Over One Shoulder Barbie Dress from Paper Napkin

The idea for this Over One Shoulder Barbie Dress from a Paper Napkin is, it's a quick craft to help keep the kids busy. I used a standard white every day napkin here. What I love best about it is, it's great for any occasion or holiday, and a good way to kill a little time while waiting for dinner... Simply use a napkin with a seasonal design, thinner cheaper ones work best, and wa-la, Barbie would be dressed to match the event:@) All we need is a square lunch/dinner size paper napkin (approximately 6-6 1/2" square), yarn or ribbon, and scissors. 

✂What I did:

1. Open the napkin to create a rectangle.
2. Gather the fold in the middle and tie with yarn or ribbon. You can scrunch it up or try to neatly fold it like an accordion.
3. Place over one of Barbie's shoulders. 
4. Open the napkin to cover her front and back. Bring sides together and overlap a bit so her body is covered. I suggest having the front overlap the back on the sides.
5. Tie or tape yarn or ribbon around her waist to secure the dress closed.
6. Invite Barbie to dinner:@)

Fits Standard Barbie and our model,

 gorgeous Bubble Gum Pink Hair Curvy Barbie:

Make something just for fun and

Have a Happy Day:@)

School's Out! Barbie Summer Crafts Round-Up

So the kid's excitement of school ending in June, and the anticipation of July 4th festivities has passed, and I'm guessing you may be hearing "I'm bored" right about now:@) I thought I'd put together a hodge-podge of easy Barbie craft ideas, most are no sew, and several would even be good group projects for a birthday party or sleepover. I'll add lots of links, and you can always stop by my Pinterest Board to see everything I've made. Or maybe let the kids scroll through the board themselves, they can pick out a project or two that catches their eye. 

I'll start with the easiest idea,

this No-Sew, No-Hem Sundress literally comes together in seconds.

And I love that we're recycling an old tank top!

Here are links for two more tutorials for no-sew tops, a Handkerchief Top and Swing Top:

Another inexpensive craft idea is using balloons... How to make a Barbie Top or Kelly Halter Dress:

I made a couple shirts using a whole balloon... No real instructions, I think you can get the idea from the pics. Love the one sleeve look:@)

If your girl is a little older and wants to learn to sew, I have a picture tutorial showing how to make a Barbie Dress from a 6" Square of Fabric, or a cute little Pillow Case Type Dress with Ribbon Tie (fits Curvy Barbie too):

And of course Barbie is all about the accessories😉 Some of my favorite projects are recycling things headed to the trash bin into something fun and useful... And pretty!

How to make a Boho Handbag and Unicorn Headband:

And if there's a Barbie in your life, there's probably a Ken too... No-Hem Tank Top and Long Shorts/Bathing Suit patterns:

There you have a few ideas folks, just a little something to help the kids fill some time and stay busy. My Barbie Craft Index is HERE, and Barbie Pinterest Board Here.

🌞Make something just for fun and,

Have a great summer😎

Barbie Lounge Dress or Long Sleeve Nightgown -Free Pattern

This Lounge Dress or Nightgown for Barbie can be as formal or casual as you'd like to make it. Our model is feeling rather regal and very feminine in this paisley fabric with gold trim:@) I used a cotton fat quarter, this would be a great doll nightgown recycling/repurposing some of your girl's old well worn soft PJ's. I purposely made this fairly easy and very basic, hoping kids might be able to give it a try if they are interested in sewing. And figuring an adult can whip one up within 30 minutes. Only one pattern piece and I used a combination of sewn hems and glued hems. The gown I made falls mid-calf, the pattern is for floor length, simply shorten as desired. 

Wallpaper = Dollar Tree World Map Sticker:

It's a great scale and truly looks like wall art.

Back to...

The outfit is loose and roomy,

it fits standard and curvy Barbie.

The pattern: Please note, I am not a seamstress or proper pattern maker. I am a crafter😉 This is the pattern I used for the dress pictured. I drew it on an 8.5 x 11" piece of paper, pattern is 11" long.

