Do you have one of the tiny 8-inch baby dolls, such as the one from the Caring For Baby set from American Girl? Check out this crafty tutorial to make a darling little bed that's just the right size!

Bonus! Enter to win a Caring For Baby Set. Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter in the giveaway!

New to this doll? Be sure to check out our full 8-inch Caring For Baby Doll Review post HERE.

Follow along in this tutorial where we show you how to turn a little wooden box, found at Hobby Lobby, into a little bed for our doll. If you are unable to find the same box that we used, you can take your tiny doll with you to the craft store and find something similar. We've will also included the dimensions to the box we used, as well as the online links. We've also included a quick tutorial showing you how to make bedding and a no-sew version too!  Let’s get crafting!

What you need for both versions:

For sewn version:

For no-sew version:

Step 1: Assembling the bed

If you are using the same box that we found, start by removing the handles. Now it’s time to glue the beads to the bottom of the bed. Once the glue is dried, you can paint your bed! It's that simple!

Step 2: Sewn Blanket

Let’s make the blanket now! Cut out two squares of fabric 12 x 12 inches. We used a minky fabric on one side and cotton on the other side. Use something small and round as a template to trim the corners into a rounded shape. We chose to use a spool of ribbon about 3in in diameter as a template. Now pin the two pieces right sides together and sew all the way around, leaving a 2-3 inch opening to turn the blanket right side out. Once you have the blanket turned, top stitch around the entire edge of the blanket, making sure you neatly catch the raw edges of the opening inside the blanket.

Alternate: No-sew Blanket

Cut one 12 x 12in square out of a fabric that doesn’t fray easily. Trim the corners like the blanket in step 2. That’s all there is to it!

Step 3: Sewn Mattress

Cut out 2 rectangles (11 x 7 inch for a box like ours, but for any other box, adding an extra inch or so of fabric around the edges from the box’s measurements should be good. If it is too big, you can always trim the edges and resew to make it smaller). Sew the rectangles right sides together, leaving a 2 inch space to turn it right side out. Once it’s turned, back-stitch two little X’s in two places on the mattress. Add stuffing until it fits perfectly into your bed. Sew up the opening.

Step 5: (Alternate) No-sew Mattress

Cut 6 layers of felt to fit inside your bed. Cut a piece of fabric two inches longer and two inches wider than the felt rectangle. Wrap the felt with the fabric and hot glue in place. 

Now get your baby doll and tuck her in!

Looking for a cute dress for your 8-inch baby doll? The Sweet & Simple Dress is darling and very easy to sew! Find it and a variety of other clothing pattern that are designed to fit the Carling For Baby doll in the Collection on larougetdelisle!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @graceloves2bake

ENTER TO WIN A Caring For Baby set (from the American Girl website)!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the prize. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  If you were to bring this baby home, what would you name it?

We can’t believe it’s a new year already! With a new year, comes new goals. For many, it's time to make fitness a priority and we'd love to get our dolls in on that action too! Fitness should be fun, right? One way to exercise and play at the same time is by jumping rope! It’s fun to do by yourself or with a group. So join along in this tutorial with us and make your doll a jump rope that can look like it’s really in action! We’ve included instructions for adding wire to the jump rope, for those of you who enjoy photographing your dolls and setting scenes. For younger children, just leave out the wire to make it safe for their age. 

Bonus Giveaway: Enter to win a $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter the giveaway!

Supplies Needed:

• 2-3 colors of cardstock, 3 sheets total
• Craft glue 
• 20 gauge jewelry wire 
• Wire cutters
• Twine or string about 1/8 inch thick
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Pencil
• 6 inches of 1/4 inch wide elastic 
• 3/16 inch thick dowel or other thin, round object the same diameter
• Paper cutter (optional)
• Hot glue gun and glue
• A long thin tool - I’m using an elastic bodkin, but you could use a knitting needle or maybe a chopstick!

Let's Get Started!

Step 1: Cut a piece of twine 31 inches long and two pieces of wire 31 inches long each. Cut your elastic into two 3 inch pieces. Set all these aside. Cut two strips of card stock from the color you want the handles to be, 2 inches wide by the length of the paper, which should be 11 inches.

Step 2: Using your 3/16 inch dowel and starting my with a short end, roll your cardstock up tightly around the dowel.

Continue until you get to the end of the paper, and use your craft glue to glue the end down. You could do this with hot glue if you prefer, but it may be difficult to get a smooth result (and you may burn your fingers!). We chose to use craft glue, and took our time to hold the cardstock in place for a moment and make sure it stuck well. Slide off of the dowel. Repeat for the second strip of cardstock. You’ve made two thick paper “beads”.



Step 3: Apply some hot glue to the inside of the paper bead, and stick about half an inch of one of your pieces of elastic down into it. You may want to use your long thin tool to hold the elastic in place while the glue cools. Make sure it is glued to one inside “wall” of the bead.



Step 4: Now wrap the elastic down the side of the bead, and hot glue the first 3/8 to half inch down.

Stretch the elastic slightly and lay it down the rest of the way over the side of the bead, applying hot glue to the only to the bottom 3/8 to half inch again. Make sure you hold this in place really well so it is very secure while the glue cools.



Step 5: Now apply more hot glue to the bottom inside of the bead, and use your tool again to tuck the elastic in and hold to the inside wall while it cools.



You should now have an elastic handle that will be used to help your doll hold the jump rope!

Repeat steps 2-6 to make a second handle and set aside.

Step 6: Now take your twine and two pieces of wire and grasp the end of them 1.5 inches away from the ends.

Apply hot glue to the inside of your handle again, and push the twine and wires down into it up to your fingers. Add more glue as necessary; you want a good strong hold! After this, set aside the handle with wires and twine attached.

Step 7:  Now we are going to make the little beads that our jump rope will be strung with! Use your remaining two colors of cardstock and make 1 inch wide by 8.5 inch long strips. Then cut each of these in half so the measure approximately 1 inch by 4.25 inches each - it does not have to be exact.

Our jump rope only ended up needing 27 beads, so you only need to make 28 or 30 of these, so you will have a few extra in case you mess up on any of them.

Step 8:  Using the dowel again, roll up and glue each strip of paper into a bead, until you have 27-30 beads. This may take a little while, so turn on a favorite tv show or listen to some music!

Step 9:  Once you have all your beads made, string them onto your twine and wires, alternating colors, and leaving 1.5 - 2 inches of twine and wires exposed.

