Recently one of my readers complained that she loves dolls–enjoys collecting them–but now that she’s a young adult, her family thinks doll collecting is a waste of her time and money.

Well, take it from a grown woman who loves Barbies, there’s nothing wrong with collecting dolls!

When I was in high school, I justified my doll obsession by sewing and selling hand-made Barbie doll clothes for a profit. It’s funny how many friends and family members will stop turning their nose up at your “childish” collection when you start to make money at it!

So if you’re wondering how you can keep collecting dolls without feeling foolish at family gatherings, consider starting a money-making venture. Patterns are available through JoAnn Fabrics, Hancock Fabrics, and you can even find lots of patterns for free online.

In fact, I design my own Barbie patterns, so starting July 28th, I’ll be posting my doll patterns for anyone and everyone to download for free.

You can also surf through Pinterest to find easy DIY doll projects. Once you’ve made a bunch of them, pile them up in a shoebox until Christmas is near, then start selling them on Craigslist, eBay, Etsy, etc…

Watch for my upcoming doll patterns and free doll clothes giveaways (including Barbie and Momoko doll clothes) throughout the month of August. If it’s popular, I’ll continue to post more of these throughout the year.

Meanwhile, follow me on Pinterest to see what kinds of doll projects I’ve been up to lately.