✂What I did, approximately 1/4" seams, backstitching at beginning and end:

1. Fold fabric and cut the pattern twice (four pieces of dress total).
2. Create neck, sleeve and bottom hems. I folded the edges over about 1/4" and glued all of them down with Aleene's Turbo Tacky Glue, allow it to dry. Liquid Stitch would work too. Or you could sew the hems.
3. Place two pieces right side together, creating one half of the dress. Sew from bottom, up under arm, and down the length of the sleeve. Carefully add little snips to the curved part under the arm, don't cut seam.
4. Sew the outside of the sleeve up to the neck line. 
5. Repeat steps 3 & 4 for the other side of the dress.
6. Turn sleeves to the right side. I used a crochet hook to help.
7. Right sides together, sew the front of dress, bottom up, leaving about 1" open at the neckline. If you make the dress floor length you might want to leave 2" open on the bottom too for ease of movement.
8. I did take the time to press this front seam open with an iron.
9. Finish the front by creasing with fingernail creating a clean fold up to the neck on each side. Glue folds down.
10. Right sides together, being careful to push the sleeves out of the way, sew the back of the dress. Bottom up, leaving about 2 1/2" open up to neckline.
11. Finish the back by creasing with finger nail creating a clean fold up the neck on each side. Glue folds down.
12. Add either velcro, a snap or some other kind of closure up at the neck. 
13. Optional: Any kind of fun sewing trim you have for decoration. My gold is glued on. Best tip: Always start gluing the trim in the front center, which you see the most. Then work around to the back.
14. Dress doll and smile😎

✂Make something just for fun and have a happy day!

Barbie St. Patrick's Day Crafts Round-Up (Ken too...)

I wanted to share some last minute cute ideas for Barbie Crafts for St. Patrick's Day. After all, even Barbie doesn't want to get pinched:@) Most of these crafts come together in no time, and you may even have everything you need already in your craft stash. Click the links for how-to's... St. Pat's is this Sunday folks, I expect a fun, full o' green, weekend of celebration! 

Shawl from wide ribbon.  Braided Hair Headband.  Dress Pattern 6" Square of Fabric.  Mustache Photo Props.  Leggins Over-Skirt.  Wide Felt Tie.

I love re-purposing k-cups,

this silly hat is a great kid's craft...

Oversize Yo-Yo Golf Hat.  Dollar Tree Sticker Mustache.  Recycled K-Cup Hat.

Barbie Size Shamrocks

Everything Barbie & St. Pat's here.

🍀Let's make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

St. Pat's Candy, Easter Small Cheesecake & Barbie Silliness...

Happy March! For this week's review I thought I'd share a couple sweet ideas for the spring holidays:@) Irish Potatoes Candy is a staple here in the Philadelphia area for St. Patrick's Day. They aren't made with potatoes (cream cheese, powdered sugar and coconut), but rolled in cinnamon to resemble potatoes. They are sweet, tasty, and ~very rich~, so I like to vary the size, aiming for about 1" and smaller. I encourage you to try it, especially if your crowd has a hearty sweet tooth, good stuff folks! 

And this Small Cheesecake is great any time, but perfect for Easter dinner. It only calls for one 8 oz brick of cream cheese, and if you use a store bought graham cracker crust, comes together in no time. (And um, we have some unfortunate pictures from the very beginning of PIM...) But I promise you will love the cheesecake:@)

I've made a ton of these easy Holiday Headbands from a Bottle Ring for Barbie, even have a round-up of ideas here. How about a fun one for St. Patrick's Day... I like to use rings that are a little sturdier than water bottles, then start by wrapping pipe cleaners around it, cut to size, shape, and glue on items for embellishment. Anything goes, feathers, buttons, sequins, flowers, beads, stickers, etc. Just have fun with it:@)

Free dress pattern here.

