xoxo Grandma: Doll

Showing posts with label Doll. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Make Easter Bunny Ears for Your Doll

You might think it's too early to think about Easter but this year it happens to fall on March 27th which is exactly two months from today. This is another easy project that even someone with a broken arm (like me) can do.

First, purchase a bunny headband designed to fit a child. I found mine at Target on sale last year for 25 cents each. They actually fit adults but the only time this adult put them on was to be silly with my grandchildren. Then, after a little destructive action, turn it into Easter bunny ears for you doll. Here we go...

Open up the seams of your bunny headband and remove the bunny ears from the headband. Throw away the headband, unless you think you'll use it for something else. Rewrap the wires to form a doll sized headband. You may need to use an additional wire for this step.
Wrap the fur around the new wire, pinning as you go. Cut off the excess bunny fur from both ends.
Wrap the fur ends up toward the bottom wires.
Pin any additional places and with a needle and coordinating thread, sew the fur back together (I must mention, that with a broken arm this step took twice as long as it normally would have taken).

Here's a close-up photo of step number 4 - sewing the headband back together.

Pretty simple, right? And oh so cute! Happy Easter preparation everyone! xoxo Grandma

Friday, January 15, 2016

Make a Doll Size Travel Case

Excuse the long absence, it has been quite the winter! We were on the road for the holidays and then had I had a little mishap on the ice while shoveling snow. It concluded with my left arm in a cast and a minor surgery to hold the bones together. Not exactly how I envisioned starting 2016. What I had envisioned, though, was more cute, easy projects like this... so let's get this fun started and pretend that ice doesn't exist. At least for a few minutes.

I found these two cute little tins at a thrift store and knew they'd make the perfect doll accessory. So, let me show you how I turned them into vintage looking travel cases. You're going to love this project because it's super easy to make!

Supplies Needed:

Tin
Sticky backed felt
Vintage travel fabric (I found this fabric at Hobby Lobby.)
Embroidery thread
Needle
Scissors

Directions:

Lay the sticky felt on top of the tin. With a pen or marker, trace the edge of the tin onto the paper side of the felt. Cut out the felt along the inside of the traced line. You'll need two pieces of felt, one for each side of the tin.
Cut out images from the vintage travel fabric leaving a little edge and pin them onto the felt.
Hand sew the fabric cut outs onto the felt using embroidery floss.
Pull off the paper from the felt and press the felt onto one side of the tin. Now press the other piece of felt onto the opposite side of the tin.

That's it! Your doll sized travel case is ready for traveling.

Where will your doll go with her new travel case? Hopefully no where snowy or icy. Happy travels! xoxo Grandma

Available on Etsy

Monday, November 30, 2015

Felt Christmas Stockings for your Doll

Since getting ready for the holidays means getting your doll ready too... I mean, if you're a little girl... we had to whip out some mini Christmas stockings.

I discovered that all my doll loving friends thought they were too cute. Since most of these friends don't sew, I made a bunch of these cute little felt stockings for their dolls.

If you sew, you'll want to download this Free Pattern to make your own doll sized Christmas stockings for all your doll loving friends. Remember to download this pattern "full size" then have fun creating these little stockings for a doll or even to decorate a Christmas tree. Don't want to make one? You can find this cute stocking here.

Materials needed:

Red felt
White felt
Star buttons (for the tree stocking)
White, orange and brown thread

Directions:

Cut out felt using the pattern.
Machine stitch the top to the stocking. Machine stitch the mini snowman or tree to the stocking using an embroidery stitch.
Sew rick rack along the bottom of the white stocking top.
Add 2 1/2" of ribbon by folding the ribbon in half and tucking under the raw edges before sewing next to the top left corner of the stocking.
Hand embroider the details onto the snowman. (Nose, Eyes and stick hands.) If you embroidered the tree, just sew a star button onto the top of the tree and with brown thread add a trunk about 1/4" wide.
Pin the stockings together and sew 1/4" from the edge with a contrasting thread color.

When you're finished with step #6, your stocking should look like this:

or this if you added a tree to the stocking:

Now, even if you're not, your doll should be ready for Christmas morning.

xoxo Grandma

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Pioneer Memories & a Free Apron Pattern For a Doll

Here in Utah, we celebrate something called Pioneer Day every July 24. It's in honor of the first group of Mormon pioneers who entered the Salt Lake Valley back in 1847. This upcoming holiday got me thinking of my own pioneer ancestors. Do you have any pioneer ancestors? I have a great grandmother and a great great grandfather who crossed the plains in 1863. In memory of them, I made this pioneer outfit. My favorite part of the outfit is that cute little apron, which I refashioned from a linen napkin.

