Adding Blush to Amigurumi [Tips + Video Tutoria]

Dear fellow crocheters,

How many of you have used blush to add to your amigurumi crochet dolls?  

I for one am very late to the game, and JUST started doing so after a few years of doll-making!  The look of adorable, rosy cheeks on amigurumi dolls got me to finally purchase blush for the first time ever.  I am quite glad that I did, though!

Blush - and yes, I mean the makeup blush powder - is so lovely to add to the insides of animal ears, such as bunny ears....

Remi the Rabbit

Remi the Rabbit

It's also a very nice, finishing touch to the cheeks of human dolls.

Mori Girl Doll

Princess Maeve

For dolls, I like spreading a gentle blush across the cheek just to add a hint of rosiness to their cheeks!  If I were to add more, it could give off an embarrassed or shy expression, which can be cute too!

TIPS

When I add blush, I use a clean Q-tip to gently apply blush powder to the surface of my yarn projects.  I find it easier to use that tool as opposed to my own fingers, which are large and much less precise.  (Or perhaps it's just me and my not-so-great fine motor skills!)  Some crocheters have shared with me that they use cotton balls, which can be another useful tool, depending on how large or intricate your project is.  For smaller dolls that require fine precision, I still recommend using a Q-tip.


To start, I tend to lightly dab light amounts of blush on both sides of the cheeks.  Spreading the powder around a central location will allow it to look more gradual and have a gradient, which is the effect that I like to achieve.  Once you like the location of the blush, you can deepen it bit by bit by gradually adding more blush towards the centers of the cheeks.

One thing to note is that powder blush is not permanent!  If you make a mistake, don't panic!  It can be washed out.  You can use a paper towel moistened by water to remove some powder on your doll and let it dry out.

Since the dolls that I make are mostly art dolls and not meant for children to play with, I have used powder blush without the concern that it will fade with play and heavy use.  I do not wash my dolls either.  However, if you do intend to make dolls for children, I do not recommend using powder blush.

For a permanent blush, I have heard some crocheters use a mixture of pink fabric paint and acrylic paint to apply blush onto the doll.  I have not yet tried this method, but once I do, I'll be sure to update this portion of the "tips" to let you know about the result!

I hope this information is helpful!

Here is a video example to show you how I apply blush...

Some food for thought...

• How about yourself?  What are your thoughts on adding blush to your dolls?  
• Which materials do you use?  (I've heard of crayons, colored pencil, chalk, and even acrylic paint mixed with fabric paint for a more "permanent" and washable blush!)
• Also, I'd love to see how you use blush in your projects!  Seeing photos of others' work is always appreciated! 

Hope to hear from you soon!

Warm wishes,