5 a Week: Tank Tops for Dolls

It’s Sunday, so it’s time for week 4 of…

…The Five a Week Pledge.

If you haven’t been around here, it’s where you pledge to do five things each week of your choice (see the first week for more info).  I pledged to make five small crafts each week.  Feel free to grab a button and join me.  If you already have, post a comment or a link to share what you accomplished.

This week’s craft:

Tank tops. Doll sized ones.

I decided to continue making doll clothes since there are just so much fun.  And I went with tank tops because last week’s skirts needed some tops.  Plus it’s still summer and tanks are much cooler to wear this time of year.  Yes, totally ignoring the fact that dolls don’t have to deal with heat.

Anyway, the first two were made exactly the same.  Mainly because I had more of this lace and wanted to use it up faster.  The lace straps were gathered before attaching to the “arm hole” area to create a sort of flutter sleeve effect.  I wish I could do it on a human size top.  The problem is that most of the lace I’ve seen that’s wide enough is super ugly.  Oh well, at least my doll can have cute tops.

This top has the lace attached like normal tank top straps.  I also ran a strip of lace across the top.  It has a nice effect, but I’m afraid it may make it look a little too much like an undershirt.  Maybe?

This tank top is made the same way as the last, just a different kind of lace.  I’ve had this lace for years now.  I never realized how off-white it was until I sewed it on to this fabric.  By the way, the fabric is from an actually t-shirt.  Boy’s size XL to be exact.  More than enough material to cut five bjd sized tank tops and still have more than half the shirt leftover for other projects.

The last tank top is Hikaru’s favorite and mine.  The lace is the same kind I used for the skirt she is wearing.  It’s just really pretty, at least it is on doll clothes.  And since it is the same, it matches the skirt nicely.  Now all she needs is some shoes and maybe some accessories and it would be perfect.  Maybe that will be for next week.  Look forward to it.

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Pants Recon Challenge Round 3

Round 3 of The Great Pants Recon Challenge is finally here.  I’ve been using that word a lot lately, finally.  That’s what happens when you take too long to post things.

Anyway, this time I was strangely inspired by the hems of the pants to whip up something pretty.  Namely…

…flower corsages!

Nothing like something flowery to wear on your wrist.  To make them, I just cut off the hems of the pants and cut each into two strips.  I gathered them on one side and stitched the ends together.  With some fabric circles for the centers and some remnants of lace they made perfect flowers.  For the straps, I just cut pieces from what was left of the pants drawstring and threaded elastic through them before attaching.

Here’s the finished results.  The top three are corsages, the bottom one I made into a matching broach by attaching a pin to the back.

Now up to three finished projects with one pair of pants.

• Flower corsages
• Pin cushion
• Drawstring bag

And here’s what’s left of the pants.

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T-Shirt Redo for a Doll, a Tutorial

Remember that dress I made for a Cabbage Patch doll with a t-shirt (see Now You See Me, Now You...)?  Well, I did say I would show how I did it sometime after Christmas. 

So two months later, here it is.

Again here’s the t-shirt I used. 

 

A t-shirt and basic sewing supplies are pretty much all you need for this.

The first step is to try the shirt on the doll to see where it needs to be cut down to size.  Basically everywhere, especially around the shoulders and armholes.  Also don’t forget to remove the sleeves for later.

Snip, snip, snip.

After cutting, it looks like this.  A lot like a tank top.  It’s now time to pin the shoulders and sew.

Sewing…

 

Now it’s time for the sleeves.

Pin the sleeves in place, don’t worry about them being too large.

Ta da!  All stitched.

Now it goes back on the doll inside-out.  Just need to pin up the side seams and double check on the length.  The length depends on whether it will be a doll t-shirt or dress. 

All stitched and ready to hem the bottom hem. 

 

Could either zig-zag or serge it.  Or…

…Add a ruffle.

 

The t-shirt I used did have one and it’s only natural to work with what you’ve got.

Cut down to size and pin.

After sewing, the dress is complete.

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Pants to Potholders?

Remember that sewing class I took?  One of the projects required for all students was to make a pair of pajama pants.  They didn’t have to be good, they just had to be completed.  Well, a pair of the not-so-good ones was left behind by a previous student.  These ones were so badly done that I felt it would be too cruel to take a picture of them.  I took them home with me, no one else wanted them and I felt bad for them.  Plus the fabric used was super pretty.  But what to do with them?

I made potholders with the pants.  Why potholders I have no idea, especially since I have never made them before this.  If you look carefully you can see some imperfections. (Hint: the bow on the heart shaped one isn’t just for show.)  For a first try they came out fairly well, and it’s fitting that they were recycled from another person’s first try. 

