Make Raggedy Ann and Andy Clothespin Dolls

       Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are still reoccurring themes in vintage crafts these days. Below are our interpretations. However, I have seen other versions on the web where these dolls are dressed with red checks, solids and gingham instead. Generally speaking, most Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls are dressed in some sort of red, white and blue combination, according to the decorative materials that are available to the crafter. 

Raggedy Ann and Andy clothespin dolls.

Supply List:

• two very large red pom-poms and two much smaller ones for the brother and sister rag doll hair styles
• One or two white chenille stem
• 3 or 4 cotton balls
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• white school glue
• small scraps of blue felt
• lace trim
• acrylic paints: red, white, blue and black
• scrap decorative papers for Andy's shirt (optional)
• wooden clothespins
• a nail or tack to bore holes in the wood for the doll arms

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Paint the wooden heads of each clothespin doll white.
2. Paint from the neck of each doll down the length of the torso blue.
3. Paint horizontal stripes of red and white down the length of the legs on each doll.
4. Paint the feet black for the 'boots' of each wooden figure.
5. Decoupage a blue and white checkered shirt onto the Raggedy Andy doll as an option to the blue paint.
6. For Raggedy Ann, cut a small rectangular 'skirt' from felt and hot glue this onto her waist. 
7. Hot glue the large red pom-poms onto the top of the doll's heads for their wigs.
8. Bore a tiny hole into each wooden clothespin twice in the spot where their arms should be. 
9. Cover chenille stem arms with cotton batting to shape their stuffed looking limbs then glue these inside the wholes firmly. Let dry over night if necessary.
10. Paint the doll's facial features like those of the actual characters: red triangle noses, shoe button eyes and stitched smiles.
11. Glue a little candy heart onto their outside costumes. The actual dolls have this feature on the inside of their clothing...
12. Add lace trim to Raggedy Ann's skirt where she would have a apron ordinarily.
13. Glue on more details such as: Andy's bowtie, paper collar, red suspenders and additional pom-pom shaped piggy tails on top of Ann's wig.

More Links to Raggedy Ann and Her Friends:

• Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls
• How to Make a Raggedy Doll - a free 6" pattern
• Read Raggedy Ann Doll Stories and download coloring pages here

How to Make a Raggedy Doll (free 6" pattern)

The finished Raggedy Ann using the pattern below.

 

       Just the other day, I had been reading Raggedy Ann to our little people. And the children decided they wanted something to do. So we decided to make our own raggedy dolls with muslin scraps.
       We gathered cotton, muslin, buttons, yarn, watercolor paints, needle and thread, and flowered calico. I cut the pattern, body and head in one piece.
       Below is the diagram and dimensions. The pattern allows a seam, with stitching on the dotted lines. Leave the ends open to stuff. Close seam at end of body after stuffing. Sew on the stuffed arms and legs.
       Sew two shoe-buttons on the face for eyes, and draw the nose and mouth with good black pencil or trace carefully with ink. Paint the cheeks and shoes red with water colors, red wax crayons, wet red crepe paper, or red ink. Sew brown, red or black yarn in loose loops all over the head, closely.
       Then cut the loops in two, making her scraggly hair. Make her a dress and apron as you would for your other six-inch dolls. Now you have a sweet little doll who can tell her own stories about doll adventures in the playhouse or nursery!

       Left, print and cut out the pattern provided below. Center, trace around the paper pattern pieces and cut these out leaving a 1/4" boarder. Right, use a straight stitch to sew the two sides of each arm, leg and torso together, leaving open the ends of each for stuffing.

       Left, the pieces are sewn together by hand because the doll is so small. Center, turn the doll limbs and body inside out to stuff. Right, after the body has been stuffed and assembled, wrap a strong thread around the ends of the arms to make simple mitt-like hands.

       Left, the body has been stuffed and assembled by hand using a needle and thread. Center, the features and skin color are applied with acrylic paints. Right, the classic red yarn hair is both stitched and glued firmly to our Raggedy Ann's head.

 

       Left, I decided to applique a dress onto my doll's tiny body instead of making it removable. Sometimes I decide to do this for sample dolls. Center, I also used black puff paints to fill in the doll's pupils here. Right, the hands were also painted.

 

       Left, details of ribbon on the apron of the doll. Center left, Raggedy has red and white stripped socks in the classic illustrated version by Johnny Gruelle, so I included these on our doll too. This rag doll has navy shoes however to match her dress. Center right, her hair bow is hot glued to her yarn head. Right, a tiny silk rosette at her collar adds a finishing touch to this sample Raggedy Ann doll.

The Free Pattern for Raggedy Ann and Andy measures approximately six inches when finished.

Raggedy doll pattern and illustration.

Read Raggedy Ann Stories and Read more about the history behind Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls

More Patterns for Raggedy Type Dolls:

• Let's Make a Raggedy Ann Doll
• Raggedy Andy's Hair
• Sweet Raggedy Ann Baby Costume McCall's M7307 and M6309

Raggedy Ann Rescues Fido

Raggedy Ann Rescues Fido

Color the dolls while they visit Peterkins house.

   It was almost midnight and the dolls were asleep in their beds; all except Raggedy Ann.

       Raggedy lay there, her shoe-button eyes staring straight up at the ceiling. Every once in a while Raggedy Ann ran her rag hand up through her yarn hair. She was thinking.

       When she had thought for a long, long time, Raggedy Ann raised herself on her wabbly elbows and said, "I've thought it all out."

       At this the other dolls shook each other and raised up saying, "Listen! Raggedy has thought it all out!"

       "Tell us what you have been thinking, dear Raggedy," said the tin soldier. "We hope they were pleasant thoughts."

       "Not very pleasant thoughts!" said Raggedy, as she brushed a tear from her shoe-button eyes. "You haven't seen Fido all day, have you?"

       "Not since early this morning," the French dolly said.