Step 10: Once you are done, apply hot glue to the inside end of the handle that is not attached to the twine and wires yet, and push the twine and wires into it. Make sure to leave a little space that is not pushed in so your beads can move around a bit. You do not want them all tightly touching each other.

And that’s it! Once your hot glue has cooled and is set, your doll can jump rope! Stretch the elastic open and put her fingers into the opening on the handles, and gently bend the wire into a nice curved shape. You may need to bend it up at the spots where the wires join the handles. Isn’t that cute?! Now your dolls can enjoy recess like a real person! 

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is/was your favorite playground activity?

Hi Everyone! Baking Christmas Cookies is one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Ever since I was a little girl I've looked forward to spending time baking and exchanging favorite holiday cookies with my mom, aunts, grandmas, sisters, and friends. This year, my young nieces joined me and we decided it would be fun to make some doll-size cookies too! The three batches of little bite-size cookies turned out so cute and will be making delightful holiday gifts for a couple of special girls and their dolls. Two of the cookie recipes are even gluten-free!

I wanted to share these recipe's with you, maybe they'll be added to your own holiday traditions too! 

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe? I'd love to know! Let's make this a cookie exchange and you can share your favorite in the comments below!

Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

~Shari

Chocolate Drop Cookies

No gluten and no baking!

Ingredients:

• 2 cup sugar
• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup cocoa
• ½ cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups quick cooking oats

Mix sugar, butter, cocoa, vanilla, and milk in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and boil 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the rolled oats.

Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper (we used a 1 ½” cookie scoop) and let stand until cool enough to touch. For the doll size cookies, split a warm cookie into eight equal portions.

Reshape the cookies with your fingers and let stand until hardened.

*Makes about three dozen full-size cookies – or 24 dozen doll-size cookies

Candy Cane Cookies

One of My Holiday Favorites!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon peppermint
• extract
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups flour
• ½ teaspoon red food
• coloring
• 1 finely crushed candy
• cane (large size, not mini)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar

Heat oven to 375°. Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together. Stir in egg, vanilla, peppermint extract, and salt until well blended. Mix in flour.  Divide dough in half and blend in red food coloring into one half.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop up a ball of each dough color. For the doll-size cookie, divide each scoop into eight equal parts. Roll the dough into balls.

Stack a white and red ball together.

Roll the stacked balls into a rope. About ½” thick for full size cookies and ¼” thick for doll-size cookies.

Twist the rope to get a candy cane like swirl.

Split the rope into two equal parts and curve the top of each part to form the crook of the cane.

Mix the crushed candy candy cane with the granulated sugar in shallow dish. Dip the top of each candy cane cookie in the sugar mix and arrange the cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake full-size cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes and doll-size cookies for about 6-7 minutes. Cookies should be firm but not brown.

Peanut Blossoms

A Holiday Favorite Made without Flour!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup peanut butter
• 1 ½ cup sugar, divided
• 1 egg
• about 2 dozen Chocolate Kisses or Chocolate Stars for full-size cookies
• about ½ cup Chocolate Chips for doll-size cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix peanut butter, 1 cup sugar, and egg together until a stiff dough forms.

Use a cookie scoop to scoop up dough. For the doll-size cookie, divide each scoop into eight equal parts.

Roll the dough into balls and then roll in granulated sugar. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and bake full-size cookies for about 9 – 10 minutes and doll-size cookies for about 6-7 minutes. The surface of the cookies should just be starting to crack.

Immediately after taking the cookies out of the oven, press a chocolate kiss into the center of the full-size cookies or a chocolate chip into the center of the doll-size cookies.

Remove the cookies from the cookie sheet and allow to cool until them chocolates set.

*Makes about 2 dozen cookies - or 16 dozen doll-size cookies

Yum, yum, yum! No it's time to make some cookies!

Do you have a favorite holiday cookie recipe? I'd love to know! Let's make this a cookie exchange and you can share your favorite in the comments below!

How To Make A Fabric-Bound Book 

Fall is here and along with it colder rainy days –  what better time is there to devote lots of time to reading? Some schools have reading lists, libraries have reading challenges, but besides all that, books are a great way to travel and explore new lands and times! Our dolls love to read, so we decided to make them a fabric-bound book that really opens and closes. Now they want a whole bookshelf full! Do your dolls like to read, too? Follow along to make them an easy book or two! Then cuddle up by the fire and read to your hearts content!

Supplies Needed:

•Computer paper
•Paper cutter (optional)
•Scissors
•Ruler and pencil
•Stick glue
•Lightweight cardboard/chipboard
•Small piece of white fabric
•Larger scrap of colored fabric
•Liquid Stitch fabric glue
•Paint brush or q-tips
•Thin ribbons (optional)
•Gold or silver metallic paint or sharpie (optional)

Let's get started!

Step 1:  Measure and cut your paper into strips. (Before we began we decided on a 2 3/4 by 2 inch book size, and printed small text boxes on our computer paper. You may not want to go to that much trouble, so blank paper is fine. Use your imagination, or let this be a journal or art book for your doll!) We used 8 strips cut to 8 1/2 by 2 inches for our demonstration book.

Step 2:  Fold you paper accordion style every 2 inches. Go back and forth, back and forth, trying to make each fold as even and exact as possible, in relation to the rest of the folds. This will give your book a better appearance once it is done and closed.


  
As you get to the end of a strip of paper, just overlap a little and glue on another one, using your stick glue and keeping the edges even. Keep adding paper and folding until your book is your desired thickness.

 

Step 3: Take your scrap of white fabric, and cut it to roughly 3 3/4 by 2 inches. Fold the two shorter sides up and in, adding a little liquid stitch inside to make a top and bottom “hem”. You want this to be exactly as tall as the “spine” of your folded papers.

 

Squeeze your folded paper together just a bit and add glue to the spine, using a generous amount of Liquid Stitch applied either with the paintbrush or q-tips. Adhere the white fabric to the spine of the folded papers, wrapping the edges around and gluing the free edges to the top and bottom folds of paper. You want really good contact between the fabric and the paper, so apply enough glue to fill in the gaps and almost saturate your fabric.

Let this set for a few minutes.

 

Step 4:  Now we will start on the outer cover of your book. Measure out and cut two pieces of your chipboard or lightweight cardboard to 2 7/8 by 2 1/8 inches. Also cut your scrap of colored fabric to be 7 by 4 3/4 inches.