Here’s the updated list:

• Business cards
• Lip balm holders
• Pins
• Potholders
• More doll clothes
• Hook reuse
• Pink skirt
• Tote bag
• Skirt
• Bags

Four down, six to go.  The next project should be done by Monday.

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Taking Care of Business

These are my old business cards, from way back when I was still selling on etsy, or trying to anyway.  They aren’t exactly the cutest you’ve ever seen, plus since they have my old, old etsy url instead of my zibbet one they are useless like this.  I didn’t want to just toss them.  Good cardstock is a sad thing to waste.  So I reused them.

With some tweaking, they became useful again.  I cut off the ends of the old cards leaving me with blank squares of cardstock.  I used my favorite strawberry stamp on all of them and wrote all my information on them with fine tip markers.  Finished up with decorative scissors, and I now have of set of handmade one-of-a-kind mini-business cards.  Of course I also have writer’s cramp too, the hazards of the personal touch.

Here’s the updated list:

• Business cards
• Lip balm holders
• Pins
• Potholders
• More doll clothes
• Hook reuse
• Pink skirt
• Tote bag
• Skirt
• Bags

One down, nine to go.  The next couple should be done by Wednesday.

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Cute Tee, ‘Nuff Said

Finished a couple of clothing recons.  First up is this t-shirt.

It was a simple white t-shirt I got for 25 cents.  It fit me perfectly, but I like my tees to be more on the pretty side.

Here’s the after shot.  Since this t-shirt already fit me well, I didn’t have to remove the sleeves to adjust it like I usually do.  I did cut the hems of the sleeves off at an angle before re-hemming them and adding lace and elastic.  I cut the the neckline in a slight square shape being sure not to cut it too low, did that one before.  I trimmed the neck with the same lace as the sleeves.  You probably can’t see the lace very well in this photo, but it will pop up again.  I recently brought it from SAS.  A humongous spool of pretty lace for only $1.  It will last for many years and hundreds of projects.  I think it works wonderfully for this t-shirt.  Now it’s a simple tee with a touch of cuteness. 

Of course I need something to wear with my cute new t-shirt.  A simple full skirt works  well with it.  I made this skirt from a large pillow case I bought awhile ago at a rummage sale.  I had been planning on making a skirt with it for months but only now got around to it.  It’s a basic rectangle skirt with an elastic waistband and just a touch of lace at the hem.  I love the print on the fabric.  It’s tiny green flowers and from a distance they look kind of like moss.  I tried to make a matching headband, but it didn’t turn out quite right size-wise.  I’ll probably give it to my niece, she loves headbands and little girls can never have too many of them.

Here’s the updated list:

• Slippers
• Handkerchiefs
• Cases
• Pens
• Binder
• T-shirt
• Skirt
• Bag
• Background

Eight down, just one more to go. 

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Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Spring is here, which always make me think of how important it is to live environmentally friendly, at least as much as we can.  One of the easiest and fun ways to do this is to reuse and recycle throwaway items into things we can really use and enjoy.  Here are a few tutorials I found that help with that.

• Cardboard Cuff bracelets – These were a real surprise for me, jewelry made from corrugated cardboard.  Despite all my work with the stuff I had never thought to make accessories.
• Newspaper Favors – Want to put together some cute party favors, but don’t want to shell out the cash for those decorative plastic bags?  Why not make these ones from old newspaper, save some cash and reduce your trash. 
• Heart Pouches from Envelopes – These were intended for Valentine’s day, but the idea is brilliant for anytime you want to show someone you care.
• Envelope Mini Album – Another use for envelopes.  Could make a cute gift to go with the heart pouches, or would that be too much?
• Flowers from Paper Towel Rolls – I love finding unique ways of making flowers.  Nothing more unique than paper towel rolls, looks like it might work for toilet paper rolls too.
• Storm Trooper Helmet from Milk Jugs – Here’s something fun for the kids, and for Star Wars fans of course.

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Pretty in Pink

I said I would finish the list Saturday.  It may be a little later than I wanted, but it is definitely finished on this day.

Remember this Bratz doll.  I got her at a rummage sale ages ago.  She was a bit dusty, hair badly tangled, and had no clothes at all as to be expected.  You almost never see old fashion dolls with clothes.  I took care of all that though.

