People are making Grinch baby dolls that are up to £990 cheaper than the shop-bought versions

Many people are looking for ways to cut down their Christmas spending this year, which means the demand for homemade presents is higher than ever.

If you have a child who loves dolls, but wants something a bit more unique, the current trend is to paint one to look like The Grinch (in baby form, of course).

Parents from across the UK have been sharing their creations, with most costing under £10 and making use of an old toy that’s no longer played with.

With versions bought elsewhere either looking somewhat shabby or costing up to £1,000 on Etsy, it definitely makes sense to test your painting skills before forking out.

29-year-old Chelsey Carr was one of those mums who shared her Grinch Baby doll on a crafting group.

While on maternity leave from her job in a nursery, the Lancaster parent decided to make something her kids (aged eight, three, and eight months) could enjoy for years to come.

She told Metro.co.uk: ‘I’d seen people ordering ‘baby Grinches’ and being scammed receiving plastic dog toy like items, so thought I’d have a go of painting my own doll.

‘I googled and found various reborn sites and got my ideas from them. Kiah kept asking for a baby Grinch when I showed her them on the sites.’

Using a doll and marker pens the family already had from a previous Christmas, Chelsey bought the paint needed and some clothes from eBay – coming to a total of £7.

Despite the fact it took a few hours to make (as you need to wait for the paint to dry before adding details), Chelsey said: ‘My daughter absolutely loves it and we’ve even made another for a close friend of ours.’

Another parent who made their child a Grinch doll is Natasha Chalmers, who has a son aged six and a daughter who’s almost two.

Speaking of her daughter, Natasha said: ‘She’s obsessed with The Grinch and I seen someone make it on social media, so I thought I’d give it ago.

‘I’m not very crafty, but I thought why not. I’m a support worker so I did it on my days off, and it took me a few days to do but didn’t cost much to make – about £10

‘I already had the doll so I just had to buy the acrylic paint and fur, and make the outfit. She absolutely loves it.’

For those who want to recreate the Grinchy cuteness, start with a baby doll and clean it with sugar soap to ensure no dust remains.

The, get your green paint out and go in thin coats, leaving each one to dry before reapplying and doing so until your doll is totally green.

When it comes to the face, you want to use a black marker pen to make exaggerated eyebrows and draw lines around the sides of the mouth and beside the nose (adding dots where whiskers would go on the cheeks).

Colour in the bottom of the nose with black, and either use fake eyelashes or draw some on.

The next step is the outfit and furry bits, which you can create however you wish. Baby doll outfits will fit the doll, and green faux fur can be bought online cheaply (or at your local haberdasher).

They make gorgeous gifts for Grinch-loving kids, and won’t steal your Christmas budget.

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