I was given several linen napkins that had holes in them. I turned all of those sad-looking napkins into doll aprons. If you happen to have some cloth napkins laying around, try refashioning them into doll aprons, you'll love all the detail a cloth napkin adds to it! In fact, let me show you how simple it is to convert a cloth napkin into a doll apron. This project should take you about 15 minutes from start to completion.

Once the seam has been sewn, the basting stitches can be pulled out. Iron the edge of the ribbon and you're done with your darling doll apron. See, I told you it was easy.

If you want to add a pocket, use a corner of the napkin that you cut off and cut out a rectangle. Iron the edges under and then sew the rectangle onto the apron closely around the edges.

Depending on where the holes were in the linen napkin, some of my aprons turned out a little shorter than others. No matter the length, a linen napkin makes the perfect fabric for a cute doll size apron.

Now, back to my great grandmother, who I mentioned earlier. For most of her journey across the plains, she got to travel sitting on top of a wagon loaded with stoves that her father planned on selling when he reached their destination. Toward the end of their journey, the wagon was going through a steep grade in Echo Canyon and started tipping over. Horrifyingly, the stoves fell on top of her. As luck would have it, she recalled that a folded carpet was used to cover the stoves and miraculously eased the blow of this fall. Her children stated that she often told them that it was "the protection of an all-wise providence that saved her life." I am so grateful to God for protecting my great grandmother.

So, if you'd like to join in the Pioneer Day celebration, or any pioneer celebration of your own, you'll want to make your own pretty pioneer apron for your doll. Happy Pioneer Day to all of you two weeks from this Friday! xoxo Grandma

Don't want to make this outfit? Go HERE for a completed Pioneer Outfit.
You might also like these posts:

HERE

Linked to: Nap Time Creations

Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Miniature Clothes for a Little Doll - Free Patterns

Right before I left town to help with the birth of a new grandchild, I provided you with a free pattern to make these miniature dolls HERE. Today, I'm going to show you how to make two super easy outfits for these dolls. Yes... I said super easy. I promise.

Here's how to make the mini tutu dress (as shown above in the left photo):

Sew together the decorative elastic to form a circle.
Fold the netting in half, length wise.
Tuck each piece of the netting into one of the bottom holes.

Thread the netting through the hole.

Pull tight.

Told ya it was easy, right? Try this tutu dress on your miniature doll and tie the shoulder straps into a small bow.

Now, let's make the mini sundress for this doll. First you'll need to download THIS free pattern.

Supplies needed:

fabric at least 12" x 4"
bias tape
about 4" of 1/4" elastic
lace - optional
thread
20" of ribbon, no larger than 1/4" wide, cut into 5" pieces

1. Cut out the pattern.

Optional: If you want to add some lace to your sundress, sew lace at 3/4" below the raw edge to one side, between the armholes.

2. Sew the seam together to make your dress into a circle of fabric.

8. Sew the ribbon onto the edges of the armholes.

That's all there is to it. Your sundress is ready to try onto your doll. I hope you have a little one who will enjoy this doll and her new clothes. xoxo Grandma

FABRIC DOLL HOUSE

Shared at: Nap Time Creations

Monday, January 26, 2015

30 Things to Make for an American Girl Doll - Free Patterns & Tutorials

Attention all American Girl doll lovers! Look no further, because I have a stash of American Girl doll ideas for you right here at your very finger tips.

I've gathered 30 posts together that show you things that you can make for American Girl dolls into one post as an easy reference. If you enjoy free patterns and tutorials, then this should be a fun post for you. All these posts show you how to make things for your child, grandchild, or your doll(s) because let's face it, I know a lot of you out there collect dolls.

Last month, I finally purchased my own American Girl doll -- before that I was just borrowing my grown daughters who have left them at home. Maybe you've noticed that cute blond doll with a few freckles across her cheeks? Yup, she's mine - at least until I give it away to a granddaughter one day. I have visions of showing her my huge box of clothes and accessories and letting her choose what she wants for her doll as her gift.