       "It has troubled me," said Raggedy, "and if my head was not stuffed with lovely new white cotton, I am sure it would have ached with the worry! When Mistress took me into the living-room this afternoon she was crying, and I heard her mamma say, 'We will find him! He is sure to come home soon!' and I knew they were talking of Fido! He must be lost!"

       The tin soldier jumped out of bed and ran over to Fido's basket, his tin feet clicking on the floor as he went. "He is not here," he said.

       "When I was sitting in the window about noon-time," said the native doll, "I saw Fido and a yellow scraggly dog playing out on the lawn and they ran out through a hole in the fence!"

       "That was Priscilla's dog, Peterkins!" said the French doll.

       "I know poor Mistress is very sad on account of Fido," said the Dutch doll, "because I was in the dining-room at supper-time and I heard her daddy tell her to eat her supper and he would go out and find Fido; but I had forgotten all about it until now."

       "That is the trouble with all of us except Raggedy Ann!" cried the little penny doll, in a squeaky voice, "She has to think for all of us!"

       "I think it would be a good plan for us to show our love for Mistress and try and find Fido!" exclaimed Raggedy.

       "It is a good plan, Raggedy Ann!" cried all the dolls. "Tell us how to start about it."

       "Well, first let us go out upon the lawn and see if we can track the dogs!" said Raggedy.

       "I can track them easily!" the native doll said, "for natives are good at trailing things!"

       "Then let us waste no more time in talking!" said Raggedy Ann, as she jumped from bed, followed by the rest.

       The nursery window was open, so the dolls helped each other up on the sill and then jumped to the soft grass below. They fell in all sorts of queer attitudes, but of course the fall did not hurt them.

       At the hole in the fence the native doll picked up the trail of the two dogs, and the dolls, stringing out behind, followed him until they came to Peterkins' house. Peterkins was surprised to see the strange little figures in white nighties come stringing up the path to the dog house.

       Peterkins was too large to sleep in the nursery, so he had a nice cozy dog-house under the grape arbor.

       "Come in," Peterkins said when he saw and recognized the dolls, so all the dollies went into Peterkins' house and sat about while Raggedy told him why they had come.

       "It has worried me, too!" said Peterkins, "but I had no way of telling your mistress where Fido was, for she cannot understand dog language! For you see," Peterkins continued, "Fido and I were having the grandest romp over in the park when a great big man with a funny thing on the end of a stick came running towards us. We barked at him and Fido thought he was trying to play with us and went up too close and do you know, that wicked man caught Fido in the thing at the end of the stick and carried him to a wagon and dumped him in with a lot of other dogs!"

       "The Dog Catcher!" cried Raggedy Ann.

       "Yes!" said Peterkins, as he wiped his eyes with his paws. "It was the dog catcher! For I followed the wagon at a distance and I saw him put all the dogs into a big wire pen, so that none could get out!"

       "Then you know the way there, Peterkins?" asked Raggedy Ann.

       "Yes, I can find it easily," Peterkins said.

       "Then show us the way!" Raggedy Ann cried, "for we must try to rescue Fido."

       So Peterkins led the way up alleys and across streets, the dolls all pattering along behind him. It was a strange procession. Once a strange dog ran out at them, but Peterkins told him to mind his own business and the strange dog returned to his own yard.

       At last they came to the dog catcher's place. Some of the dogs in the pen were barking at the moon and others were whining and crying.

       There was Fido, all covered with mud, and his pretty red ribbon dragging on the ground. My, but he was glad to see the dolls and Peterkins! All the dogs came to the side of the pen and twisted their heads from side to side, gazing in wonder at the queer figures of the dolls.

Color the string of dolls in their white nighties.

       "We will try and let you out," said Raggedy Ann.

       At this all the dogs barked joyfully.

       Then Raggedy Ann, the other dolls and Peterkins went to the gate.

       The catch was too high for Raggedy Ann to reach, but Peterkins held Raggedy Ann in his mouth and stood up on his hind legs so that she could raise the catch.

       When the catch was raised, the dogs were so anxious to get out they pushed and jumped against the gate so hard it flew open, knocking Peterkins and Raggedy Ann into the mud. Such a yapping and barking was never heard in the neighborhood as when the dogs swarmed out of the enclosure, jumping over one another and scrambling about in the mad rush out the gate.

       Fido picked himself up from where he had been rolled by the large dogs and helped Raggedy Ann to her feet. He, Peterkins, and all the dolls ran after the pack of dogs, turning the corner just as the dog catcher came running out of the house in his nightgown to see what was causing the trouble.

       He stopped in astonishment when he saw the string of dolls in white nighties pattering down the alley, for he could not imagine what they were.

       Well, you may be sure the dolls thanked Peterkins for his kind assistance and they and Fido ran on home, for a faint light was beginning to show in the east where the sun was getting ready to come up.

       When they got to their own home they found an old chair out in the yard and after a great deal of work they finally dragged it to the window and thus managed to get into the nursery again.

       Fido was very grateful to Raggedy Ann and the other dolls and before he went to his basket he gave them each a lick on the cheek.

       The dolls lost no time in scrambling into bed and pulling up the covers, for they were very sleepy, but just as they were dozing off, Raggedy Ann raised herself and said, "If my legs and arms were not stuffed with nice clean cotton I feel sure they would ache, but being stuffed with nice clean white cotton, they do not ache and I could not feel happier if my body were stuffed with sunshine, for I know how pleased and happy Mistress will be in the morning when she discovers Fido asleep in his own little basket, safe and sound at home."

       And as the dollies by this time were all asleep, Raggedy Ann pulled the sheet up to her chin and smiled so hard she ripped two stitches out of the back of her rag head.

Color Raggedy as she is happy to have found Fido.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann And The Mouse

Raggedy Ann And The Mouse

       Jeanette was a new wax doll, and like Henny, the Dutch doll, she could say "Mamma" when anyone tipped her backward or forward. She had lovely golden brown curls of real hair. It could be combed and braided, or curled or fluffed without tangling, and Raggedy Ann was very proud when Jeanette came to live with the dolls.

