Tag: Crafts

The image shows the size of these teeny-tiny miniature overalls clasps, as compared to a woman's hand. Each piece is so tiny, it's like the head of a straight pin!
Crafts and Hobbies, For Sale in the Store, Interviews With Crafters, Tips for Beginners

Where do tiny clasps for dolls’ overalls come from? We should all be aware…

Recently I added a new item to my “Shop” page: closures. One of the items I’m linking to are clasps for Barbie-sized (or smaller) dolls’ overalls, and I’m doing this blog post because I like to be open and honest about where these notions are coming from. I buy my overall clasps (shown at the top of this page) from an Etsy store called simply … Continue reading Where do tiny clasps for dolls’ overalls come from? We should all be aware…

Chelly Wood5 Comments
A quilted frame surrounds Simplicity Tressy Doll Clothes Pattern 5731 (Copyright 1964) along with the Chelly Wood dot com logo.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

Do you see that blue price tag of 50 cents on my Simplicity 5731 Tressy doll clothes pattern? That’s literally how much I paid for these patterns, and this pattern set was cut, but only missing one piece; it was in a nearly-perfect envelope; and the directions were all there, in tact, and in perfect condition. Oooh! What a find! I must have had a … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity 5731 vintage Tressy doll clothes pattern #DollCollector #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
A woman stares off into space with a dreamy look on her face. The "thought bubble" above her head shows three doll face silhouettes and just above this, we read the words, "dream dolls."
Crafts and Hobbies, Doll Collecting, Fan Mail, Interviews With Crafters

Which “Dream Dolls” you would like to add to your collection? — Please add your comments!

Since I don’t actually own any of my “dream dolls,” there won’t be any official pictures of them. Instead, I’ll use these little silhouetted images to represent them and give you a link to them on a website, just in case you want to see what they look like or buy one for yourselves. But today’s blog post isn’t just about me. I want to … Continue reading Which “Dream Dolls” you would like to add to your collection? — Please add your comments!

Chelly Wood18 Comments
On a turquoise blue linen background, a miniature Anna doll and a Mini Elsa doll from Disney's Frozen face one another. They are both wearing handmade skirts with tiny print fabrics and a soft pink felt jacket that has been embroidered along the bottom of the coat. The overlay says, "free pattern" and the ChellyWood.com logo appears in the lower left corner.
5-inch doll clothes patterns, Daily Patterns, Disney Princess Dolls, Mini Anna Dolls

Make a pretty embroidered coat for Frozen’s miniature Anna dolls @ ChellyWood.com with today’s free patterns

Are you looking for the patterns? Scroll down to the second set of bullets. With fall underway here, in the northern hemisphere, it’s time to make some coats for our dolls! This project is most attractive if you can add embroidery along the bottom of the coat or jacket, so for your easy access, here’s a link to my embroidery tutorial gallery. To make the … Continue reading Make a pretty embroidered coat for Frozen’s miniature Anna dolls @ ChellyWood.com with today’s free patterns

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

Have you ever made a plush doll? Well I have. In fact, this Holly Hobbie doll and clothing pattern provided me with the patterns for making my first plush doll, and I have happy memories of working with this pattern. To read what I’ve written about this pattern in past blog posts, just click on a title below that sounds interesting to you: Tips for … Continue reading Learning to sew with a vintage Holly Hobbie plush doll pattern #HollyHobbie #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood4 Comments
A blue square thumbnail image says, "free pattern" and these words are beside and slightly overlapping a photo of a Kuu Kuu Harajuku doll modeling a handmade yellow dress with a full skirt, short sleeves, and a collar. The chelly wood dot com logo appears in one corner.
10-inch doll clothes patterns, Daily Patterns, Kuu Kuu Harajuku Dolls, Whole Costumes for Dolls

Sew a beautiful party dress for Kuu Kuu Harajuku dolls w/today’s free patterns!

