Amish Dolls

The Amish are a group of people who live a very simple lifestyle. They have a strong sense of faith and rely on the Bible to guide their daily lives. They also have a reputation for simple handcrafts, such as quilts and dolls. URL amishbaskets.com

Amish Dolls Are Faceless

Many people are surprised that Amish dolls do not have faces, especially if they’ve been exposed to mainstream American dolls such as Barbie. Typically, these rag dolls are made without faces because the Amish believe that all people are equal in God’s eyes.

Amish Dolls Are Often Sewn By Hand

Most of the older Amish dolls were made by hand and were usually sewn with a foot-operated treadle sewing machine. They used fabrics that were remnants from clothing that was made for family members.

The Art of Amish Doll-Making: A Look at the History and Tradition

Traditionally, the dolls were stuffed with rags or cotton or polyester batting. They were then hand or machine sewn and had several layers of cloth on their heads and bodies to keep them clean and in good condition.

The Amish believed that children should not have toys with faces because they could be possessed by demons who would use their “senses” (eyes, ears, mouths, noses) to see what the child was playing with, hear their conversations, or communicate with them. They also believed that fingers should be absent on dolls so that demonic spirits could not grab them.

It’s interesting that there are no mirrors in the Amish homes and that Amish children only play with dolls that do not have faces, yet it’s still unclear exactly why this is the case. There are a few theories, but none have been proven as factual.