Now you need to glue the chipboard pieces to the fabric, centered in the middle of the fabric but with a gap between them as thick as the spine of your book, in our case 1/4 of an inch, as in the photo.

Step 5:  Trim the fabric extending from the chipboard into angled triangle shapes, as in the photo. Add more Liquid Stitch and wrap these around and glue to the chipboard pieces. If you have any little threads sticking out of the corners you can put a little glue on your finger and wipe it on while smoothing the threads down.

 

Step 6:  Optional - if you want to add bookmarks as in some nicer books and bibles, measure and cut your narrow ribbon into 3-3 1/2 inch lengths. Glue one or more ribbons to the top of the outside of the spine of your paper book, with the long end extending upwards. Later this will fold down into the pages to make a bookmark.


Step 7:  Using the Liquid Stitch again, putting glue on the top, bottom, and spine, glue the outer cover of your book around the paper pages. Glue down the spine into the middle first, then wrap around the front, then the back. Make sure it is centered top to bottom, as the cover should stick out just a bit on all sides. Since we used a lot of glue, set this somewhere for half an hour to an hour to dry thoroughly. You might want to weight it down with something so it dries nice and flat. Let it dry all the way before you open the pages up all the way.
 

Step 7:  Optional - if you want the gilded edges that a lot of bibles and good quality leather bound books have, hold the pages together tightly and brush on gold or silver metallic paint. Use a dry brush and do several light coats, rather than one thick one, if you feel like you need more than one coat.
Make sure to loosen the pages from each other after each coat so that your pages do not stick together. You could also use a metallic sharpie and color the outer edges.

Once everything is dried and set, let your doll enjoy her new book!




*A couple of other ways to get text into your book are: You can scan or take photos of the inside of a book, or look on the internet for photos of the inside of a book, size those images to the size of your pages and print them, trim them, and glue them inside your book for a bit of realism. Or you can look in magazines for fine print and cut and glue those in. Or your child or doll could make it a scrapbook or doodle book, adding art or magazine clippings that they like best!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @PixieFaire and @forofsuch

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us,  What is your favorite book to read?

Thanks, everyone!

--The larougetdelisle Team and @forofsuch

Hi Everyone! Check our this amazing fun and crafty tutorial!

Plus we have a bonus Giveaway: Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter today!

It’s summer and it’s time to celebrate! There are so many good flag holidays in the summer, plus red, white, and blue is just a great all around patriotic color scheme. Celebrate this summer and this 4^th of July with a super cute headband that you can make for your dolls!

Supplies:

• Wide elastic, fold-over elastic, or ribbon
  
• Felt in your choice of red, white, or blue, or all 3!
  
• Pipe cleaners (I used metallic but regular is ok, too.)
  
• Silver metallic scrapbook paper
  
• Red, white, and blue narrow ribbons and/or embroidery floss, narrow rick rack, sequins, anything fun you can think of!
• Hot glue gun and glue
• Scissors
  
• Sewing machine (optional)
• Lighter (optional)

Step 1: Cut a length of elastic that is 11 inches long for AG dolls, and 10 inches long for WellieWishers or Ruby Red Fashion Friends dolls. Overlap the ends by half an inch, and sew together. If you are using ribbon, cut a length about 28 inches long for AG dolls and 22 inches long for the smaller dolls. We want it long enough to be able to tie easily, and then have pretty ribbon ends hanging down.

Step 2: Cut a rounded rectangle of felt 3 inches by 1 inch for AG dolls and 2 inches by 1 inch for the smaller dolls. Set aside, as we will use it later. Take your felt and cut out three stars large enough to cover the width of your elastic or ribbon. We took a few minutes to make a template out of white paper. We made stars about 2.25 inches wide from point to point for AG dolls and 1.75 inches from point to point for the smaller dolls.

Step 3: Take a pipe cleaner and cut it in half. Now take one end and push the wire through the center of one of the stars. You may need to poke a tiny hole in the felt with a seam ripper or carefully with a pair of scissors. You just want it big enough for the wire to fit through. Let the pipe cleaner stick out about an inch and a half on the underside of the felt. Holding the long end of the pipe cleaner perpendicular to the felt, bend the short end right where it touches the felt and make a right angle, so it is now flush with the back of the star. Bend it again about a 1/4 inch away from your first end, then wind the leftover length into a swirl shape. You want this to be flush with the bottom of the felt, as it is going to act like a sort of anchor to keep the pipe cleaner from tipping over. Once you are happy with the swirl, make sure it is not showing from the top side of the star.

Repeat on a second star, and trim the long part of the pipe cleaners to 2 3/8 inches for AG dolls and 2 inches for smaller dolls.

Step 4: Now we are going to glue the stars to the elastic or ribbon. Place the rectangle of felt you cut earlier under your elastic or ribbon and lightly hot glue in place. Then place one star with a pipe cleaner attached on top and glue in place on the left side, making a “sandwich”, if you will. Then glue the star with no pipe cleaner in the center, overlapping them just a little, then the third star with pipe cleaner on the right, again overlapping a little. Make sure you now get glue on the edges of the bottom rectangle to make a good seal around your elastic or ribbon.

Step 5: Now the fun part! You need to cut many lengths of ribbon and/or embroidery thread, or any other fun, sparkly stuff you can think of. For my AG doll I cut my lengths at 3.5 inches, and for my smaller dolls I cut them at 2.5 inches. A little crafting trick is to use a lighter and just barely melt the ends of the ribbons so that they do not fray. This will not work on cotton or other natural fibers, but most ribbons nowadays are polyester. Now your ribbons are “heat sealed”!

Once they are all cut and ends melted separate into two piles. Using your hot glue carefully, arrange your ribbons and attach them to each other into two little bundles. Keep in mind you are making a front or good side. Set bundles of ribbon aside.

Step 6: Using your silver scrapbook paper, cut out 4 stars, as close to identical as you can get them. We used our smaller star templates from before for both doll sizes.

Now carefully hot glue one of your bundles of ribbons to the wrong side of one of the stars. Make sure they are clustered in the middle, and that your front is facing the front of the paper. Repeat for a second star.

Step 7: Having the beribboned silver stars on front, and the other two stars on the back, glue the stars like a sandwich around the tops of the pipe cleaners, enclosing as much of the sides as you can. Let the ribbons hang down and don’t catch any in your star sandwich.

Once your hot glue has cooled and your hot glue strings have been eliminated, you’re done!