       But now Raggedy Ann was very angry - in fact, Raggedy Ann had just ripped two stitches out of the top of her head when she took her rag hands and pulled her rag face down into a frown (but when she let go of the frown her face stretched right back into her usual cheery smile).

       And you would have been angry, too, for something had happened to Jeanette.

       Something or someone had stolen into the nursery that night when the dolls were asleep and nibbled all the wax from Jeanette's beautiful face - and now all her beauty was gone!

       "It really is a shame!" said Raggedy Ann as she put her arms about Jeanette.

       "Something must be done about it!" said the French doll as she stamped her little foot.

       "If I catch the culprit, I will - well, I don't know what I will do with him!" said the tin soldier, who could be very fierce at times, although he was seldom cross.

       "Here is the hole he came from!" cried Uncle Clem from the other end of the nursery. "Come, see!"

       All the dolls ran to where Uncle Clem was, down on his hands and knees.

       "This must be the place!" said Raggedy Ann. "We will plug up the hole with something, so he will not come out again!"

       The dolls hunted around and brought rags and pieces of paper and pushed them into the mouse's doorway.

       "I thought I heard nibbling last night," one of the penny dolls said. "You know I begged for an extra piece of pie last evening, when Mistress had me at the table and it kept me awake!"

       While the dolls were talking, Marcella ran down-stairs with Jeanette and told Daddy and Mamma, who came up-stairs with Marcella and hunted around until they discovered the mouse's doorway.

       "Oh, why couldn't it have chewed on me?" Raggedy Ann asked herself when she saw Marcella's sorrowful face, for Raggedy Ann was never selfish.

       "Daddy will take Jeanette down-town with him and have her fixed up as good as new," said Mamma, so Jeanette was wrapped in soft tissue paper and taken away.

       Later in the day Marcella came bouncing into the nursery with a surprise for the dolls. It was a dear fuzzy little kitten.

       Marcella introduced the kitten to all the dolls.

       "Her name is Boots, because she has four little white feet!" said Marcella. So Boots, the happy little creature, played with the penny dolls, scraping them over the floor and peeping out from behind chairs and pouncing upon them as if they were mice and the penny dolls enjoyed it hugely.

       When Marcella was not in the nursery, Raggedy Ann wrestled with Boots and they would roll over and over upon the floor, Boots with her front feet around Raggedy Ann's neck and kicking with her hind feet.

       Then Boots would arch her back and pretend she was very angry and walk sideways until she was close to Raggedy. Then she would jump at her and over and over they would roll, their heads hitting the floor bumpity-bump.

       Boots slept in the nursery that night and was lonely for her Mamma, for it was the first time she had been away from home.

       Even though her bed was right on top of Raggedy Ann, she could not sleep. But Raggedy Ann was very glad to have Boots sleep with her, even if she was heavy, and when Boots began crying for her Mamma, Raggedy Ann comforted her and soon Boots went to sleep.

       One day Jeanette came home. She had a new coating of wax on her face and she was as beautiful as ever.

       Now, by this time Boots was one of the family and did not cry at night. Besides Boots was told of the mouse in the corner and how he had eaten Jeanette's wax, so she promised to sleep with one eye open.

       Late that night when Boots was the only one awake, out popped a tiny mouse from the hole. Boots jumped after the mouse, and hit against the toy piano and made the keys tinkle so loudly it awakened the dolls.

       They ran over to where Boots sat growling with the tiny mouse in her mouth.

       My! how the mouse was squeaking!

       Raggedy Ann did not like to hear it squeak, but she did not wish Jeanette to have her wax face chewed again, either.

       So, Raggedy Ann said to the tiny little mouse, "You should have known better than to come here when Boots is with us. Why don't you go out in the barn and live where you will not destroy anything of value?"

       "I did not know!" squeaked the little mouse, "This is the first time I have ever been here!"

       "Aren't you the little mouse who nibbled Jeanette's wax face?" Raggedy Ann asked.

       "No!" the little mouse answered. "I was visiting the mice inside the walls and wandered out here to pick up cake crumbs! I have three little baby mice at home down in the barn. I have never nibbled at anyone's wax face!"

       "Are you a Mamma mouse?" Uncle Clem asked.

       "Yes!" the little mouse squeaked, "and if the kitten will let me go I will run right home to my children and never return again!"

       "Let her go, Boots!" the dolls all cried, "She has three little baby mice at home! Please let her go!"

       "No, sir!" Boots growled, "This is the first mouse I have ever caught and I will eat her!" At this the little Mamma mouse began squeaking louder than ever.

       "If you do not let the Mamma mouse go, Boots, I shall not play with you again!" said Raggedy Ann.

       "Raggedy will not play with Boots again!" said all of the dolls in an awed tone. Not to have Raggedy play with them would have been sad, indeed.

      But Boots only growled.

       The dolls drew to one side, where Raggedy Ann and Uncle Clem whispered together.

       And while they whispered Boots would let the little Mamma mouse run a piece, then she would catch it again and box it about between her paws.

       This she did until the poor little Mamma mouse grew so tired it could scarcely run away from Boots.

       Boots would let it get almost to the hole in the wall before she would catch it, for she knew it would not escape her.

       As she watched the little mouse crawling towards the hole scarcely able to move, Raggedy Ann could not keep the tears from her shoe-button eyes.

       Finally as Boots started to spring after the little mouse again, Raggedy Ann threw her rag arms around the kitten's neck. "Run, Mamma mouse!" Raggedy Ann cried, as Boots whirled her over and over.

       Uncle Clem ran and pushed the Mamma mouse into the hole and then she was gone.

       When Raggedy Ann took her arms from around Boots, the kitten was very angry. She laid her ears back and scratched Raggedy Ann with her claws.

