Doll Head Bands with a Tutorial

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It may have took forever, but I finally finished a project on my craft list.  Just a little something I whipped up for my dolls.

Doll sized head bands!

I made several little bitty head bands for my ball jointed dolls (check the doll blog to see their reaction).  It’s been something I’ve been dying to try but couldn’t for one silly reason.  I couldn’t find doll-sized blank head bands to cover. 

Then I realized I could use something else as the base, jewelry wire.  It’s easy to find and works great, as you will see.

This first head band is made of faux pearls strung on to the wire.  I have a similar head band which is how I got the idea.

The next one is made of lace wrapped around the wire.  I added a little bitty lace rosette to decorate.  It probably would look cute with a tiny flower or button in the center of the rosette, but for now this will do.

For my smaller ball jointed doll, Sakura, I made these sweet ribbon head bands.

I just wrapped the wire with ribbon and added a simple bow.

For this doll, Usagi, it’s the same thing but with a slightly less simple bow.

And this headband is wrapped with both lace and ribbon.  The lace is over the pink ribbon, so you can see a hint of pink color through the lace.  Looks cute enough to try on a human sized head band.

Since these head bands were so cute and easy to make, I made a video tutorial.

All you need are:

• Scissors
• Ruler or tape measure
• Lace, ribbon or beads
• Jewelry wire (try this or this one.)
• Wire cutters
• Glue gun

And of course a doll.

Wait, there’s more.  In honor of Halloween I made a few more doll sized head bands.

I made cat ear head bands!

They are easily made of felt and jewelry wire.  Don’t they look adorable on the dolls.

And I also made a second video tutorial for these, so everyone’s dolls can dress up for Halloween.

Enjoy!

Here’s the updated list:

• Pink dress
• Accessories
• Socks
• Headbands
• T-shirts
• Tank Top

One down, five more to go.  The next one will be up soon.  Look forward to it!

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Store Bought Accessories for Crafty Costumes

This post may contain affiliate links.  Check out my disclosures page for more info.  Thanks!

Well it’s about a week until Halloween and most of those who make their costumes have them pretty much finished by now.  (Actually I’ve barely started, argh!)  But there may still be one or two things needed for your costume. 

These may include some purchased costume accessories, stuff that, depending on your skill level, are difficult or impossible to make yourself but will make your homemade costume absolutely perfect.  Which is why there is no shame in buying instead of crafting.  After all, my blue fairy costume from two years ago wouldn’t have been quite as fantastic without the sparkly pink wings I bought at Joann’s.

So here are my picks for items to complete your costumes.

Petticoats

These tulle or chiffon beauties are just what you need to add some flair and fluff to a full costume dress or skirt.  Perfect for a pretty princess or fairy costume, and shorter petticoats work for your more risqué costumes. 

And depending on the the style, you can wear a petticoat as a tutu-style skirt for anything from a ballet costume to a My Little Pony costume.  And after the holiday, they make a great addition to your wardrobe, especially if you are into vintage styles.

• Kids White Petticoat
• Kids Black Petticoat
• Deluxe White Petticoat
• White Tulle Lace Petticoat – I love this one, it’s too pretty!
• Black Petticoat, Child size s/m
• Woman's Layered Tulle Petticoat – Comes in three different colors.
• 20" 50s Petticoat Slip (XS-M, White) – This is what I use.

 

 

Gloves

Gloves are an incredibly versatile accessary.  Whether you are a super hero, royalty or a blast from the past a pair of gloves will make your costume that much better.  But ever try to make them yourself?  Not exactly easy.  So no harm in picking up good pair.

• White Fishnet Arm Warmers
• Short White Gloves – Probably the most versatile pair. 
• Black Lace Gloves – And the prettiest pair.
• Long Black Gloves
• Kids White Short Gloves
• Kids White Long Gloves
• Women's White Solid Gloves

 

Wigs

Hard to truly get into character without the right hair style/color.  After all, where would Rapunzel be without her long flowing hair?  That’s where the right wig comes in to play.    And if the wig you have isn’t quite right, it’s still fun customize them to suit your needs.