These are so super cute, I’m sure all your dolls will want one for the celebrations to come!!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @forofsuch @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspiration Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - How do you celebrate the 4th of July?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

This St. Patrick's Day no-sew craft is just for fun, but totally over the top! After we made a shamrock shirt for our dolls, we couldn’t resist a festive St. Patrick’s Day hat to finish the look. This one is easy and cute to make, and goes on as a headband!

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter in our weekly gift card giveaway!

Supplies:
• Green, black, and tan or gold colored cardstock
• Scrap of green felt
• A compass for drawing circles
• Ruler
• Various glues (I ended up only using Elmer’s glue and hot glue)
• Scissors
• Gold glitter
• Elastic (or optional hairpins)
• Gold or silver metallic pipe cleaners (optional)

Ok, let's get started... 

Step 1:  Our first step is to draw some shapes on our green cardstock. I drew one circle that is 3 inches in diameter, another circle 2 inches in diameter with another circle 1.5 inches in diameter inside of it, and a strip along the side that is 2 3/4 inches wide with another line drawn at 2.5 inches.  Cut out the 3 inch circle, the 2 inch outer circle, and the strip of cardstock at the 2.5 inch line mark. Take the time now to also cut out a 2 inch circle of the green felt, using your cardstock piece as a template to cut it out. Set this aside for later. Then cut the long strip of cardstock to be 5.5 inches long.

Step 2:  Using the smaller, interior circle as a guide, make little cuts about 1/4 inch apart all the way around your 2 inch circle, stopping at the inner circle. Do the same on your strip of cardstock, making little cuts stopping at the 2.5 inch line. Fold all your little cuts into the circle and up on the cardstock strip.

Step 3:  Using hot glue and working quickly, glue the folded edge of the circle to the very top of the 5.5 inch strip of cardstock, along the uncut edge. I did this small sections at a time, ending with putting glue along the short edge of the cardstock strip and gluing the top part of the hat closed, making the crown and top of the hat. 

Step 4:  Using the gold or tan cardstock, measure out a square that is 1 1/4 inches tall and wide, and draw lines 1/4 inside those lines, making a 1 inch square within the 1 ¼ inch square. Cut on the outer lines. Now cut out the center square made by the 1/4 inch markings. I did this by folding the square in half one way and cutting two sides, then folding the other way and cutting the remaining two sides. 

Step 5:  Using your Elmer’s glue, apply an even layer of gold glitter, and set aside to dry. Cut a strip from the black cardstock that is ¾ of an inch wide by 5.5 inches. Once the glue under the glitter is dry, glue the gold “buckle” right at the center on the black strip of cardstock, making sure the buckle sticks out evenly at the top and bottom.

Step 6 (optional):  I thought it would be fun to have a sparkly shamrock stick out of the hat band, so I bent a metallic pipe cleaner into a shamrock shape. If you think about it, it is just a stem with three hearts coming out of it. :-) Using the hot glue, glue the hat band to the crown of the hat, just above the brim, and stick your pipe cleaner shamrock in there as you go, so there will be room for it.

Step 7:  Cut a piece of elastic 13 inches long. Make a 1 inch overlap in the ends and sew it closed. Conversely, you could tie a knot in your elastic, leaving a 12 inch circumference circle. Lay your elastic on the center bottom of the hat, keeping in mind which way the front of the hat faces. The elastic should go from side to side in relation to the front of the hat. Using your hot glue again, apply glue in a circle shape, but avoid getting it on the elastic.

Step 8:  Lay the circle of felt you cut out earlier over the glue, and press together completely and firmly while it cools a bit. *If you’d rather use hair pins, omit the elastic and cut little slits in the felt to slip the pins through before you glue the felt circle to the bottom of the hat.

Ta-da!! Now your hat is done!! Once all the hot glue has completely cooled and hardened, put it on your doll and try it out set to one side - wow, she looks so stylish!

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @forofsuch @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

Enter To Win A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - What other costumes or holidays themes could you make a mini hat for?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

Thanks Everyone!

Cinnamon & The larougetdelisle Team

Finding something green to wear for St. Patrick’s Day was always a challenge for me growing up - I just didn’t have a lot of green in my wardrobe. My dolls suffer the same plight, so I decided this year to make something they could totally rock on St. Patty’s Day - A custom Shamrock painted tee! You can do this craft for any size doll, with any size shamrock, multiple shamrocks, or any other shape or design!

Freezer paper is an amazing supply to have in your craft room! Making your own stencils or resists can get addicting, plus you can use it to make appliqués, quilt paper piecing, and so many more things!

Bonus Giveaway! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to enter in our weekly gift card giveaway!

Supplies:
•Doll tee shirt, any color, but green is a good choice!
•Freezer paper
•Scissors
•X-Acto or craft knife
•Self-healing cutting mat (if you don’t have one of these, you can substitute a few layers of cardboard)
•Green craft paint
•Yellow craft paint (optional)
•Small foam stencil brush or paint brush
•Scrap cardboard
•Iron and ironing board
•Computer and printer (not required but will make it easier)

Step 1:  We want to get our shamrock shape onto the freezer paper. You can easily draw one, but I used my computer. I found a clip-art shamrock shape, sized it to 1.5 inches tall, and printed it onto the freezer paper! You can do this by first cutting your freezer paper to the size of a piece of computer paper, then put it in the paper tray so that it prints on the wax side of the freezer paper. If you print on the paper side, the wax side is likely to jam up your printer. Ask me how I know. ;-) I printed four shamrocks on my paper in case I messed one up, or in this case, since I wanted more than one on my shirt.

Step 2:  Cut out your shamrock! Use your X-Acto knife and your self-healing mat, or again, you can put a few layers of cardboard underneath to protect your table. Save your cut out shapes because we are going to use them in a minute!

Step 3:  Put your shirt on your doll and find where you want your shamrock(s), using straight pins to keep them in place. I would do this even if you are only putting one shamrock on your shirt - it often looks best a placed a little higher than true center. 

Step 4:  Next, trim around the shamrock stencil you created so it is more manageable - mine was trimmed to about 3 inches by 3 inches. Using the pinned on shamrock as your guide, place the stencil wax side down onto your doll shirt. Heat your iron to the cotton setting and turn off the steam. Iron on your stencil for 5-15 seconds, until you have a good clean seal on your design.

Step 5:  Cut a piece of scrap cardboard to put under your shirt to keep the paint from passing through and put it under your shirt. Now we get to paint! 

