For your free patterns and tutorial videos, please scroll down to the second set of bullets.
Today’s tutorial video shows you how to take a second-hand item of clothing (like a child’s tee shirt) and upcycle it into a doll’s graphic tee shirt.
I purchased my second-hand clothing at a Goodwill store, but you could use one of your own T-shirts, of course.
Before we dive into this project, I need to make my required disclaimer statement: As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how affiliate marketing works on my website, please go to the Privacy Policy page. Thank you!

It’s so cute, how the little sloth looks as if it’s hanging onto little Sindy, with that adorable expression on its fuzzy little face! I really love how this upcycled T-shirt turned out!
To make today’s doll-sized T-shirt, you’ll need a shirt with or without graphic images you want to re-use for your doll’s tee and some snaps (called “poppers” in the United Kingdom).
*Today’s patterns will fit these dolls:
- Queens of Africa Dolls
- Momoko dolls
- modern and Made-to-Move Barbie dolls
- vintage Barbie dolls
- vintage Francie dolls
- Liv dolls
- Pedigree Sindy dolls
Here are your free, printable PDF sewing patterns and tutorial videos for making the tee shirt shown in the video at the top of this page:
- Free printable PDF sewing pattern for A4 paper
- Free printable PDF sewing pattern for American letter paper —use View B
- Tutorial video is shown at the top of today’s blog post
- How to do a whipstitch
- How to sew snaps on fabric
- How to do a backstitch
- How to gather fabric
- How to use a needle threader
- How to do a basic straight stitch
- How to choose fabric
- How to tie a knot using a needle and thread
For more of my free tutorials, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel, ChellyWood1.
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For anyone who would like to expand their dolls’ wardrobes, you should really check out my “How to Alter Doll Clothes Patterns” course and my “Design Your Own Doll Pants Patterns from Scratch” classes on the Creative Spark online learning platform. Here’s my bio page on their website, where you can learn more.

For any class on Creative Spark, you don’t have to follow a schedule. Just sign up when you’re ready.
It’s a one-time fee for the course, and there’s no specific time limit to finish your course. You can just take your time and learn at the pace that suits you. So go check out my paid courses on Creative Spark, using this link.
As always, feel free to pin, like, or tweet about my free patterns and tutorials.
To read more about my free sewing patterns and tutorials, please visit the “Helpful Tips” page.
Disclaimer/Credit/Affiliate Marketing Link:
*Please note: when you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include Amazon, JoAnn Fabric, Etsy, and the eBay Partner Network. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. To learn more about how my website uses affiliate marketing, please visit the website’s Privacy Policy page.
To honor the trademark rights of the doll companies mentioned in this blog post, I am including links to their websites here. Please feel free to visit their website and consider purchasing one or more of the dolls mentioned.
Queens of Africa dolls are products offered by the Slice by Cake company, which holds the trademark for them (™). They were designed by Taofick Okoya. Please visit the Queens of Africa website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys, books, and fashions.
Momoko dolls are products offered by Petworks, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Momoko Dolls website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Barbie, MTM Barbie, Francie, and Vintage Barbie dolls are products offered by Mattel, which holds the registered trademark for them (™). Please visit the Mattel Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Liv dolls were products designed and distributed by the Spin Master company, which still makes dolls and toys today (although the Liv dolls are no longer in production at the time of this blog post). The Spin Master company held the trademark for the Liv Dolls (™). Please visit the Spin Master Toys and Games website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys and games. Please be aware that the Chelly Wood animated doll is a Spin Master Liv doll that has been re-painted and had its wig colored to appear to look like the real doll clothing designer, Chelly Wood. This was done as a creative project by Chelly’s daughters, and the Spin Master Toys and Games company was not involved in the doll’s makeover in any way.
Disney Princess dolls are products offered by the Disney corporation, which holds the trademark for them (™). Please visit the Disney Toys website to learn more about their company and its trademarked toys.
Sindy dolls were originally created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys, but they have been made by other manufacturers including Hasbro, Vivid Imaginations, and New Moon. Currently (at the time of this blog post) a limited number of the newest version of these dolls is being manufactured by Kid Kreations of Staffordshire, England. I haven’t tried my doll clothes on this newer version, but sewists have told me my Tammy doll patterns do fit the vintage Sindy dolls created by Pedigree Dolls & Toys. Please visit one of these toy companies’ websites to learn more about the toys they produce. The Sindy dolls are trademarked and as such, it should be noted that Chelly Wood and ChellyWood.com are not affiliated with either Pedigree or Kid Creations. However Chelly has enjoyed designing doll clothes that will fit these dolls along with others in a similar size range…

Hmm, that’s a good idea. Maybe I’ll try to upcycle an old pj of mine. Oh, and is it possible to close the front hem with a ladder stitch instead of a whipstitch?
I think you can probably close the hem with a ladder stitch instead. I’ve never been very good at those. 🤪
And happy new year!
Happy New Year to you as well, Débora! 🎉
This looks perfect for my Fleur doll (the Sindy cousin from Netherlands).
I have bought a wonderful Bionic woman doll on EBay. Who knows if it is working with her? I have found no measurements on the web. BW is a bit taller and looks very masculine. I a bit scared
You’ve sparked some envy in me, Marco! You have a Fleur doll? Wow. She’s a lovely little dolly.
I used to have a Bionic Woman doll, when I was a kid. I think you’re right about her. She will likely be too big to fit in Sindy-sized clothes. If you can get your hands on patterns that fit Kenner Dusty dolls, you may find that those patterns will fit your Bionic Woman — at least I remember that my Bionic Woman could wear Dusty’s store-bought clothes (the ones I owned as a child, anyway). Bionic Woman’s arms are particularly long though, so long-sleeved shirts may need some alterations.
I’ve written a memoir, and my editor is currently working to help me finalize it for publication. The Bionic Woman makes an appearance in my memoir! 😉