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Sew Clothes for Dolls and Stuffies

When I was growing up, my mom sewed all the clothes for our family. She kept a box of fabric scraps in the sewing room for me and I’d often dig through that for pretty fabric to sew clothes for dolls or stuffies. Since Sunshine has been interested in sewing lately, I thought this would be an easy craft for us. I’ve gotten felt for her to use as then we don’t have to worry about the edges fraying.

Sew Clothes and Accessories for Dolls and Stuffies

Supplies needed:

  • felt
  • needle and thread
  • snaps or buttons (optional)
  • ribbons or trim (optional)

I started by getting the girls to pick the doll or stuffed animal they were sewing for, and also to bring any clothes those dolls and stuffies wore. Sunshine picked “Special,” who already has several dresses.

I folded the piece of felt in half and placed the dress on the felt to use as a pattern. Sunshine helped me hold the dress in place while we carefully cut it out. We left the sleeves off to make sewing a bit easier.

Doll dress pattern

I cut out a red heart for Sunshine to put on the front of the dress. She sewed the heart on, then whip-stitched the shoulder seams and side seams, leaving the neck and arms open. She was doing really good with this project, even tying the knots in her thread and figuring out on her own that she wanted to stitch it wrong sides together so that the seams would be on the inside.

When she had finished sewing the dress, we cut an opening down the back (from neck to waist) and Sunshine sewed two snaps on it. I used a hot glue gun to fasten the red ribbon at the waist of the dress and Special was ready to show off her new dress.

While Sunshine was working on this dress, Lily decided to make a sleeping bag for her Beany Baby lamb. For this, we just folded a piece of felt in half and turned down the top edge an inch. Lily then stitched around the sleeping bag (even the folded side).

Lily sewing a sleeping bag for her stuffed lamb

Then we tucked the lamb inside, ready for a camp-out (or bedtime).

Beany Baby lamb tucked inside her felt sleeping bag

The next day, Sunshine made a jacket for Special. Again, we started by using one of her existing jackets as a pattern. I folded the felt in half and used the fold to make the top edge of the jacket sleeves.

Cutting out a felt doll jacket

Then we cut a line down the front to open it, and a neck opening at the top in the fold. Sunshine also wanted the front edges of the jacket curved. She used some of her purple felt to create a trim around the sleeves before sewing the two side seams. Then she wanted to add a button, so we used another piece of purple felt to create a button loop. A voila! Special has a jacket to match her dress.

Special's felt dress and jacket

I’m sure the girls will continue to add to their dolls’ and stuffies’ clothes and accessories this way!

Bonus: while the girls were sewing their felt projects, I was make a no-sew felt quiet book for my two-year-old!

Cost: under $5

Difficulty: intermediate (suitable for ages 5+ with help)

31 Days of Useful Kids' Crafts

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