• Net Wig Cap – A necessity for wigs. 
• Kids Dorothy Wig
• Kids Annie Wig
• Kids Grecian Wig – This one is gorgeous.
• Blonde Princess Wig – Perfect for a Rapunzel costume.
• White Bob Wig
• Curly Old Woman Wig –Who wants to dress like Granny?
• Women's Day and Night Wig
• Woman's Blonde Renaissance Queen Wig
• Men's Wise Wizard Beard
• Women's Rainbow Wig – Good for MLP Costumes.
• Woman's Dark Diva Wig

 

 

Crowns and Hats

Headwear is important too.  Hard to be the best witch ever without the iconic hat, and it’s difficult to be a good king without a crown. 

• Metal Leaf Crown – This one looks really cool.
• Adult Rhinestone Tiara
• Stone Medieval Circlet Crown
• Gold King Crown
• Black Taffeta Witch Hat – It’s ready for embellishing. 
• Black Tri Point Pirate Hat
• Kids Red and White Cowboy Hat – Great for Toy Story costumes.
• Top Hat
• Black Mini Top Hat – This one is so cute.
• Derby Hat
• Mad Hatter Top Hat
• Adult Pirate Hat

 

Wings

Yes, I had to put wings separately.  They are that big of a deal to me.  Whether you are a fairy, angel, butterfly or dragon you need a nice set of wings to complete your costume. 

• Green Fairy Wings
• Black Gothic Fairy Wings
• Dragon Fairy Wings
• Midnight Fairy Wings – My Favorite!
• White Velvet Angel Wings with Halo
• Dot Adult Butterfly Wings
• Fairy Child's Wings
• Gold Velvet Angel Wings and Halo – These are pretty too!

 

 

Props

Now the final touch to your costume, your props.  Pirates and Knights need their swords and magic users need the perfect wands.  Better yet, everyone should have their own wand.

• Pink Sequin Wand – Because it’s cute.
• Magic Wand
• Silver Star Glitter Wand
• Glitter Queen of Hearts Wand
• Survivor Bow and Arrow – Fun to play with too. 
• Medieval Sword and Shield – Sword and Shield sets are a great deal.
• Kid Gladiator Sword and Shield
• Silver Knight Sword – This one looks pretty, for a sword I mean.
• Western Gun Holster
• Spartan Combat Sword and Shield

 

Hopefully all this should help you find everything to complete your costume or possibly give you some ideas for next year.  And once again remember, buying parts for an otherwise handmade costume doesn’t make it less unique. 

That’s especially true if you take the effort to customize the store bought parts.   Add lace and other trims to your gloves and hats.  Apply extra jewels and a boat load of glitter to your wings and tiara.  And while you’re at it, why not paint your wand or shield?  Create your own crest.  Because what really makes your costume perfect is how much you put into it. 

Have a happy holiday.

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Up to Thirty-Eight

I have had enough time to breath, time for another craft list.  And though this is the October list, it is really light on Halloween stuff.  That’s not to say that I won’t make anything festive this year, I am definitively making my costume.

So here it is:

Craft Project List #38

• Pink dress
• Accessories
• Socks
• Headbands
• T-shirts
• Tank Top

And I plan to have it all finished by the end of the month.  Of course, that’s what I said with the last one, and it took me two months.  Wish me luck.

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Blue Plaid Revisited, a Dress Makeover

At last, the end of my craft project list has come, with another dress redo.

Almost six years ago, I found a blue plaid “pioneer” looking dress at Goodwill and turned into this pretty dress (see Numbers Game and Perfect Heels). 

Fast forward years later, I started to think that it’s an okay dress but could be better.  I thought that it would look cuter as a jumper, maybe worn with a pretty blouse.

So I started by removing the sleeves and cutting a new neckline.