       But Raggedy Ann only smiled - it did not hurt her a bit for Raggedy was sewed together with a needle and thread and if that did not hurt, how could the scratch of a kitten? Finally Boots felt ashamed of herself and went over and lay down by the hole in the wall in hopes the mouse would return, but the mouse never returned. Even then Mamma mouse was out in the barn with her children, warning them to beware of kittens and cats.

       Raggedy Ann and all the dolls then went to bed and Raggedy had just dozed off to sleep when she felt something jump upon her bed. It was Boots. She felt a warm little pink tongue caress her rag cheek. Raggedy Ann smiled happily to herself, for Boots had curled up on top of Raggedy Ann and was purring herself to sleep.

       Then Raggedy Ann knew she had been forgiven for rescuing the Mamma mouse and she smiled herself to sleep and dreamed happily of tomorrow.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann's Trip On The River

Raggedy Ann's Trip On The River

       When Marcella had a tea party out in the orchard, of course all of the dolls were invited. Raggedy Ann, the tin soldier, the native doll and all the others - even the four little penny dolls in the spool box. After a lovely tea party with ginger cookies and milk, of course the dolls were very sleepy, at least Marcella thought so, so she took all except Raggedy Ann into the house and put them to bed for the afternoon nap. Then Marcella told Raggedy Ann to stay there and watch the things.

       As there was nothing else to do, Raggedy Ann waited for Marcella to return. And as she watched the little ants eating cookie crumbs Marcella had thrown to them, she heard all of a sudden the patter of puppy feet behind her. It was Fido.

       The puppy dog ran up to Raggedy Ann and twisted his head about as he looked at her. Then he put his front feet out and barked in Raggedy Ann's face. Raggedy Ann tried to look very stern, but she could not hide the broad smile painted on her face.

       "Oh, you want to play, do you?" the puppy dog barked, as he jumped at Raggedy Ann and then jumped back again.

       The more Raggedy Ann smiled, the livelier Fido's antics became, until finally he caught the end of her dress and dragged her about.

       This was great fun for the puppy dog, but Raggedy Ann did not enjoy it. She kicked and twisted as much as she could, but the puppy dog thought Raggedy was playing.

       He ran out the garden gate and down the path across the meadow, every once in a while stopping and pretending he was very angry. When he pretended this, Fido would give Raggedy Ann a great shaking, making her yarn head hit the ground "ratty-tat-tat." Then he would give his head a toss and send Raggedy Ann high in the air where she would turn over two or three times before she reached the ground.

       By this time, she had lost her apron and now some of her yarn hair was coming loose.

       As Fido neared the brook, another puppy dog came running across the foot-bridge to meet him. "What have you there, Fido?" said the new puppy dog as he bounced up to Raggedy Ann.

       "This is Raggedy Ann," answered Fido. "She and I are having a lovely time playing."

       You see, Fido really thought Raggedy enjoyed being tossed around and whirled high up in the air. But of course she didn't. However, the game didn't last much longer. As Raggedy Ann hit the ground the new puppy dog caught her dress and ran with her across the bridge, Fido barking close behind him.

       In the center of the bridge, Fido caught up with the new puppy dog and they had a lively tug-of-war with Raggedy Ann stretched between then. As they pulled and tugged and flopped Raggedy Ann about, somehow she fell over the side of the bridge into the water.

       The puppy dogs were surprised, and Fido was very sorry indeed, for he remembered how good Raggedy Ann had been to him and how she had rescued him from the dog-pound. But the current carried Raggedy Ann right along and all Fido could do was to run along the bank and bark.

Color Raggedy where she landed in the river.

       Now, you would have thought Raggedy Ann would sink, but no, she floated nicely, for she was stuffed with clean white cotton and the water didn't soak through very quickly.

       After a while, the strange puppy and Fido grew tired of running along the bank and the strange puppy scampered home over the meadow, with his tail carried gaily over his back as if he had nothing to be ashamed of. But Fido walked home very sorry indeed. His little heart was broken to think that he had caused Raggedy Ann to be drowned.

       But Raggedy Ann didn't drown - not a bit of it. In fact, she even went to sleep on the brook, for the motion of the current was very soothing as it carried her along - just like being rocked by Marcella.

       So, sleeping peacefully, Raggedy Ann drifted along with the current until she came to a pool where she lodged against a large stone.

       Raggedy Ann tried to climb upon the stone, but by this time the water had thoroughly soaked through Raggedy Ann's nice, clean, white cotton stuffing and she was so heavy she could not climb.

       So there she had to stay until Marcella and Daddy came along and found her.

       You see, they had been looking for her. They had found pieces of her apron all along the path and across the meadow where Fido and the strange puppy dog had shaken them from Raggedy Ann. So they followed the brook until they found her.

       When Daddy fished Raggedy Ann from the water, Marcella hugged her so tightly to her breast the water ran from Raggedy Ann and dripped all over Marcella's apron. But Marcella was so glad to find Raggedy Ann again she didn't mind it a bit. She just hurried home and took off all of Raggedy Ann's wet clothes and placed her on a little red chair in front of the oven door, and then brought all of the other dolls in and read a fairy tale to them while Raggedy Ann steamed and dried.

       When Raggedy Ann was thoroughly dry, Mamma said she thought the cake must be finished and she took from the oven a lovely chocolate cake and gave Marcella a large piece to have another tea party with.

       That night when all the house was asleep, Raggedy Ann raised up in bed and said to the dolls who were still awake, "I am so happy I do not feel a bit sleepy. Do you know, I believe the water soaked me so thoroughly my candy heart must have melted and filled my whole body, and I do not feel the least bit angry with Fido for playing with me so roughly!"

       So all the other dolls were happy, too, for happiness is very easy to catch when we love one another and are sweet all through.

Color Raggedy where she lodged against a stone in the river.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann and Andy Dolls

Gruelle's U.S. Patent design for what
became known as the Raggedy Ann doll.

