ankie Daanen will teach you how to make a perfect standing or sitting doll body. You can make the body for a boy doll or a girl doll, and also you can adjust the body sizes.
$50
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Flowers in Her Hair
CourseThis adventure will include a wide variety of flowers and leaves that will empower you to create a small flower headband for your doll, and with slight adjustments a beautiful crown of flowers for yourself.
$75
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Woodland Corset: All Laced Up
CourseStudents will learn confidence with the use of thermal set fabric Fosshape ® designing & creating a corset for a 16 or 17 inch doll with additional techniques in painting and creating free form mushrooms, textured bark and small wood land creatures.
$45
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Hands Up!
CourseHow to sculpt nice doll hands in air dry clay. Marlaine shows you all her tips and tricks.
$20
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How to make Bleu Blue Girl
CourseIn this course you will learn how to make the Bleu Bue Girl, and you will sculpt the face, hands and feet, create the body, paint all parts and costume the girl in a unique way.
$65
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Jack of Bells & Queen of Stars
CourseIf you've wanted to work with air dry clay or find new and imaginative ways to use this versatile material, this class is for you!
$50
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Tandem Teachers: Sculpted Paper Wings
CourseTandem Teachers Pat Lillich and Connie Smith take their mutual regard for each other's work to the next level! Join us as we cross-pollinate two of our favorite techniques to create beautiful, ethereal sculpted paper wings for special projects!
$55
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Hands, Paws, Claws & Hooves
CourseThis course will show how different sizes of hands paws claws and hooves can be created using cloth and batting over a wire armature. Stitching, sealers and paint will give form and life to your artworks by using these simple techniques.
$100
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Adhesive to Haute Couture
CourseCreate removable doll costuming with out copious amounts of sewing, using modern adhesive techniques. Learn to print unique fabrics with a home ink jet printer, then put your newly acquired skills to work creating the class project Alice dress.
$45
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Angel with a Heart
CourseThis course is devoted to sculpting an Angel with a Heart, where you will create a complete doll step-by-step: making body with polystyrene and clay, working with papier-mache, painting details and priming clothes.
$70
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How to make a complete Prince. (Bonus: Princess)
CourseIn a three-day class Ankie will teach you how to make a complete Prince. All lessons are on video, like all sculpting, painting, putting together and costuming, and three times a Zoom meeting to ask Ankie all needed questions. Kits available.
$150
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Decorative Masks in Creative Paperclay
CourseLearn a very easy method to make the base for a mask in Creative Paperclay. Follow the step-by-step process for four different masks and be inspired to design your own mask.
$80
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Hats Off - Hats On
CourseMake a special and unique hat that will set your work apart and help create a story and identity for your artwork. Files folders and bits of wool blended felt will put you on a journey of discovery.
$75
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STUFFED CLOTH HEADS with NEEDLE-SCULPTED FACES covered with FABRIC SKIN
Course5.0 average rating (3 reviews)Discover the unique techniques Shelley Thornton uses to make her own dolls’ heads. Videos will guide you, step by step, through her process, and you will be provided with a detailed illustrated instruction booklet and patterns to download and print.
$149
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Into the Forrest Heat & Transform
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)Designed to create confidence with the use of thermal set fabric Fosshape® when heated is activated and stiffens to hold its shape. Learn additional techniques to free form mushrooms, organic shaped foliage and a blue birds nest to trim the hat.
$45
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Let Them Eat Cake Heat & Transform
CourseMarie Antoinette style wig is a fun project introducing students to the basics of making a historical style/fantasy wig using thermal set fabric Fosshape® a felt-like synthetic fabric that when heated is activated and stiffens to hold its form.
$45
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All that Jazz Heat & Transform
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)Learn millinery skills to create a 1920s Cloche, using thermal set fabric Fosshape® a felt-like synthetic fabric that when heated is activated and stiffens to hold its form. Use a simple kitchen tool to create floral trims to embellish your hat.