I used bias tape along the arm holes and neckline.  The only one I had around was this green wide bias tape, but since it wasn’t going to show the color didn’t matter too much.

See, I used single folded bias tape so the green is only on the inside.  The real issue was the width.  A thinner bias tape is more preferable because it curves better and lies flatter when finished.

All that was left to do was to trim the neckline with this beautiful crocheted lace.  You may have noticed it is the same lace I used for a recent skirt (see Vintage Floral - Pretty Dress to High Waisted Skirt).  It goes great with the plaid as well.

And here’s the finished dress, shown with a long sleeved blouse.  It’s pretty nice, though I think I messed up a little cutting one of the arm holes.  And I think it would look better worn with a collared blouse.

Since I did remove the sleeves, I naturally had leftover fabric.  What can you always make with leftovers?

Doll clothes! 

I whipped up this cute pleated plaid skirt for one of my dolls (check the doll blog for more about it).

It is cut on the bias so it slips on and off easily.  As always, I am tempted to make a similar skirt for myself.  Maybe someday.

Here’s the updated list:

• Pink eyelet
• Sunflower dress
• Denim skirt
• Velvet dress
• Blue plaid
• High-waist

Six down and out.  Finally finished this list, it only took me a couple of months.  What’s next?  You shall see soon, look forward to it.

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Sunflowers Revisited, a Dress Makeover

And now the project from my craft list that gave me the most trouble.  And it’s another dress.

I made this dress years ago (see Sunflowers and Candy).  Pretty right?  I love the sunflower print fabric,  it has a cute country feel to it I think.  I have actually changed it a little on the front since I made it, but I thought it could use even more of a change.  I wanted to make the skirt much fuller and change the lace.

First I separated the top and skirt and cut the skirt down the front.  I made a new skirt with some white fabric and layered the old one on top. 

I removed all of the old lace from the skirt and the bodice before replacing it and reattaching the bodice to the new skirt. 

The reason why it took so long to finish this dress was because I couldn’t decide what laces I wanted to use.  I started sewing my first choices of lace on only to hate the way it looked and ripped it off to try again.

I eventually caved and took a trip to the fabric store.  I found this great crocheted lace that worked perfectly.  I added it along the skirt with some eyelet lace.

And I used it down the front and back of the bodice.  It was especially handy on the back of the bodice where I threaded more lace through it, corset style.  It looks pretty and now I can take it in for a better fit.

After adding a couple of lace rosettes (removable too) to the front…

…it was all complete and ready to wear.

Here’s the updated list:

• Pink eyelet
• Sunflower dress
• Denim skirt
• Velvet dress
• Blue plaid
• High-waist

Five down, just one more to go.  And it will be up in a couple of days.  Yay!  Look forward to it.

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Velvet and Lace, Making a Black Dress Cuter

The previous couple of projects for my craft list were skirts, but this one is a simple dress.

I found this velvet dress (like much of my wardrobe) at a thrift store and had to have it.  I have several black velvet dresses and pretty much wear them year round.

This particular one didn’t fit me as well as I would have liked, a frequent problem for me.  I could have easily just taken it in a little and left it at that, but why not do a little more?

I first pinned it on the sides and at the top.  This obviously makes the dress smaller and the top part of it shorter, my unusual problem areas for fitting.

After sewing and trimming off the excess, just needed to embellish the dress a little.  I added this pretty lace along the neckline along with some pearls to make it extra special.  Looks really nice and it hides any sewing errors.

The results: A super pretty velvet dress that actually fits me.

As an extra bonus, I use the scraps of fabric to make a matching headband.  I just wrapped the strips of fabric around the blank headband base while gluing it down, and then added a simple bow.  A great way to complete this pretty new outfit.

Here’s the updated list:

• Pink eyelet
• Sunflower dress
• Denim skirt
• Velvet dress
• Blue plaid
• High-waist

Four down, just two more to go.  The next one should be up by Friday.  Look forward to it!

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