Use your paint or stencil brush to dab on the green paint. Don’t make it thick; you want to *just* use enough paint to cover the fabric, not overwhelm it. I found that once my first coat dried it looked a little splotchy so I did a second coat.  Once the paint has dried thoroughly, simply peel off the stencil. You can reuse this one for your second shamrock, but make sure the paint on it is completely dry before you do so that you do not get paint on your iron. Using your second pinned on shamrock as guide, repeat steps 4 and 5 to finish painting the shamrocks.

Step 6:  This one is optional, but I found it gave my shirt that little something extra to make the design “pop”. Once your green paint is dry, use the end of your paint brush and dip it in the yellow paint, then use this to add yellow dots all the way around the shamrocks, as in my photo. Repeat for the second shamrock and you are done! 

We'd love to see your creations too, so if you make one, please tag us on Instagram @forofsuch @PixieFaire 

You can also share pictures in the larougetdelisle Inspritation Gallery right here on the website, either use the #pixiefaire when posting on IG, or just click the little + box to upload your picture right here on the website!

Thanks everyone!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

Enter To Win A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle.

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - Which doll will you make a tee for? Will it be a shamrock or something else?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

Thanks Everyone!

Cinnamon & The larougetdelisle Team

Looking for a fun and easy way to add something special to your doll room decorating? I find that I have a lot of things to use as furniture for my dolls, but not a lot of things to use as wall decorations. This is a fun and easy craft you can do to decorate your dolls’ walls, or just to have for parties! I made these with a Valentine’s theme, but they’d do well for so many holidays and occasions. Will you make some with me?

Supplies:

• Valentine’s themed scrapbook paper (or any holiday/color scheme)
• Ruler
• Pencil
• Tape or glue
• String or thread
• Sewing needle
• 1/8 inch hole punch (optional)

Step 1:  Measure off a couple rectangle sections on the back of each piece of paper. I made mine 2 7/8 inches by 4 inches. Make sure you pay attention to the direction of the design on the other side – you want one of the long sides to be the top. Cut out your rectangles.

Step 2:  Fold each piece of paper in half length wise. 

Step 3:  Now you are going to make several little cuts along the folded edge of each piece. Start about ¼ inch from the short edge, make cuts every 3/16 of an inch or so, and stop about ¼ inch from the other short edge. Make sure you do not cut all the way to the open edges of the folded paper. You want to leave about ¼ inch uncut all the way around the folded paper’s three sides.

Now open the folded paper, and you will see you have cuts in the center of the paper, but that you also have a solid border around the perimeter of the paper.

Step 4:  Bringing the short sides around to meet each other, overlap the ¼ inch borders and tape or glue closed. You now have your paper lantern shape! Give it a little squeeze from top to bottom so the folds stick out a little – so cute!

Step 5: If you have an 1/8 inch hole punch, use it now to punch a hole on either side of the top of each lantern, staying safely within the ¼ inch border. If you don’t have one, you can use a needle and thread to make holes and string the lanterns all in one step. But I do recommend an 1/8 inch punch for many doll-sized craft projects!

Step 6: Now use your string and/or needle and thread to string up your lanterns! I used a very generous piece of string so that I would have options later as to where I could hang them. 

Now decorate your doll room for a doll Valentine’s party, and make sure to invite all your doll friends!

For larougetdelisle, @forofsuch

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - Are You a paper crafter? If so, what do you like to make - cards, scrapbooks, etc?

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

One of my most favorite cookie recipes is Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies. They are a simple flour cookie with a yummy raspberry center. I’ve never seen anything quite like them offered by doll companies, so I decided to make my own! They are another easy craft, but very good looking when done.  I made some extras this year for my dolls’ Valentine’s Day party! And as a surprise bonus after the tutorial, I’ve given you my recipe to make your own edible cookies for people!

But first! This week we have a super fun GIVEAWAY for a $50 Pixie Fiare gift card! Scroll down to the bottom of the post to see how to enter today!  

Supplies:

• Cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil
• White and raspberry colored craft paints
• Oven-bake clay in a cookie batter color, or two colors to mix together to achieve this color (I used Sculpey in “Pearl” and “Pasta” colors)
• Small paint brushes
• Water and paper towel
• Doll (optional)
• An oven!

Step 1:  I began by mixing two parts white clay with one part light brown clay to get my desired color. If you can find a color that doesn’t need mixing go ahead and just use that. Either way, go ahead and knead the clay a bit so that it is soft and easy to shape.

Step 2:  Now you are going to separate your clay into little balls. Mine were about half an inch to ¾ inch big or so. It really doesn’t have to be exact. Roll your clay in your hands to make a nice smooth round shape.

Step 3:  Now you are going to make the thumbprint part! If you have a child helping you, it would be totally fun to get her doll and use the doll’s thumb to make an imprint in the cookie. I ended up using my pinkie finger as this is a bit quicker, and it does make a nice well shape in the clay. 

Step 4:  Arrange your “cookies” on your cookie sheet lined in aluminum foil, and bake according to the clay’s package instructions.

Step 5:  After your cookies are baked and cooled completely, we are going to paint the inside of the cookie wells with the raspberry colored craft paint. I always dip my brush in water first, then dab on a paper towel when using acrylic craft paints. They are so much easier to paint with when you do this! After the first coat dried completely, I did a second coat of my raspberry colored paint.

Step 6:  Once the raspberry paint has dried completely, we are going to paint on our sugar glaze drizzle. I used the white paint and dipped my thinnest brush in the water again before I painted. I did a simple back and forth design, but you could also do a crosshatch design, or even no glaze at all! I like how the cookies look all three ways. Have fun with it!

Once the paint is completely dry, you can serve them to your dolls during your Valentine’s Day party! (My dolls like these as an everyday snack as well. ☺ )

For larougetdelisle, by @forofsuch

Want to make some real Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies to really eat? Here is my favorite recipe:

Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (for humans)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup raspberry jelly or jam
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 ¾ cup flour
• Pinch salt
• ¼ to ½ cup powdered sugar
• Few teaspoons milk

Step 1:  Turn oven on to 350°F

Step 2:  Spoon jelly into a small bowl and stir until smooth. Set aside.

Step 3:  In a large bowl, using a wooden spoon, blend together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Step 4:  In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and blend until a dough is formed.

Step 5:  Pinch off bits of dough and roll into 1 inch balls. Put on a baking sheet 1 inch apart. Press finger or thumb into dough to make a little “well”. Fill each well with ¼ tsp. jelly.

Step 6:  Bake about 10 minutes. Remove to wire rack to cool. Jelly will be very hot. Cool completely before serving or adding glaze.