Here’s the new and improved look.  Sorry about the photo quality, having camera issues again.  I cleaned her up and combed out her hair.  I put it in a pony tail and divided it up into smaller buns, it’s the only way I know how to make a pretty updo.  The curls by her ears were done by wrapping them around fabric strips then pouring boiling water on them.  The dress is made from cotton scraps from a dress I made along with scraps of lace.  I used the same lace for the necklace and cut little bits for earrings with straight pins to stick them in the ears.  That’s a trick I learned from my mom, she used to do that with her Barbie dolls when she was little.  Overall, the doll looks pretty good.  My niece says she looks like Cinderella.  In pink?  Maybe.

I forgot to take a before photo of this shirt.  It was found in the freebie bin of a small thrift store near us.  It was too long and a little boring except for the color.  I cut the bottom off a couple of inches and hemmed it, and cut the collar too.  It seemed too pointy and I have always wanted to try making cute curvy collars.  I then added some elastic to the sleeves and some lace on the collar and down the front.  I’m not sure if there’s much of an improvement to the shirt, but at least I was able to get some good practice out of it.  Not bad for a freebie.

I have a bunch of scraps of fleece that I’ve been trying to get used up and while thinking of uses I thought, “hearts? why not?”  So here’s a bunch of them.

Then I thought, “why not do something so I can share them?”  So I added pin backs and made these simple heart pins.  Perfect for Valentine’s Day.

Here’s the updated list:

• Pretty up gloves
• Ribbon headband
• Doll makeover
• Pearl headband
• Hair bows
• Pouches
• Alter shirt
• Yellow dress
• Hearts

Nine down and out, and before the end of the month too.  Now I just have to finish packing.

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Pretty Pins and Pouches

Another couple of projects from the list.  First, I had a shirt that was plain and boring except for some lace along the hem.  With some cutting and this tutorial, I made these…

…Tissue pouches.  Super easy and they make a great gift, at least that was the idea.

Next, another project using fleece scraps, pins.  I have made similar pins using felt before, but not quite as abstract looking.  I just cut shapes I thought were interesting, glued them together, then stitched around some of the edges.  Finish with a pin back, and I now have some colorful pins to give away.

Here’s the updated list:

• Doll jacket
• doll clothes
• Tissue pouch
• Pins
• Scarf
• Boxes
• Purse
• Ornaments
• Wreath
• Sweatshirt makeover
• Mascot
• Stickers
• Robot
• Collar
• Red skirt
• Tie
• Christmas cracker
• Dress

Four down, fourteen more to go.  Up next is something familiar.

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Done Already?

Sorry I haven’t been around the last few days.  But I have a lot to go over.  I made a trip to SAS, that’s this really great craft store around here that sells stuff really cheaply, I will show what I got tomorrow.  And I have some good things planned for this weekend,  I will talk about that tomorrow as well.  Plus, I finished the rest of my list too.  Not all the pictures are very good though, camera troubles again.

First up, headbands, with one of the worst photos ever.  My birthday is in a couple of days and of course I needed something for my twin sister.  A while ago, she made some stretchy headbands for her and her daughter, but they didn’t come out that well.  So I think these lacy ones will help, I even made a matching wristband.  Hope she actually likes them.  And no worries about spoiling the surprise, she doesn’t read my blog.

 Next up, here’s my Halloween costume.  Anyone remember that green dress I made a while ago that didn’t come out quite perfectly (see Stick to the Pattern), well I did mention something about using it for a costume.  I took it in a little and shredded the hem.  The wreath for my hair is made from spiral notebook wire with strips of fabric and trimmings woven in it.  To finish it off, I made some odd arm accessories with strips of ripped fabric, some elastic and snaps.  If anyone asks, I’m a forest sprite, not Tinkerbelle.  The only problem with the costume is the weather.  Despite some assumptions about Arizona, it does get kind of chilly this time of year in the evening and I think my jacket would ruin this costume.  What to do?

Now this bag is an amazing work of recycling.  The fabric is from a pair of pants I didn’t like anymore, the clasp is from a vintage beaded purse that got chewed up by a dog I was sitting, and the lovely pearls along the clasps came from that same chewed up purse.  Now I have a nice new bag for practically nothing and it’s saving the planet too.  Yay.

Last but not least, I had gotten this sweater vest for 25 cents years ago but just got bored with it although I still love it.  Doesn’t make any sense.  What to do with it?  Chop off the top and make a skirt.  Now I have a cute sweater mini-skirt, perfect for Fall weather, at least when paired with tights and cute boots.

