New Doll Finds

Just a quick post today. I hope to have my sewing machine up this week and get some of my "to do" done soon.

I went to a teacher store today. I start in the fall as a teacher at my son's mother's day out program. I have never been in a teacher store and recommend that you go without your kids. (I will be in there again.)

I did find a few things for my daughter's dolls there.

How cute is the little globe? It is actually a pencil sharpener. The little treats are erasers. At just 99 cents, I will be picking up more erasers. They are too cute! The dolls are ready for a tea party now!!

Doll Finds...at Target

I have been avoiding Target lately. I find when I go in, I come out at least $100 less in the bank account and not a lot to show for it.

Yesterday I had to go to Target for a birthday present. Of course, I stopped at the bins by the front door. WOW. Right now they are stocked with lots of items for school teachers and lots of fun minion stuff.

Here are a couple of things I found that are perfect for my daughter's dolls:

little notebook

These are tiny.

A little dog with carrier on clearance.

Look at that cute face!!

Here she is with her new pet.

Ready for school!!

 

 

Little Backpack...PERFECT size.

$3 for this little cutie.

I LOVE finding fun, inexpensive doll things!!!!

Doll Pet... Just a Little Bird

Getting a pet for an 18" doll is not too hard. You can find lots of dogs that are the perfect size for them. Beanie baby dogs and cats are a great fit.

Recently at Michael's I found a really cute bird cage. They had them at the baskets by the check out. I am pretty sure they where $3.00. I knew they where the perfect size for my daughter's dolls.

I had a couple of little black birds from Hobby Lobby that I was going to paint and use for something else. They have been sitting on my desk, patiently waiting. Change of plans.

I used a craft stick (popsicle stick will work) to make the bird ledge. I simply placed the stick in the cage, marked where the wire was and used an exacto knife to cut a slot. While this sounds confusing, it really only took a couple of minutes.

I wrapped the bird's wire around the stick, put it in place and I was done. Look at the cuteness!!!

The doll showing off her pet.

You can see the slots I cut out.

You just slide the stick down and it stays.

Pretty bird!

Working Through the Stash: AG Goody Bags

A while ago I had a post about my addiction to craft supplies. I have been in serious need of some focused clean up.

A few years ago I developed a stash of tulle. For my daughter's first birthday I made her a really cute tutu for her cake pictures. Of course, not knowing what colors I wanted, I purchased a few. Since then the rolls of tulle have been in a bin.

My daughter's birthday this year has been all about American Girl...even though we purchased her a Journey Girl. The location where we are having her party provides gender neutral goody bags. As a special treat for her friends who also have American Girl dolls, we decided on AG goody bags. Inside they have a bracelet, a ring pop, an AG hair clip, an AG duck tape purse, an AG necklace and an AG tutu.

I have been able to use some of that tulle and ribbon that was sitting around. Since the necklaces and duck tape purses where made from supplies I got from the dollar store, they where really inexpensive.

Stack of finished tutus for AG dolls

Also, as part of using my craft supplies, I have been doing some sewing. I have made my daughter 2 dressed, 4 skirts, a pair of pants and some shorts for her doll. Her doll beds got new pillows and new reversible blankets. I have a stash of material picked up at the craft or fabric store clearance bin. AND some clothing I have kept with the idea to reuse it. Hope to make a serious dent in this stash.

Update 6/13/14: I finished the duck tape purses and necklaces for the goody bags as well. I made a few styles of bags. I had so much fun with these that I made a few for my daughter. She loves her collection.

These bags have empty Capri Sun packages as the base.

The center purses are made using my tutorial.

From Toddler Dress to Two Doll Dresses

With my daughter's birthday just around the corner, I have been busy making things for her Journey Girl. I took a little trip to our local Ikea yesterday to pick up a couple of doll beds. I have been looking online at what is available for 18" dolls. Ikea has beds for $20. Make me smile. (Here is their bed listing.)

Then of course, I had to make new pillows for her bed since the ones it came with where flat...literally. I see making a foam mattress in my near future as well.

I have also been going by Goodwill and looking for little girl clothes I can alter to fit her Journey Girl. I came across a really cute 2T dress that was perfect! Here is how I made two doll dresses out of this one toddler dress. (Just FYI: Journey Girls are a little thinner than American Girls. While a 2T worked great for our JG, it may be too tight on an AG doll. I would suggest maybe 3T or 4T dress if you are looking to redo it for an AG doll. )


Here is the dress. It is not a tube, but rather has seams along each side.

I just lined up the seams and pinned down the center. I tried it on the doll to make sure it would fit.

I did not use a "seam allowance." I just put my presser foot right up against the edge of the lined up seams. (I should state hear that I am an amateur at sewing so this is really something a beginner can do.)

Where the dress was shirred, I did a back stitch over each line. Sorry for the blurry picture, I hope you can still see what I mean. I did not know if the shirring would come undone with a single stitch, so I didn't take any chances.

 I cut right next to the seam and the dress was almost done!

I put it back on the doll to check the strap placement. I just cut the straps off the dress and pinned them where I wanted them. Then you just stitch them in place and the dress is done.

For the second dress I just folded up the length. I used my flat iron to press the bottom seam. (Way faster than my iron.) I then just sewed it up.

(I will take a finished picture on the doll and upload later.)

Hope you give this a try. Let me know how it came out!!!

Thanks for stopping by.