       Although the female members of Gruelle's family may have made a small number of initial versions of the Raggedy Ann doll in Norwalk, Connecticut, to help market the related books, Gruelle soon established a merchandising agreement with P. F. Volland Company, his primary publisher, to begin commercially manufacturing, selling, and promoting a mass-produced version of the doll.

       In addition to his patent application U.S. Patent D47,789 in 1915 for the design of what became the Raggedy Ann doll, Gruelle patented his design U.S. Patent D56,149 for a generic male doll in 1920. A short time after its literary debut in 1920, Raggedy Andy appeared as a commercially-made doll, marketed by Volland.

       Raggedy Ann doll sales were also growing. The P. F. Volland Company's initial order of 24 dozen dolls from the Non-Breakable Toy Company, the doll's early manufacturer, increased to about 3,200 dolls within the first eight months of production. With its growing popularity, Gruelle gave Volland the exclusive rights to manufacture and sell the dolls as long as it remained the exclusive publisher of his books.

Handmade Raggedy Ann and Andy. These classic rag dolls come with
their own stories by Johnny Gruelle and are featured in movies for tele-
vision and the theater. They come with distinctive characteristics
 such as red yarn hair, candy hearts and mitt glove hands.

       In 1935 Gruelle brought suit against Mollye Goldman (Gruelle vs Goldman) after her company, Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters, continued to manufacture unauthorized version of the Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls. Goldman's attorney argued that Gruelle's design patent for Raggedy Ann had expired in 1929, and Gruelle did not apply for a design patent or a trademark for a doll specifically named Raggedy Andy. The U.S. Patent office registered Goldman's application for a trademark for her Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls in 1935. Her patent application U.S. Patent D96,382 for her Raggedy Andy design was granted on May 7, 1935. Goldman's versions of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy closely resembled the Gruelle-designed rag dolls, which he had authorized the Exposition Doll and Toy Manufacturing Company to manufacture. Gruelle brought suit against Goldman for trademark infringement in October 1936, but the case was dismissed. He won the lawsuit on appeal in 1937. In the appellate court's option handed down on December 23, 1937, Goldman's company, Molly-'Es Doll Outfitters, could not legally manufacture dolls named Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. Goldman was ordered to provide restitution to Gruelle.
       The Raggedy Ann doll was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, New York, on March 27, 2002. Raggedy Andy was inducted 5 years later on November 8, 2007.

• Read edited versions of the original story collection about Raggedy Ann by Johnny Gruelle and download free coloring pages of the doll here.
• How to make a mini 6" Raggedy doll from a free pattern here
• Make Raggedy Ann and Andy clothespin dolls

Video About Raggedy Ann and Andy: Old Cartoons:

• Raggedy Ann and Andy Cartoon from 1941: Ragland Love Story - "A toyshop owner tells a little girl the story behind the two dolls she's fallen in love with . . ." 
• The Enchanted Square - a blind child plays with Raggedy Ann and Andy in her incredible imagination from Retro Toons
• More adventures in Ragland when Raggedy Andy falls for another doll and Raggedy Ann becomes hopelessly sick in her tiny candy heart!

Full length view of two handmade
Raggedy Ann Dolls with book.

Collectors and Fan Videos:

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Raggedy Ann And The Painter

Raggedy Ann And The Painter

       When housecleaning time came around, Mistress' mamma decided that she would have the nursery repainted and new paper put upon the walls. That was why all the dolls happened to be laid helter-skelter upon one of the high shelves.

       Mistress had been in to look at them and wished to put them to bed, but as the painters were coming again in the early morning, Mamma thought it best that their beds be piled in the closet.

       So the dolls' beds were piled into the closet, one on top of another and the dolls were placed upon the high shelf.

       When all was quiet that night, Raggedy Ann who was on the bottom of the pile of dolls spoke softly and asked the others if they would mind moving along the shelf.

       "The cotton in my body is getting mashed as flat as a pancake!" said Raggedy Ann. And although the tin soldier was piled so that his foot was pressed into Raggedy's face, she still wore her customary smile.

       So the dolls began moving off to one side until Raggedy Ann was free to sit up.

       "Ah, that's a great deal better!" she said, stretching her arms and legs to get the kinks out of them, and patting her dress into shape.

       "Well, I'll be glad when morning comes!" she said finally, "for I know Mistress will take us out in the yard and play with us under the trees."

Tossed in the air

       So the dolls sat and talked until daylight, when the painters came to work.

       One of the painters, a young fellow, seeing the dolls, reached up and took Raggedy Ann down from the shelf.

       "Look at this rag doll, Jim," he said to one of the other painters, "She's a daisy," and he took Raggedy Ann by the hands and danced with her while he whistled a lively tune. Raggedy Ann's heels hit the floor thumpity-thump and she enjoyed it immensely.

       The other dolls sat upon the shelf and looked straight before them, for it would never do to let grown-up men know that dolls were really alive.

Color dear old Raggedy covered in paint.

       "Better put her back upon the shelf," said one of the other men. "You'll have the little girl after you! The chances are that she likes that old rag doll better than any of the others!"

       But the young painter twisted Raggedy Ann into funny attitudes and laughed and laughed as she looped about. Finally he got to tossing her up in the air and catching her. This was great fun for Raggedy and as she sailed up by the shelf the dolls all smiled at her, for it pleased them whenever Raggedy Ann was happy.

       But the young fellow threw Raggedy Ann up into the air once too often and when she came down he failed to catch her and she came down splash, head first into a bucket of oily paint.

       "I told you!" said the older painter, "and now you are in for it!"

       "My goodness! I didn't mean to do it!" said the young fellow, "What had I better do with her?"

       "Better put her back on the shelf!" replied the other.

       So Raggedy was placed back upon the shelf and the paint ran from her head and trickled down upon her dress.

       After breakfast, Mistress came into the nursery and saw Raggedy all covered with paint and she began crying.