Scroll down to the second set of bullets to download the free printable PDF sewing pattern. Today’s doll dress has appeared on ChellyWood.com before, but this is the first time I’ve associated this free pattern with my lovely “G” doll from the Kuu Kuu Harajuku animated television show. But isn’t she so, so sweet in this dress? Please visit ChellyWood.com for free printable PDF sewing … Continue reading Sew a beautiful party dress for Kuu Kuu Harajuku dolls w/today’s free patterns!

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
Image of "Sew-Easy Patterns by Advance" vintage Mattel, Inc. Toymakers Barbie doll clothes sewing pattern #2895 with the ChellyWood logo, surrounded by a variety of quilting fabrics in turquoise blue and purple.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

The Sew-Easy by Advance doll clothes patterns in my collection are among some of my all-time favorites because they’re just… well… SO vintage! The projects in this Advance 2895 envelope have inspired me to create new patterns, they have taught me techniques I’d never seen before, and I’ve written articles on this website, sharing the tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way. If you’d … Continue reading Learning to sew with Sew-Easy by Advance 2895 vintage doll clothes patterns for Barbie #VintageBarbie #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood6 Comments
The text in this thumbnail reads, "How to improve a doll's bangs (fringes)" and it shows before and after photos of an Anna doll from Disney's Frozen. In the before photo, the bangs or fringes are separated into two wild curls, while in the after photo, the bangs or fringes lay more or less straight against her forehead. In the before photo, tiny braids extend above her head, whereas in the after photo, the braids are gone. The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in the lower left corner.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

How to Improve a Doll’s Bangs (Fringes)

Yesterday we looked at “How to Unbraid a Doll’s Braided Hair” (see link), and today we’re going to learn how to get a doll’s bangs (or as they say in the UK, “fringes”) to lay flat. If you’ll notice in the photos above and below, the Anna doll from Frozen II has been played with a lot! And for whatever reason, her bangs/fringes are split … Continue reading How to Improve a Doll’s Bangs (Fringes)

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
In this thumbnail, a text at the top reads "How to 'unbraid' tiny doll braids" while a photo below shows a Disney princess Anna toddler doll with a tiny braid sticking up above her head on the left and on the right of her head, a similar braid has been successfully unraveled. The Chelly Wood dot com logo appears in the lower left corner of this thumbnail image.
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Uncategorized

How to Unbraid a Doll’s Braided Hair

I found this little wild child at my local Goodwill store, and bought her for $2.50 American. As you can see in the images above, she had clearly been played with a lot and generally loved by a child. The biggest challenge with cleaning this doll was her hair. Those tiny braids! But I have found a way to unbraid a doll’s braided hair that … Continue reading How to Unbraid a Doll’s Braided Hair

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
The image shows a close up of the McCall's 9449 small baby and toddler doll pattern published in 1968. This image was part of a vintage pattern discussion on the ChellyWood.com website on Martin Luther King Day, in January of 2023. The patterns were shown to fit modern-day baby alive dolls.
12-inch doll clothes patterns, 13-inch doll clothes patterns, 14-inch doll clothes patterns, 15-inch doll clothes patterns, 16-inch doll clothes patterns, 18-inch doll clothes patterns, American Girl Doll Patterns, Baby Alive, Baby Doll Patterns, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

Learning to sew with McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” pattern #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

The blog posts I’ve written about my McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” patterns are some of my best blog posts, in my humble opinion. There’s just so much to say about this pattern! And I discovered that it fits not only my 15 inch dolls, but also my 12 inch Baby Alive — well, kind of. Click on the relevant blog posts below to learn … Continue reading Learning to sew with McCall’s 9449 “toddler doll clothes” pattern #VintageSewing #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
This thumbnail image shows three handmade doll clothes outfits: on the left is a pair of pants with a shirt that buttons in front and has three-quarter length sleeves; in the center is a circle skirt dress with a bolero; and on the right is a pair of shorts with a short-sleeved shirt. The text reads, "summer projects: what did you get done" and below the doll clothes it says, "Please share!"
Crafts and Hobbies, Holiday Crafts, Interviews With Crafters, Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection

Did you get some of your summer sewing goals accomplished?