🍀🐰Have a Happy Weekend:@)

Barbie Felt Ugly Christmas Sweater Dress DIY & Ken Vest Too

I saw some, um, ugly Christmas sweater dresses at Walmart and thought it might be fun to whip one up for Barbie:@) This is a super simple project that only requires a piece of felt and anything you have in the craft stash to decorate the tree. This can be quickly sewn, or a no-sew project by using some hot glue. Felt also makes this a no-hem project-gotta love that! The pattern fits both standard dolls, and our model today is Curvy Barbie. My suggestion: If you're planning this as a party or sleepover project, you might want to have the dresses made ahead of time, and just let the kids decorate them. 

This will fit Elf on the Shelf too.

You can shorten it a bit if desired.

Oh and, don't forget Ken...

He likes to get dressed up too! 

His felt ugly sweater vest pattern can be found here.

Antler headband here.

Again, great Elf couture...

Possible decorations: Pom-poms, glitter, garland, ribbon, sewing trims, buttons, mini Christmas decorations, beads, yarn, bows, sequins, rhinestones, diamond mesh ribbon, faux fur, stickers or cut shapes/ornaments from more felt. ~Anything goes folks!

The Pattern:

What I did:

1. Tip: Honestly, the best glue for felt seems to be hot glue.
2. Cut two from pattern.
3. Place right sides together, sew or glue up sides to arm hole (line on pattern).
4. Turn right side out.
5. Optional: I did cut the front neckline into a bit of a scoop.
6. There are options for securing the dress... I added a little velcro to the garland and back of one shoulder so it can be opened and closed for dressing. You could also glue a long piece of ribbon around each arm hole, leaving two long ends to tie into bows on top of the shoulders.
7. At this point the dress is done, glue on decorations as desired😎

My inspiration:

Rather make a Santa type outfit? I think you could easily create this look with the same idea/pattern:

Looks like Barbie and Ken are ready for the party😎

🎄Make something just for fun and have a happy day🎅

Holiday Full Skirted Party Dress for Barbie -Free Pattern -Three Pieces

With the holidays coming up I thought it would be fun to make a Pretty Party Dress for Barbie. This is a fairly easy dress that only has two pattern pieces and three dress pieces. Now, that's for the dress, of course if you want a full puffed out skirt you'll need to add a petticoat or tulle slip or ~something~ to help with that. I just shaped it a bit for the picture. My fabric is a simple cotton, different fabrics will drape differently. 

What I did (all seams are backstitched):
Save and use the scroll wheel on mouse aiming for the 1" guide, trace patterns onto paper.

Bodice, Cut 1:

Skirt, Cut 2:

Cut one of the skirt pieces in half for the back of the dress.

Kinda looks like a Christmas tree😀

Place the back skirt pieces on each side of the front, right sides together, sew 1/4" seam up each side. 

Sew 1/4" hem around bottom of skirt ~or~ use hot glue or Liquid Stitch and glue some fun trim to the bottom for an embellishment.

Fold the top edges (triangle) of the bodice over 1/4" and press flat with iron. Add two small darts into bodice approximately as shown on pattern piece. Sew hem around top of bodice. 

Make longer darts on bottom. 

My best advice, make the space between the two bottom darts 1" for the best fitted dress. Sew the bottom darts about 1/2" long. (After I took this picture I decided it's best to sew the darts/hem around the triangle first, then pin the bottom darts.

Match center front of skirt waistband to center of bodice, right sides together, pin in place. First pin in the center, next the two on the open sides of the skirt. Gently gather in the middle if necessary, but you really shouldn't need to.

Sew 1/4" seam around waist of dress. 
Fold dress right sides together and starting at the bottom, sew up the back of the skirt to within 1 1/2" of waistband.

Press remaining unsewn edges of skirt and bodice over 1/4", you can leave as is, or use a little Liquid Stitch to secure them.
Sew piece of velcro onto opening for easy dressing and garment closure. (I used a dot instead of a strip and hot glue, a little messy, but works for me. I'd use a half dot next time.) You could also use a snap.

Wa-la, a pretty holiday dress! Perfect as is or you could embellish with a ribbon or shiny diamond mesh belt. Or maybe some gemstone bling at the top of the bodice, etc. My finishing touch was a rhinestone in the center of the large snowflake. Full disclosure: I was aiming for the point to be in the center and adding some ribbon to tie around the neck, it ended up on the side... Yep, just roll with it and pretend the side was the plan all along😎

Barbie asks,

where's my cocktail???