       The young painter felt sorry and told her how it had happened.

       "If you will let me," he said, "I will take her home with me and will clean her up tonight and will bring her back day after tomorrow."

       So Raggedy was wrapped in a newspaper that evening and carried away.

       All the dolls felt sad that night without Raggedy Ann near them.

       "Poor Raggedy! I could have cried when I saw her all covered with paint!" said the French doll.

       "She didn't look like our dear old Raggedy Ann at all!" said the tin soldier, who wiped the tears from his eyes so that they would not run down on his arms and rust them.

       "The paint covered her lovely smile and nose and you could not see the laughter in her shoe-button eyes!" said the Indian doll.

       And so the dolls talked that night and the next. But in the daytime when the painters were there, they kept very quiet.

       The second day Raggedy was brought home and the dolls were all anxious for night to come so that they could see and talk with Raggedy Ann.

       At last the painters left and the house was quiet, for Mistress had been in and placed Raggedy on the shelf with the other dolls.

       "Tell us all about it, Raggedy dear!" the dolls cried.

Color Raggedy as she gets new yarn hair.

       "Oh I am so glad I fell in the paint!" cried Raggedy, after she had hugged all the dolls, "For I have had the happiest time. The painter took me home and told his Mamma how I happened to be covered with paint and she was very sorry. She took a rag and wiped off my shoe-button eyes and then I saw that she was a very pretty, sweet-faced lady and she got some cleaner and wiped off most of the paint on my face.

Telling the story

       "But you know," Raggedy continued, "the paint had soaked through my rag head and had made the cotton inside all sticky and soggy and I could not think clearly. And my yarn hair was all matted with paint.

       "So the kind lady took off my yarn hair and cut the stitches out of my head, and took out all the painty cotton.

       "It was a great relief, although it felt queer at first and my thoughts seemed scattered.

On the line again

       "She left me in her work-basket that night and hung me out upon the clothes-line the next morning when she had washed the last of the paint off.

       "And while I hung out on the clothes-line, what do you think?"

       "We could never guess!" all the dolls cried.

       "Why a dear little Jenny Wren came and picked enough cotton out of me to make a cute little cuddly nest in the grape arbor!"

       "Wasn't that sweet!" cried all the dolls.

       "Yes indeed it was!" replied Raggedy Ann, "It made me very happy. Then when the lady took me in the house again she stuffed me with lovely nice new cotton, all the way from my knees up and sewed me up and put new yarn on my head for hair and - and - and it's a secret!" said Raggedy Ann.

       "Oh tell us the secret!" cried all the dolls, as they pressed closer to Raggedy. "Well, I know you will not tell anyone who would not be glad to know about it, so I will tell you the secret and why I am wearing my smile a trifle broader!" said Raggedy Ann.

       The dolls all said that Raggedy Ann's smile was indeed a quarter of an inch wider on each side.

       "When the dear lady put the new white cotton in my body," said Raggedy Ann "she went to the cupboard and came back with a paper bag. And she took from the bag ten or fifteen little candy hearts with mottos on them and she hunted through the candy hearts until she found a beautiful red one which she sewed up in me with the cotton! So that is the secret, and that is why I am so happy! Feel here," said Raggedy Ann. All the dolls could feel Raggedy Ann's beautiful new candy heart and they were very happy for her.

       After all had hugged each other good night and had cuddled up for the night, the tin soldier asked, "Did you have a chance to see what the motto on your new candy heart was, Raggedy Ann?"

       "Oh yes," replied Raggedy Ann, "I was so happy I forgot to tell you. It had printed upon it in nice blue letters, 'I LOVE YOU.'"

Color Raggedy as she reassures her friends that she is alright.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann And The Strange Dolls

Raggedy Ann And The Strange Dolls

       Raggedy Ann lay just as Marcella had dropped her - all sprawled out with her rag arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.

       Her yarn hair was twisted and lay partly over her face, hiding one of her shoe-button eyes.

       Raggedy gave no sign that she had heard, but lay there smiling at the ceiling.

       Perhaps Raggedy Ann knew that what the new dolls said was true.

       But sometimes the truth may hurt and this may have been the reason Raggedy Ann lay there so still.

Color the strangers who, at first, made fun of dear old Raggedy's looks.

       "Did you ever see such an ungainly creature!"

       "I do believe it has shoe buttons for eyes!"

       "And yarn hair!"

       "Mercy, did you ever see such feet!"

       The Dutch doll rolled off the doll sofa and said "Mamma" in his quavery voice, he was so surprised at hearing anyone speak so of beloved Raggedy Ann - dear Raggedy Ann, she of the candy heart, whom all the dolls loved.

       Uncle Clem was also very much surprised and offended. He walked up in front of the two new dolls and looked them sternly in the eyes, but he could think of nothing to say so he pulled at his yarn mustache.

       Marcella had only received the two new dolls that morning. They had come in the morning mail and were presents from an aunt.

       Marcella had named the two new dolls Annabel-Lee and Thomas, after her aunt and uncle.

       Annabel-Lee and Thomas were beautiful dolls and must have cost heaps and heaps of shiny pennies, for both were handsomely dressed and had real hair!

       Annabel's hair was of a lovely shade of auburn and Thomas' was golden yellow.

       Annabel was dressed in soft, lace-covered silk and upon her head she wore a beautiful hat with long silk ribbons tied in a neat bow-knot beneath her dimpled chin.

       Thomas was dressed in an Oliver Twist suit of dark velvet with a lace collar. Both he and Annabel wore lovely black slippers and short stockings.

       They were sitting upon two of the little red doll chairs where Marcella had placed them and where they could see the other dolls.

       When Uncle Clem walked in front of them and pulled his mustache they laughed outright. "Tee-Hee-Hee!" they snickered, "He has holes in his knees!"

       Quite true. Uncle Clem was made of worsted and the moths had eaten his knees and part of his kiltie. He had a kiltie, you see, for Uncle Clem was a Scotch doll.