Step 7:  Mix the powdered sugar with enough milk to make a drizzle consistency. Add a few drops vanilla if you like. Then drizzle on your cookies!

ENTER TO WIN A $50 larougetdelisle Gift Card!

To enter this week's contest, simply click the link below and then enter through the giveaway widget at the bottom of the blog post, there are many things you can do to earn multiple entry points!

Contest Details: You enter through the entry form that is embedded on this page and appears just below this paragraph, if you don't see it, be sure to visit the page from your desktop or an alternate browser such as Google Chrome. It may not appear on all mobile devices. The complete rules and entry details appear on the entry form. This is not a comment contest - in other words, leaving a comment on the bottom of this page is not an official entry method. The only required entry method is to leave a comment under this post and then confirm that you did it in the contest widget. One person will receive the PF Gift Card. You can enter once, or gain multiple entries by completing the other entry methods and increase your chances of winning. Please review all Terms and Conditions on the giveaway page before entering. While we wish we could run this contest everywhere, for legal reasons it is only open to eligible residents of the U.S. and Canada, not including Rhode Island. This contest is exclusively endorsed by Liberty Jane Clothing and larougetdelisle. 

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us - Which gift is best - Candy or Flowers? 

Commenting below and confirming your entry in the widget above gives you one entry method, the other methods are listed in the widget above, be sure to enter in as many ways as you can to receive the maximum amount of entries to win the gift card!

 (This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with American Girl®, no endorsement implied.) 

Hi Everyone! Here's a fun and easy DIY crafty tutorial from guest contributor @forofsuch. Enjoy!

Do you light sparklers at New Year’s? Don't you think your dolls want to celebrate too? We do! So let’s make some doll-sized sparklers and ring in the 2021 New Year with some extra special bling! They are great for your New Year’s Eve party, but later they can be used for the Fourth of July, birthday parties, doll weddings, or any special occasion. They are also easy to customize to your favorite doll’s scale!

Supplies:
• smaller sized Christmas tinsel garland
• scissors
• clear tape
• scraps of wrapping paper or scrapbook paper
• hot glue gun
• ruler (optional)
• pen or pencil
• toothpicks (optional - for mini doll or Barbie sparklers)

Go ahead and plug in your hot glue gun first thing!

Step 1:  Using your ruler and pen (if you want to be precise, but it’s not necessary), cut your paper scraps into 4 inch by 3 inch rectangles. You can always make these smaller or larger, but I think this is a good size to start with for 18 and 14 inch dolls.

Step 2: Roll up your papers starting with the longer edge, so your rolled up paper tube ends up being 4 inches tall, not 3 inches.

Step 3: You’re going to roll them into the tiniest bit of a cone shape, so that one end has a little opening to it.

Step 4: Use the clear tape to secure the edges. 

Step 5:  If your ends are not even after rolling it up, just use your scissors to snip them so they are all the same length on the end. 

Step 6: Snip off little lengths of the tinsel garland. I used lengths that were about 2 inches long, but you could go a little longer if you wanted. 

Step 7: Take one garland piece and fold it in half, so it makes a V shape. Apply hot glue into the open end of your paper roll, then push the point of the V down into the roll and glue. Hold a moment while the hot glue cools down.

Step 8:  If your mini dolls or Barbies need sparklers, too, then use the toothpicks and put just a dab of hot glue on the end, then glue on a very small length of garland. I cut my garland at about a 1/4 to 1/2 an inch for my mini sparklers.

And that’s it! These are the cutest thing and look really great in doll pictures, too. They are easy to store and can be used for lots of holidays!

Photo Tip: Your dolls may need help holding them with small clear elastics, double sided tape, or bits of reusable putty. The AG dolls can hold them between their fingers, too!

My dolls and I wish you a Happy New Year!

@forofsuch (see more of her doll photos on Instagram)

We've put together this super quick and easy tutorial to make your own doll-sized scrunchie! This adorable hair accessory is perfect for recreating your favorite '80s look or capturing the cool-girl look with modern styling.

Scrunchie Making Supplies:

• One 5-inch piece of 1/8" Wide elastic
• One piece of knit or woven fabric, cut to 1.5" x 15"
• Matching thread
• Safety pins, or your preferred loop turning tool

Step 1: Cut out your strip of fabric to the above measurements. Press the fabric if needed.

Step 2: Fold the strip in half lengthwise and pin.

Step 3: Sew along the length of the fabric with 1/4" seam allowance. Trim seam allowance close to stitching line being very careful not to clip through the stitching.

Step 4: To turn the strip right-sides-out, pin a safety pin to one edge and feed it through the tube of fabric. When the safety pin reaches the other end of the tube, the fabric can be pulled right-sides-out. 

Step 5: Now that the scrunchie fabric is right-sides-out, attach a safety pin to one end of the 5-inch piece of elastic.

Step 6: Use the safety pin the feed the elastic through the fabric tube. Be sure to pin the end of the elastic to the fabric edge so it doesn't get lost inside. 

Step 7: Pull both ends of the elastic and tie in a knot. (The pins in the above photo are simply holding things in place for visibility.) 

Step 8: Feed the tied elastic back into the fabric. At the fabric opening, pull one edge of the fabric over the other, letting the raw edge of the fabric roll or fold over itself to create a clean edge. Sew a straight line over this fabric opening to secure. 

Step 8: Feed the tied elastic back into the fabric. At the fabric opening, pull one edge of the fabric over the other, letting the raw edge of the fabric roll or fold over itself to create a clean edge. Sew a straight line over this fabric opening to secure.

Looking for a fun craft to make for your doll this summer? These easy-to-make doll-sized Olympic medals can be made with common household items.

You will need the following items to make your own medals.

Ingredients for salt dough:

• 1 cup flour
• ½ cup salt
• 1 Tbsp. Vegetable oil
• ¼ -½ cup water

Other needed items:

• Toothpicks
• Small circular item - we found the lid of a juice bottle to be the perfect size
• Rolling pin
• Parchment paper or silicone baking mat
• Straw
• Paintbrush
• Acrylic paint
• 16 inches of ¼ or 3/8 inch wide ribbon

Let's Get Started...

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Start by making the dough.

1. Mix flour and salt. Add oil.

2. Slowly add water. Start with ¼ cup and add water as needed.

3. Turn the dough out onto a piece of parchment paper or other non-stick surface. Knead until smooth. If the dough is sticky add a bit more flour until smooth. If it is dry and crumbly, add a bit more water until smooth.

4. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to approximately ¼ inch thickness.

5. Cut circles in the dough. We found the lid of a juice container to be just the right size. It measures approximately 1 ½ inches across.

6. Using a toothpick decorate the medals. We found it worked best to gently press our design into the medals rather than try to ‘draw’ the design.

7. Use the end of a straw to make a hole in the top of the medal for a ribbon.

8. Place the medals onto a piece of parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Place in a 250 degree oven for 1 hour, or until completely dried. Allow to cool completely before painting.

9. Paint the front of each medal with acrylic paint. We found metallic acrylic paints at our local craft store, in gold, silver, and bronze, that have lots of shimmer to it.

10. Cover the fronts of each medal with paint and allow to dry completely before painting the backs. If needed apply a second coat of paint, allowing for drying time between each coat of paint. We found two coats gave us a nice shiny finish.

11. When the medals have dried thoroughly, cut a 16 inch length of ¼ or 3/8 inch wide ribbon and thread it through the hole. Tie a knot at the end.

And your Olympic Medals are complete! 

Looking for the perfect leotard to pair with your medals? Be sure to check out our Team Spirit Leotard Pattern Hack! 

Leave a comment and let us know if you made some awesome medals for your doll!

We've put together the ultimate resource guide for making beautiful ballet outfits for dolls, plus a free doll sized tutu tutorial for both 18-inch and 14.5-inch dolls!

Get the look: The leotard in the photo above is made from the LJ Free Swimsuit Pattern!

The Ultimate Pattern Collection For Swim and Dance Costumes

Looking to make a matching girl and doll dance outfit? Love the intricate details of professional ballet costumes, and want to recreate them for your doll? larougetdelisle has the ultimate pattern collection for swim and dance outfits that can help you create those dreamy looks for your doll!

Ballet Accessories For Dolls

Looking to build your doll her own ballet studio? Be sure to check out our free tutorial for a ballet barre that you can make yourself! 

For more ballet accessories, check out these patterns...

FREE Tutorial: How To Make A Doll Sized Tutu!

Looking for a no-sew craft to make for your doll? This tutu goes together pretty quickly, and you can make it in her favorite colors...

This video and the step by step photos demonstrate the technique for making an 18-inch doll tutu, but we've also included the measurements for making a 14.5-inch doll sized version!

This tutorial originally appeared on larougetdelisle in 2014. 

Check out the tutorial in video form here:

All you need is some ribbon, and some tulle. I am using 1/2 yd each of three different colors, but I wanted mine pretty fluffy. :)

Start by cutting the tulle into long strips. I've folded it up, so that one short pass with the rotary cutter yields a single long strip. Using a rotary cutter will save you a lot of headache (tulle can be very slippery!) but be careful. Like any powerful tool, rotary cutters can be dangerous!

For the 18-inch doll size: Cut strips 2-inches wide.

For 14.5-inch doll size: Cut strips 1.5-inches wide.

Next, decide how far out you want your tutu to come.

For the 18-inch doll we made our tutu about 4-inches deep. For the 14.5-inch doll, we chose about 2.5-inches.

When you've determined the depth/length of your tutu, cut a piece of scrap cardboard that length.

Start wrapping one long strip of tulle around the cardboard; when you get to the end, trim off any extra. Then, cut along one side of the wrapped strip, and unfold. You should now have a bundle of strips that are just the right length and width!

For the 18-inch doll size: Your strips will be 2" x 8". You will need about 70 strips.

For 14.5-inch doll size: Your strips will be 1.5" x 5". You will need about 35-45 strips. 

Keep repeating the cardboard cutting method until you have cut up all your tulle. It takes a while, but trust me, this is the easiest way to make it happen. :)

Once your strips are in order, cut a piece of ribbon for the waistband.

Measure the waist of your doll, then add enough extra length to tie the ribbon in a bow. Mark the waist measurement onto the ribbon so you know where your ties will begin. 

For an 18-inch doll: Our ribbon was about 27-inches long.

For a 14.5-inch doll: Our ribbon was about 16-inches long. 

For stability, tie the ribbon around a book or safety pin each end to something sturdy. 

Then, start looping strips of tulle around the ribbon. Fold a group of strips in half, run the loop under the ribbon, then run the ends through the loop. Pull the knot tight.

Start adding tulle at one marking, and work your way around to the other marking. 

The more strips you group together in each knot, the fuller your tutu will be. 

All that's left is to tie it around your doll's waist, and fluff out the tulle a little bit for the most festive look!

This adorable leotard made to fit a WellieWishers™ doll is an easy pattern hack of the LJ T-Shirt Variations pattern. Let us know in the comments if you'd like to see a post full of fun leotard pattern hacks!

We'd love to hear from you. Leave a comment and tell us -what's your favorite type of music to dance to? 

Thanks, everyone!

The larougetdelisle Team

Learn how to make a trendy twisted headband with this quick and easy tutorial that comes to us from Marilyn Clarkin of QTπ Doll Clothing! Once you figure out how to make one, you'll want to make lots more to coordinate with all of your doll's favorite outfits!

Giveaway Update!  Our winner is Lori who said her tip for doll hair is to use a wire brush…spray water (gentle mIst ) & comb/brush..gentle hand. Congratulations Lori!

Let's get started...

Supplies Needed:
-10” x 8” scrap of knit fabric
-Hair elastic
-Thread
-Scissors 
-Sewing machine 

Step 1:  Cut two 10” x 4” strips of fabric with the stretch lengthwise. 

Step 2:  Fold strips in half lengthwise, stitch with a ¼ seam allowance. 

Step 3:  Turn strips RIGHT side out.

Step 4:  Tie a knot in the middle of the elastic. 

Step 5: Loop one strip through the elastic.

Step 6:  Pin the ends together with the seams centered and facing out.

Step 7:  Stitch with a ¼” seam allowance. Clip corners.

Step 8:  Flip the strip and line the elastic with the seam, pin.

Step 9: Stitch with a ¼” seam allowance. 

Step 10:  Loop second strip though the first.   

Step 11:  Repeat STEPS 5-9 for other side.

 You're all done!  How cute is this?!?

Giveaway time!  

How'd you like to win one of these super cute headbands for your doll?  Marilyn is giving one away to one lucky winner!

To enter, leave a comment below finishing this sentence:

"One of my favorite hair styling tips is..."

