Monday, December 5, 2011

DIY Paper Dolls

Are you looking for a fun DIY (Do-It-Yourself) craft/gift for a special little girl in your life? Well I have just the ticket!

I found this paper doll craft idea from this website here. It really is quite simple. It just takes a lot of time. I found that I had to keep coming back to the project during the day because I couldn't finish it in one sitting. All-in-all, it took me 5 hours.

I know. I know. 5 hours sounds like eternity, right? Well it really isn't if you are breaking up the time throughout a day or week. I think crafting is quite therapeutic actually :) Plus, I think the rewards of doing something yourself outweigh spending tons of money on a present.

The reason I love these paper dolls is because they are vintage, adorable, and they inspire my daughter to use her imagination. I will bring them with us in the car, to Sunday services, or anywhere else she may need a tag-along toy to keep her occupied.

What you need
  • Paper doll fabric from Amazon here (for goodness sake... it's less than $7.00!)
  • Iron-on interfacing from any craft store
  • Iron-on fabric velcro
  • Scissors
  • Iron and ironing board
  • Bed sheet
Instructions
  • Iron on fabric onto the interfacing. Put the iron on steam setting and place a bed sheet over the fabric to protect it while you iron. (This bonds the interfacing to the fabric to make the paper dolls thicker and more durable.)
  • Cut out the paper dolls and accessories
  • Cut out little pieces of velcro for the dolls and the accessories
  • Iron on the velcro onto the paper dolls and the accessories (use the bed sheet for this as well)
  • After writing this post earlier today, the velcro has already started coming apart. So I am sewing them on. 
I'm sure there are tons of other ways to attach your accessories to the dolls without velcro. I just thought this would be the quickest way for me to do it. I'm not a professional crafter, so my inspiration is slightly limited :)

I love seeing Sitora play with these dolls... and to be honest I love playing them with her! It's like I'm transported back in time to when I was a little girl myself :)







Oh. my. goodness. Who wouldn't adore this George Washington outfit and wig???


This school girl outfit makes me giddy.


Here is a picture of the velcro I placed on the back of the doll so we can attach her hats and clothes...


And here is a pic of the velcro attached to the clothes.


I finished the dolls after 1:00am last night, so I left this sign on the table for Sitora and SuperDan's little sister to find this morning. I told them before they went to bed that I would have the dolls ready for them when they woke up!

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