✂Make something just for fun and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Six DIY Barbie Outfits from One Roll Dollar Store Ribbon

I thought it would be fun to see how many garments I could create from one roll of Dollar store ribbon. As of this post-Six:@) And I still have a 4" piece left over... I started with a thin fabric, wired, 2.5" wide plaid that was 3 yards long. Some projects require a little sewing, some just use hot glue. This was a holiday plaid, there a tons of colors and styles to choose from. This is a long post folks, with lots of detailed directions for crafts.

The girls at the party... 

"Smile" *click*

The ribbon:

The two newest: Shawl is cut to drape over the shoulders, glue trim to the edges and top (or all the way around). I used metallic gift wrap trim, anything goes:@) The Open Front Leggins Skirt (which I love more than I thought I would) is cut 1 1/2 times as wide as the doll's waist. Gather the waist by holding the wire and gently pushing ribbon towards center on both ends. Fold wire over, hot glue craft ribbon over wire and waistband of skirt. Make the ribbon long enough to tie a bow. 

This Gathered Shoulder Party Dress only requires three pieces of ribbon, and of course any extra embellishments you have or would like... If using a plaid ribbon you may want to make sure you match the design on the two front pieces, there will be a seam down the center front of the dress. This is a little half hour project that can be created in any color, for any time of year. Check your stash, you might not even need to leave the house...

I like that in a project😉

What I did (all seams are back stitched):

1. Cut three approximate 7 1/2 long" pieces of ribbon, pull out wire if using wired ribbon.
2. Lay two pieces of ribbon right sides together and sew hem 5 1/2" up from bottom of dress. Repeat for the other side of the dress. I sewed as close to the edge as possible. The center piece will be the back of the dress.
3. Fold bottom of dress over about 1/2" and sew 1/4" hem.
4. Fold the top of all three pieces over about 1/2" and sew hems. Make the hems wide enough to feed some yarn or ribbon through the hole.
5. Fold dress right sides together and sew hem from bottom up about 4". I sewed as close to the edge as possible. This will be the center front of the dress.
6. Feed a piece of yarn, or something else you can gather and tie, through the two hems on the two pieces of the front of the dress. Pull each side tight to gather dress, tie. This creates the shoulders.
7. Then I took the yarn through the corner of the back of the dress on each side, tie tight.
8. Decorate top or side of each shoulder with bows if desired.
9. Decorate center front of dress with bow or other embellishment if desired.
10. Pick out ribbon for belt, I used velcro to close the belt. A belt will be needed to give the dress some shape.
11. Dress doll, adjust dress and enjoy the party!
12. Note: This dress will either slip up over the doll's hips or pull over her head, depending on the doll you use. Option to help make dressing easier: Don't sew one shoulder closed. Use a snap or small piece of velcro.
13. Fits standard, belly button type Barbie's. But if you use a snap it will fit most Barbie dolls.

Barbie's Wreath = After Christmas clearance earrings.

Let's not forget the kid dolls... This Gathered High Collar Party Dress for Chelsea is one of my favorites:@) I was pleased that this small dress was actually pretty easy folks! It's similar to my pillowcase dress, with the high collar being the main difference. Basically it's a tube with ribbon (or yarn) to tie it closed at the neck. Chelsea is the 5"-ish doll in Barbie's world.

What I did:

1. Cut 2 pieces of ribbon 4 1/2" long.
2. Pull out wire if using wired ribbon.
3. For both pieces:
4. Fold top over 1" to wrong side. Sew 1/4" hem from top of fold straight across ribbon. Sew a second hem below it, give yourself at least 1/4", you'll run yarn or ribbon through this channel later.
5. Fold bottom over 1/2" to wrong side, or as much as you'd like for desired length of the dress. Sew 1/4" hem.
6. Place pieces right sides together. Sew hem from bottom up sides, stop about 1 1/4" from the top. Sew both sides. Mine was about 1/4", can sew closer to the sides for a wider dress.
7. Turn right side out. 
8. Thread 12" yarn or thin ribbon onto needle, feed through the channel we made at the top. Go through the front piece, then through the back piece. This leaves two loose ends of yarn/ribbon. 
9. Dress doll from feet first. Place arms between where seam stops and ribbon starts. Pull both ends of the ribbon, scrunch the fabric together creating the collar, then tie the dress closed with a bow on the side of the neck.