       Uncle Clem shook, but he felt so hurt he could think of nothing to say.

       He walked over and sat down beside Raggedy Ann and brushed her yarn hair away from her shoe-button eye.

       The tin soldier went over and sat beside them.

       "Don't you mind what they say, Raggedy!" he said, "They do not know you as we do!"

       "We don't care to know her!" said Annabel-Lee as she primped her dress, "She looks like a scarecrow!"

       "And the Soldier must have been made with a can opener!" laughed Thomas.

       "You should be ashamed of yourselves!" said the French dolly, as she stood before Annabel and Thomas, "You will make all of us sorry that you have joined our family if you continue to poke fun at us and look down upon us. We are all happy here together and share in each others' adventures and happiness."

       Now, that night Marcella did not undress the two new dolls, for she had no nighties for them, so she let them sit up in the two little red doll chairs so they would not muss their clothes. "I will make nighties for you tomorrow!" she said as she kissed them good night. Then she went over and gave Raggedy Ann a good night hug. "Take good care of all my children, Raggedy!" she said as she went out.

       Annabel and Thomas whispered together, "Perhaps we have been too hasty in our judgment!" said Annabel-Lee. "This Raggedy Ann seems to be a favorite with the mistress and with all the dolls!"

       "There must be a reason!" replied Thomas, "I am beginning to feel sorry that we spoke of her looks. One really cannot help one's looks after all."

       Now, Annabel-Lee and Thomas were very tired after their long journey and soon they fell asleep and forgot all about the other dolls.

       When they were sound asleep, Raggedy Ann slipped quietly from her bed and awakened the tin soldier and Uncle Clem and the three tiptoed to the two beautiful new dolls.

       They lifted them gently so as not to awaken them and carried them to Raggedy Ann's bed.

       Raggedy Ann tucked them in snugly and lay down upon the hard floor.

       The tin soldier and Uncle Clem both tried to coax Raggedy Ann into accepting their bed (they slept together), but Raggedy Ann would not hear of it.

       "I am stuffed with nice soft cotton and the hard floor does not bother me at all!" said Raggedy.

Uncle Clem offers to share

       At daybreak the next morning Annabel and Thomas awakened to find themselves in Raggedy Ann's bed and as they raised up and looked at each other each knew how ashamed the other felt, for they knew Raggedy Ann had generously given them her bed.

       There Raggedy Ann lay; all sprawled out upon the hard floor, her rag arms and legs twisted in ungraceful attitudes.

       "How good and honest she looks!" said Annabel. "It must be her shoe-button eyes!"

The new dollies share

       "How nicely her yarn hair falls in loops over her face!" exclaimed Thomas, "I did not notice how pleasant her face looked last night!"

       "The others seem to love her ever and ever so much!" mused Annabel. "It must be because she is so kind."

       Both new dolls were silent for a while, thinking deeply.

       "How do you feel?" Thomas finally asked.

       "Very much ashamed of myself!" answered Annabel, "And you, Thomas?"

       "As soon as Raggedy Ann awakens, I shall tell her just how much ashamed I am of myself and if she can, I want her to forgive me!" Thomas said.

       "The more I look at her, the better I like her!" said Annabel.

       "I am going to kiss her!" said Thomas.

       "You'll awaken her if you do!" said Annabel.

       But Thomas climbed out of bed and kissed Raggedy Ann on her painted cheek and smoothed her yarn hair from her rag forehead.

       And Annabel-Lee climbed out of bed, too, and kissed Raggedy Ann.

       Then Thomas and Annabel-Lee gently carried Raggedy Ann and put her in her own bed and tenderly tucked her in, and then took their seats in the two little red chairs.

       After a while Annabel said softly to Thomas, "I feel ever and ever so much better and happier!"

       "So do I!" Thomas replied. "It's like a whole lot of sunshine coming into a dark room, and I shall always try to keep it there!"

       Fido had one fuzzy white ear sticking up over the edge of his basket and he gave his tail a few thumps against his pillow.

       Raggedy Ann lay quietly in bed where Thomas and Annabel had tucked her. And as she smiled at the ceiling, her candy heart (with "I LOVE YOU" written on it) thrilled with contentment, for, as you have probably guessed, Raggedy Ann had not been asleep at all!

Color Uncle Clem, guardian and true friend to Raggedy Ann.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle

Raggedy Ann's New Sisters

Raggedy Ann's New Sisters

       Marcella was having a tea party up in the nursery when Daddy called to her, so she left the dollies sitting around the tiny table and ran down stairs carrying Raggedy Ann with her.

       Mama, Daddy and a strange man were talking in the living room and Daddy introduced Marcella to the stranger.

       The stranger was a large man with kindly eyes and a cheery smile, as pleasant as Raggedy Ann's.

The Ocean Fairies and Freddy

       He took Marcella upon his knee and ran his fingers through her curls as he talked to Daddy and Mamma, so, of course, Raggedy Ann liked him from the beginning. "I have two little girls," he told Marcella. "Their names are Virginia and Doris, and one time when we were at the sea-shore they were playing in the sand and they covered up Freddy, Doris' boy-doll in the sand. They were playing that Freddy was in bathing and that he wanted to be covered with the clean white sand, just as the other bathers did. And when they had covered Freddy they took their little pails and shovels and went farther down the beach to play and forgot all about Freddy.

       "Now when it came time for us to go home, Virginia and Doris remembered Freddy and ran down to get him, but the tide had come in and Freddy was 'way out under the water and they could not find him. Virginia and Doris were very sad and they talked of Freddy all the way home."

       "It was too bad they forgot Freddy," said Marcella.

       "Yes, indeed it was!" the new friend replied as he took Raggedy Ann up and made her dance on Marcella's knee. "But it turned out all right after all, for do you know what happened to Freddy?"

       "No, what did happen to him?" Marcella asked.