Here’s the updated list:

• Skirt
• Lamp shade cover
• Sewing machine cover
• doll makeover
• dress
• scrunchies
• head bands
• costume
• bag
• vest recon

10 down and out.  Of course I will probably have the next list up by Friday seeing as I now have about 5 new projects that I need to start on immediately.  More on that later.

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Shoulder Pads Be Gone

I tackled another makeover of a thrift store shirt.   This time I actually managed to get a before photo.

I got this shirt for 25 cents at the thrift store up the street.  It was too big for me, had shoulder pads (shiver), a pocket I didn’t like and buttons and beads on it that I hated.

The redeeming quality is this lovely decorative stitching around the collar.  The back of the collar came to a cute point along with this thing, I think it’s suppose to be an embroidered star or flower.  Whatever, it is still cute.

Here’s the after shot, much better right?  I ripped off the buttons, beads, and pocket.  I think the beads will work better for jewelry, maybe rings.  I then removed the sleeves and chopped off a few inches on the hem, did I mention it was a little too long on me too?  I took it in on the sides and trimmed the arm area before reattaching the sleeves.  The final touch was to add some elastic to the sleeves, I have been really into puffed sleeves lately.  I also replaced the buttons of course, can’t go around with an open shirt, well I wouldn’t anyway.  Now it looks really cute on me.  What’s great is that I have a pretty vintage skirt I got from the same store that would look great with this shirt.  It’s the perfect look for Fall.

Since it wouldn’t do to waste fabric, I found a good use for that pocket.  I made it into this sweet little bow, I just haven’t figured out what to do with it.  I could attach it to a headband, or a hair elastic, or even wear it as a pin.  I even though of making it into a bowtie, now that would be odd.

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Procrastinate with Lace

So yeah, I have been procrastinating lately.  What is one of things I do when I procrastinate on something?  I sew, a lot.  Here’s something I redid.  I forgot to take a before photo, before it was an ordinary polo shirt I got for 25 cents at a thrift store.  It was a little big on me and boring to boot.  So I took it in a little and added some pin tucks.  I then added lace to the collar, sleeves, and along the front.  Lastly, I added elastic to the sleeves for a cute puffed look.  Maybe I went a little overboard, but I have been into cute and lacy stuff lately.  I am going to wear it tomorrow to church, along with something else I whipped up from scratch.  I’ll put that up tomorrow, so don’t miss it.

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Kitchen: Check

The list is completed and so it the kitchen for the doll house.

As I mentioned before, it is an unbelievably tiny little kitchen, but it has all the necessities.  I made the curtains the same way as the other rooms because I like the way they look from the outside of the house.  Instead of “papering” the walls like I did with the bathroom and bedroom, I painted them to match the ceiling.  The floor is a little different, I cut squares from cardboard for tiles and glued them down.  I painted them and sealed them too.  The color matches the cabinets and doesn’t show dirt, a great quality for a kitchen :)
In the middle of setting this up, I noticed something.  I forgot to add the stove to my project list, so it wasn’t made until the last minute.  It was fairly easy to whip up.  It kind of reminds me of a washing machine though.  That would be kind of cute, maybe I should make a mini Laundromat after I finish the house.  Would that be too weird? 
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Twelve down and out.  Another completed list.  Yay!

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Main Dish

The cardboard doll house kitchen needed some dishware, but how do you make cardboard dishes?

You don’t, these are made from paper.  I used a used envelope to make these plates and mugs.  The plates were made by cutting two circles from paper and gluing them together.  I folded up the edges little by little and coated them with Mod Podge.  Then came the paint and more Mod Podge.  For the mugs, I rolled strips of paper in little tubes for the cup shape.  I glued them leaving a little bit of the end of the strips loose, that part was cut in the shape of the handle.  I glued them to another piece of paper that I cut into a round shape for the base.  Multiple layers of paint and Mod Podge later, and they are surprisingly durable mugs with matching plates.  I chose to paint them pink on a whim.  They kind of remind me of some plastic toy dishes I used to have when I was little.  I don’t know what happened to those.  Oh well.
 
While I was at it with the dishes, I whipped up a little vase for the doll house too.  I twisted paper to make the top of the vase and used two different beads for the bottom part.  I painted it pink to match the dishes and coated it with Mod Podge.  It will really brighten up the little kitchen, if it doesn’t totally clash with the other pieces.  I can always repaint them if that happens.
Here’s the updated list:

• Rosettes
• Doll aprons
• Zipper charms
• Refrigerator
• Heart purse
• Doll
• Kitchen sink
• Cupboards
• Clothes
• Vase
• Dishes
• Curtains

Eleven down, just one to go.  The end will come tomorrow.

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