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I love a craft challenge, don’t you? For Christmas my friend gave me a huge bar of soap in the most wonderful magnetic box. I used the soap, but wanted to “upcycle” that box into something special! While packing one of my Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes for a little girl, I decided that the box would make a perfect home for my felt dress up doll, her wardrobe and accessories!
My first job was to cover the box with scrapbooking paper using ModPodge (like this from Amazon). The front of the box still needs work – but I wanted you to see part of the original box.
Draw a Doll Pattern
Now to make the Felt Dress Up Doll! I searched online and found directions for all kinds of flat “paper” dolls made from felt. They gave me the basic idea, but I had to make my own pattern so my little friend would fit into this particular box! I drew out the doll on paper. I pinned her to my felt and cut out 2 doll shapes. It won’t take much, so you could use up your scraps from another project. Any mistakes and I just cut another!
I embroidered her face first, before I sewing her together. I drew and cut out 2 sections of wild playful hair (longer in the back) and sewed over her already stitched head. I added underpants. There is no stuffing – I wanted her to be as flat as possible, like a “paper” doll. I could have used the machine to sew her together, but chose to hand sew using an overstitch.
Draw Clothes Patterns
Now time for the clothes for my felt dress up doll! I laid her on paper and drew around her body shape. Then I drew a simple dress design to fit her. Each dress uses the same pattern. Various fabrics and embellishments will make each one look completely different.
Now that I had my “patterns” I went to my bag of fabric leftover scraps. I knew it wouldn’t take much! The FRONT of each outfit and accesssory is fabric, BUT the BACK of everything is made from Felt! It is the felt backing that “sticks” to the felt doll!
Layer the felt, fabric and pattern and pin together. Cut out the shapes. Unpin, remove the pattern and sew the fabric and felt together. I left the raw edges since I sewed very close to the edge and they won’t fray that much. You could add Dritz Anti Fray from Amazon. You have the opportunity to use all those decorative stitches on your machine! Add bits of lace, trim, sequins, bows, buttons or anything that will make the outfit POP!
Accessories add so much when you play dress up! Again I laid the doll down on paper and drew a simple hat design. It is really more of a half circle, but large enough to cover her head. I then made a simple pocketbook shape.
This felt dress up doll needed a sleeping bag! I made one from a long rectangle of fabric, right sides together, then sewing up the sides and turning right sides out.
I finally added a tiny Barbie plate and cup that I found at a garage sale. She still needs a teddy bear – what do you think?
This is a wonderful craft to do with your kids! It doesn’t have to be tiny – make them big enough to be easy to make and handle! Let them explore and have fun designing the entire wardrobe and accessories.
While I can’t share MY patterns (I just drew them up with pencil and paper.) You can experiment yourself!
You can check my Felt Doll Pinterest Board to get ideas.
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