       "Well, first of all, when Freddy was covered with the sand, he enjoyed it immensely. And he did not mind it so much when the tide came up over him, for he felt Virginia and Doris would return and get him.

       "But presently Freddy felt the sand above him move as if someone was digging him out. Soon his head was uncovered and he could look right up through the pretty green water, and what do you think was happening? The Tide Fairies were uncovering Freddy!

       "When he was completely uncovered, the Tide Fairies swam with Freddy 'way out to the Undertow Fairies. The Undertow Fairies took Freddy and swam with him 'way out to the Roller Fairies. The Roller Fairies carried Freddy up to the surface and tossed him up to the Spray Fairies who carried him to the Wind Fairies."

       "And the Wind Fairies?" Marcella asked breathlessly.

       "The Wind Fairies carried Freddy right to our garden and there Virginia and Doris found him, none the worse for his wonderful adventure!"

       "Freddy must have enjoyed it and your little girls must have been very glad to get Freddy back again!" said Marcella. "Raggedy Ann went up in the air on the tail of a kite one day and fell and was lost, so now I am very careful with her!"

       "Would you let me take Raggedy Ann for a few days?" asked the new friend.

       Marcella was silent. She liked the stranger friend, but she did not wish to lose Raggedy Ann.

       "I will promise to take very good care of her and return her to you in a week. Will you let her go with me, Marcella?"

       Marcella finally agreed and when the stranger friend left, he placed Raggedy Ann in his grip.

       "It is lonely without Raggedy Ann!" said the dollies each night.

       "We miss her happy painted smile and her cheery ways!" they said.

       And so the week dragged by....

       But, my! What a chatter there was in the nursery the first night after Raggedy Ann returned. All the dolls were so anxious to hug Raggedy Ann they could scarcely wait until Marcella had left them alone.

       When they had squeezed Raggedy Ann almost out of shape and she had smoothed out her yarn hair, patted her apron out and felt her shoe-button eyes to see if they were still there, she said, "Well, what have you been doing? Tell me all the news!"

       "Oh we have just had the usual tea parties and games!" said the tin soldier. "Tell us about yourself, Raggedy dear, we have missed you so much!"

       "Yes! Tell us where you have been and what you have done, Raggedy!" all the dolls cried.

       But Raggedy Ann just then noticed that one of the penny dolls had a hand missing.

       "How did this happen?" she asked as she picked up the doll.

       "I fell off the table and lit upon the tin soldier last night when we were playing. But don't mind a little thing like that, Raggedy Ann," replied the penny doll. "Tell us of yourself! Have you had a nice time?"

       "I shall not tell a thing until your hand is mended!" Raggedy Ann said.

So the Indian ran and brought a bottle of glue. "Where's the hand?" Raggedy asked.

       "In my pocket," the penny doll answered.

       When Raggedy Ann had glued the penny doll's hand in place and wrapped a rag around it to hold it until the glue dried, she said, "When I tell you of this wonderful adventure, I know you will all feel very happy. It has made me almost burst my stitches with joy."

       The dolls all sat upon the floor around Raggedy Ann, the tin soldier with his arm over her shoulder.

       "Well, first when I left," said Raggedy Ann, "I was placed in the Stranger Friend's grip. It was rather stuffy in there, but I did not mind it; in fact I believe I must have fallen asleep, for when I awakened I saw the Stranger Friend's hand reaching into the grip. Then he lifted me from the grip and danced me upon his knee. 'What do you think of her?' he asked to three other men sitting nearby.

       "I was so interested in looking out of the window I did not pay any attention to what they said, for we were on a train and the scenery was just flying by! Then I was put back in the grip.

       "When next I was taken from the grip I was in a large, clean, light room and there were many, many girls all dressed in white aprons.

       "The stranger friend showed me to another man and to the girls who took off my clothes, cut my seams and took out my cotton. And what do you think! They found my lovely candy heart had not melted at all as I thought. Then they laid me on a table and marked all around my outside edges with a pencil on clean white cloth, and then the girls re-stuffed me and dressed me.

       "I stayed in the clean big light room for two or three days and nights and watched my Sisters grow from pieces of cloth into rag dolls just like myself!"

       "Your SISTERS!" the dolls all exclaimed in astonishment, "What do you mean, Raggedy?"

       "I mean," said Raggedy Ann, "that the Stranger Friend had borrowed me from Marcella so that he could have patterns made from me. And before I left the big clean white room there where hundreds of rag dolls so like me you would not have been able to tell us apart."

       "We could have told you by your happy smile!" cried the French dolly.

       "But all of my sister dolls have smiles just like mine!" replied Raggedy Ann.

       "And shoe-button eyes?" the dolls all asked.

       "Yes, shoe-button eyes!" Raggedy Ann replied.

       "I would tell you from the others by your dress, Raggedy Ann," said the French doll, "Your dress is fifty years old! I could tell you by that!"

       "But my new sister rag dolls have dresses just like mine, for the Stranger Friend had cloth made especially for them exactly like mine."

       "I know how we could tell you from the other rag dolls, even if you all look exactly alike!" said the Indian doll, who had been thinking for a long time.

       "How?" asked Raggedy Ann with a laugh.

       "By feeling your candy heart! If the doll has a candy heart then it is you, Raggedy Ann!"

       Raggedy Ann laughed, "I am so glad you all love me as you do, but I am sure you would not be able to tell me from my new sisters, except that I am more worn, for each new rag doll has a candy heart, and on it is written, 'I love you' just as is written on my own candy heart."

       "And there are hundreds and hundreds of the new rag dolls?" asked the little penny dolls.

       "Hundreds and hundreds of them, all named Raggedy Ann," replied Raggedy.

       "Then," said the penny dolls, "we are indeed happy and proud for you! For wherever one of the new Raggedy Ann dolls goes there will go with it the love and happiness that you give to others."

Color Raggedy Ann and her sisters.

Back to the original stories index by Johnny Gruelle