$45
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The Evolution of a Personal Style: an Artist’s Path to an Individual Way of Working
CourseEnjoy an illustrated lecture presenting ideas to help artists find their own unique voice. Shelley shares insights discovered on her own artistic path and offers thought-provoking worksheets to help you discover who you are as a creative force.
$39
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Red Sonia on the Beach
CourseSculpting “Red Sonia on the Beach” Create a complete art doll and enjoy the process of making Sonia. You will have step-by-step video lessons from sculpting doll’s body to the ready Sonia lying on the beach.
$100
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Photographing Your Dolls
CourseHow to photograph your dolls using simple studio methods utilizing natural light.
$25
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Fantasy Chair Building with JoEllen Trilling
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)This is a class on how you can create a fantasy doll-sized chair. By using wire as an armature and sewing on batting while incorporating found objects and finishing with paint. You can make a chair with your unique personality with JoEllen Trilling.
$75
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Fabric Bead Embellishments
CourseStep by step color images and descriptions are provided in 4 PDFs. Learn to use small bits of fabric to adapt commercial items such as metal bead caps and acorn tops to develop a variety of shapes and sizes of fabric beads.
$35
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FREE: Mixing Polymer Clay
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)In this short tutorial Kate demonstrates her personal method of conditioning a neutral "skin" mix using PREMO clay by Sculpey giving you some basics for mixing and conditioning polymer clay.
Free
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Making Faces, facial expressions
CourseYou already have some experience as a sculptor or a doll maker but you are struggling with the expressions of your dolls. Marlaine shows you how to make a happy face, an angry face, an arrogant face and a surprised face in air dry clay.
$65
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FREE: Ankie's Scrapbook For Ideas
Course5.0 average rating (2 reviews)Ankie made a scrapbook filled with ideas that can help you in creating your dolls.
Free
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LEGACY: Robert McKinley Making a Beautiful Pair of Shoes
CourseA masterful step-by-step approach to adding leather shoes to sculpted legs.
$75
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Put on your Hat
CourseLearn to make fanciful textile hats. Discover a new and easy way to create hats for your dolls by heat setting textiles you probably already can find in your stash and never found a purpose for. Another fun course by NIADA artist Marlaine Verhelst.
$25
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How to sculpt a heartshape face poking eyes
CourseIn this course Ankie Daanen will teach to make eye sockets in a special way by poking eyes and also how to paint the face. In the example a heart shaped form will be used. But this also can be done using an egg shaped form.
$24
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How to make a complete doll: The Sweetheart
CourseIn this course Ankie Daanen will teach you how to make a complete standing doll: The Sweetheart. You will sculpt the face, hands, legs and body. You will paint and costume.
$45
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Molding and Casting Paper Embellishments
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)Create your own simple, one-sided molds and cast feather-weight embellishments with Pat Lillich
$10
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Sculpting a Paper Clay Head on a Styrene Egg
CourseStep-by-step instructions, photos, text & voice over. Materials list, demos of carving the polystyrene egg , covering it with clay, inserting eyes, building features with anatomy guidance & adding a chest plate. Finally, finishing off and painting.
$45
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Sculpting bare feet with air-dry clay
CourseIn this video course you will learn how to sculpt bare feet step-by-step. The course is about sculpting in air-dry clay and shows you lots of tips and tricks to make your dolls' feet more realistic. The course is ongoing and open for everyone.
$20
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How to make The Girl from Paris
CourseIn this course Ankie Daanen will guide you in making a charming complete doll: The Girl from Paris. Sculpting, painting, and costuming instructions included.
$65
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LEGACY: Akira Blount - Creating Cloth Doll Heads and Hands
Course5.0 average rating (1 review)Internationally renowned doll artist Akira Blount shares her unique philosophies, techniques and skills in creating cloth heads and hands for art dolls.
$30
Academy Gift Cards
Purchase an Academy Gift Card for a friend, loved one or even yourself! Available in $20.00 - $30.00 - $50.00 - $100.00
NIADA Academy Instructors
Learn dollmaking skills
The NIADA Doll Art Academy courses are taught for all skill levels in techniques such as sculpting, painting, fabric-figure making, textile design, armature design, costuming and more.
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