Chelsea says, every girl likes to have a pretty party dress😎

I love the look of this Fancy One Shoulder Ribbon Top for Barbie! This is a no-sew project that literally comes together in minutes, two cuts, two folds, two twists, a little hot glue and you're dressing the doll:@) While I love the holiday colors in this top, plaid always presents challenges for garments... I think a solid color or one with stamped designs might work best. I used a snazzy metallic tinsel ribbon from my stash for the waist band, if you want something blingy that's still easy to find today, diamond mesh ribbon would be fun. 

What I did:

1. Cut a piece of 2 1/2" wide thin ribbon 7" long. I used the same wire edged ribbon that I made a dress out of here.
2. Fold the edges over 1/2" on both cut ends, fold to back of ribbon. You can glue them down, I just folded the wire over.
3. Scrunch up the ribbon at the center point and completely twist it around twice, this is what goes over the doll's shoulder. You'll want the right side of the ribbon to show on both the front and back of the shirt.
4. Cut 4 1/2" of ribbon for the waistband. Glue one piece of velcro to the right edge of the ribbon. This blouse will open/close on the side for dressing the doll.
5. Glue the right edge of the waistband to the bottom of the blouse front, but leaving the velcro hanging over side of ribbon (see picture below). My ribbon has the tinsel in the center, that's what I glued to the bottom of the blouse. You can see the pretty lace showing on the doll's skirt.
6. Overlap the two edges of the ribbon about 1/4" (center point of picture below), glue back piece to waistband. 
7. Glue other piece of velcro to the other end of waistband (making sure the two edges will stick together).

First piece of velcro hanging over right side.

Easy three seam elastic waist skirt pattern here.

This idea is super simple, a very basic, Wrap Skirt that takes about 10 minutes to make. I also like that this idea only calls for five straight seams, making it a nice easy project for young sewers. Again, plaid can sew-up a little wonky and if you're like me, it might bug you that the lines aren't always exactly straight. Solid or stamped pattern is best.

I like this picture and wanted to share a sweet moment between the dolls😉 They look like the best dressed couple at the Christmas party this year! And you could use a little piece of the plaid ribbon as the insert on Ken's vest too... How to make a no-sew holiday felt vest for Ken here.

Here's a shot of the skirt:

Sparkly scarf = Eyelash yarn, large crochet hook and loose chain stitch.

What I did (all seams are back stitched):

1. Cut three pieces of 4 1/2" long ribbon (my ribbon is thin, somewhat sheer and 2 1/2" wide). Pinking shears would help control fraying.
2. Pull out wire if using wired ribbon.
3. Lay two pieces of ribbon right sides together and sew 1/4" hem up long side of skirt. Repeat for the other side of the skirt. The center piece will be the back of the skirt.
4. Fold bottom of skirt over about 1/2" and sew 1/4" hem.
5. Fold top of skirt over about 1/2" and sew 1/4" hem. Please see pic below.
6. Glue velcro closure for waist in two spots. It's best to just gauge where this should be by wrapping the skirt around your doll. One closure where the ribbon meets around the waist the first time, then another piece to secure the double wrapped flap. I used Dollar Store velcro, if you have a thinner velcro more suited to doll clothes it would lay flatter at the waist. Please see pic below.

Sewn together:

Velcro placement:

Wrap around doll-done:@)

So there you have some ideas to help fill a rainy afternoon, or a few days off from school. I'm sure your girl would love to pick out some pretty ribbon, and help create a wardrobe for Barbie!

✂Make something just for fun, and

Have a Happy Day:@)