At the start of July, we shared our summer sewing goals and summer doll projects in this blog post. At that time, I was hoping to make some of the doll clothes from the McCall’s 4716 Sunshine Family pattern set (the purple arrow in the image above points to it), and I was planning to make a few things for Barbie too. However, I got … Continue reading Did you get some of your summer sewing goals accomplished?

Chelly Wood6 Comments
The image shows a lady loading her glue gun with spare glue sticks, and there are actual palm trees (potted plants) behind her. The text reads, "doll beach DIY."
18-inch doll clothes patterns, 2 Enchanting 2B True -- Doll Pics, American Girl Doll Patterns, Crafts and Hobbies, Madame Alexander Doll Clothes Patterns, Paper Crafts, Props and Dioramas, Tutorials: Crafts

How to make a BIG beach diorama for your dolls!

As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Yesterday I shared some pictures of the 18 inch doll beach diorama that I built about four years ago or so: The video at the top of the page today shows you how to make your own doll beach, just like the one in the image above. It’s ideal for 18 inch dolls, but of course … Continue reading How to make a BIG beach diorama for your dolls!

Chelly WoodLeave a comment
The image shows a doll dressed as a mermaid. The doll is seated or swimming in a turquoise blue pool of water. The text reads, "Did you play with dolls in the water?"
18-inch doll clothes patterns, 2 Enchanting 2B True -- Doll Pics, American Girl Doll Patterns, Barbie Patterns, Madame Alexander Doll Clothes Patterns, Skipper Patterns, Wellie Wishers Patterns

Did you play with your dolls in the water?

These two doll-friends really remind me of myself and my cousin, Virginia. I was always afraid of the water, whereas Virginia would dive in the minute we got out of the car! Virginia and I took our dolls to the beach, built sand castles for them to live in, and played like our Barbies were mermaids in the ocean water. The American Girl dolls, like … Continue reading Did you play with your dolls in the water?

Chelly Wood16 Comments
The simplicity 4510 Barbie wardrobe includes everything a lady would need for a honeymoon: a bikini, a swimsuit coverup with super short skirt; a dining-out dress with a one-shoulder bodice and pencil skirt topped with a tulle over-skirt; a 3/4 length sleeve jacket with matching A-line skirt underneath; a plaid hostess-style dress with a ribbon for a waistband; a nightgown with lace bodice; and of course the wedding gown, which is very 1960's in its style, with a fitted bodice that has short sleeves and a square neckline, flowing into a full, long skirt that has a very large ribbon tied around the waist (and a veil connected to the head with a tiny ribbon at the top).
Old Patterns from Chelly's Collection, Vintage Barbie

Learning to sew with Simplicity’s vintage Barbie bridal honeymoon doll clothes pattern 4510 #vintageBride #DollClothesPatterns

I’m calling today’s vintage Barbie pattern, the “bridal honeymoon set” because Simplicity 4510 has everything a fashionable lady of the 1960’s would need, if she was going to get married and enjoy a vacation honeymoon! There’s a swimsuit, a coverup, a lace-top nightgown, an evening gown for dinner parties, a jacket and skirt for a shopping day, an everyday dress, and of course, a beautiful … Continue reading Learning to sew with Simplicity’s vintage Barbie bridal honeymoon doll clothes pattern 4510 #vintageBride #DollClothesPatterns

Chelly Wood2 Comments
The image shows a pretty little doll's skirt with a ruffle. The skirt is made of white cotton with blue, red, yellow, and pink flowers printed on the fabric. The text reads, "how to attach a ruffle".
Tutorials: Sewing Basics, Tutorials: Sewing for Dolls

How to sew a ruffle on a doll’s skirt or dress… It’s EASY!

  People who are just learning to sew will sometimes take one look at a pattern that has a ruffle, and think, “I can’t make that. A ruffle looks too hard!” But it’s not hard! In today’s one-minute #Shorts video, you’ll see that the steps to making a ruffle are relatively easy. It may also help to view one or more of these tutorial videos … Continue reading How to sew a ruffle on a doll’s skirt or dress… It’s EASY!

Chelly WoodLeave a comment