We'll pick a winner randomly from the comments posted on Monday August 8th and be in touch via email.  Thanks for entering and good luck! 

For larougetdelisle,

Marilyn and the PF Team

This is a super easy and fun technique! Add some big, graphic stripes to a basic tee -- and throw in a star or two for even more visual splash!

GIVEAWAY UPDATE: thanks to everybody who entered, we have a winner! Robin said "I would have to say Orion also, mainly because it is one of the only ones I can ever find – that and the big dipper." Robin, we'll be in touch via email soon :)

To make this tee, all you need is some fabric paint, masking tape, and a paintbrush. An exacto knife helps too, but be sure to get a grownup to help you, if you haven't used one before.

For this tutorial, I decided to use the Liberty Jane Off-the-Shoulder tee, but you could just as easily do this technique on the free Trendy Tee. 

Cut out the front of your tee, and prepare to embellish...

I used one long strip of masking tape, and cut it into narrow strips with the exacto knife; then, I stuck several strips together, and traced around a paper star to get the shape I wanted. An exacto knife is super helpful when cutting this out, too.

Carefully peel up the masking tape stencils, and stick them on the shirt. (I put a piece of wax paper under the shirt front, just to help catch any possible paint bleed-through.) Once you have the tape positioned where you want it, rub it down firmly with your fingers to make sure no paint can creep underneath it. 

And... paint! Follow the directions on the package, and let the paint dry. 

Here's my finished shirt front -- at this point, it's a good idea to heat set the paint using an iron and a pressing cloth, or you can just throw the finished shirt in the dryer for half an hour or so. 

Finish sewing the shirt together.

And, give it to your doll! 

Thanks everybody, and have fun with this!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

Looking for a fun Christmas break project? Try this quick technique to customize a basic tee shirt!

**GIVEAWAY UPDATE: We have a winner! It's Patricia, who said, "My favorite Christmas decoration is the very first one we got 43 years ago this Christmas. It was an Angel dressed in red with yellow hair. It was given to my first born son Robert who was 2 weeks old that Christmas." What a great memory, Patricia! We'll be in touch via email soon :)

To make this project, all you need is some fabric paint, cardboard, a paintbrush...and of course, a tee!

Draw a holly leaf shape onto a piece of cardboard. For reference, mine is about an inch long from top to bottom.

Cut out the holly leaf, and also cut a strip of cardboard. Bend one end of the strip, and glue it to the back of your leaf to make a handle.

Use the paintbrush to 'ink' your stamp. Do a couple practice stamps on some scrap fabric -- it took me a little while to figure out how to transfer the holly leaf shape most clearly.

When you feel confident, slip another piece of cardboard in the middle of your tee (to protect the back from any possible bleed-through), and go for it!

I decided to do an all-over pattern, but you could do leaves in clumps or pairs, or make several different sizes of holly leaves, or....!

Then, use the back of the paintbrush to make the holly berries. Let the tee dry thoroughly, and heat-set the paint following the directions on the package.

And ta-da! You've got a finished shirt!

Giveaway closed! Thanks to everybody who entered!

And, as always, thanks for following along today. Have fun with this!

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

Want another fun, easy way to dress up a basic tee? Look no further than this week's tutorial! Use your favorite city's skyline, plus some dye, to make an ordinary tee spectacular! 

You'll need a black fabric marker, some dye, an old paintbrush, and fabric (or a pre-made tee). 

I'm starting from scratch with this project, mostly because it's easier to embellish a flat piece of fabric than a finished garment. (It's also a lot easier to start over if you make a mistake.) And, I really wanted an excuse to make up the Liberty Jane baseball tee...

First, I cut out the front of my tee. Then, I used chalk to mark off the bottom of my skyline, making sure to leave some room for the hem later on. I marked the approximate top of the skyline with a pin.  

I found a picture of the Seattle skyline on the internet, and started drawing it on the tee. It's a good idea to practice first on a piece of scrap fabric!

If you don't feel like freehanding, you can also lay your fabric over your inspiration skyline, and trace. Tape both the image, and the tee front, to a window, to give yourself a little helpful backlight. 

When you are happy with your skyline, protect your tee front with a press cloth, and iron it to heat-set the ink. (Your fabric pen probably came with directions about how to do this, but 30 seconds at a med-high heat is usually a good bet.)

Next: the ombre wash! 

I got my tee front thoroughly wet, then daubed on very concentrated dye with my paintbrush, and let it sit for a while. It looks really dark and intense in this photo, but a lot of it rinsed out, giving a very delicate look instead. How dark a color you get, depends on the fabric you use, how concentrated your dye is, and how long you let it sit. 

In any case, be sure to give it a gentle wash in detergent, to get out any remaining dye molecules, before drying and heat-setting it again. 

Finally, all that's left is to sew your beautiful new shirt front to the other pieces of the tee.

Thanks for following along, and have fun with this!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

Hey all! This week, I'm going to show you how to make a pretend ironing board for your doll! This craft goes together really quick, and makes a fun addition to your doll's "sewing studio" :) 

Grab some supplies, and let's get going! You'll need cardboard, drinking straws, popsicle sticks, a toothpick or two -- and of course, some batting and fun fabric.

Cut a rectangle out of the cardboard -- mine is 10" x 4" -- and then round off the corners, so it's shaped like an ironing board. Hot glue some popsicle sticks to the underside, to give it some stability.

Cut a piece of batting the same size as your board, then glue it down to the non-popsicle-stick side.

Wrap the batting with fabric, and glue it down on the back side, trimming away any extra fabric as you go. 

Then, cut a piece of fabric just smaller than the board, and glue it onto the underside. This makes the bottom of the board pretty, too!

Next, make legs for your board. Pick out four drinking straws, preferably ones without the crinkly bend in them, and use an awl or other pointy tool to poke holes in them all at the same height. 

Break a toothpick in half, and run it through the straws, to connect them. Cover the ends of the toothpick with a dot of hot glue. 

Open up the legs, and cut another length of straw to act as a strut. Then, glue on more pieces of straw to act as feet. 

Finally, glue the legs onto the base of your board -- and voila! Your ironing board is done!

UPDATE: giveaway closed! Thanks to everybody who entered!!

The winner is # 7, Kari, who said:

"I would cover it in little doggies because I LOVE them!"

Fun choice, Kari! We'll be in touch with you via email soon :)

NOW: would you like to win this ironing board (and some other goodies too?) 

To enter, just leave a comment below, finishing this sentence: 

"If I could have any kind of cover on my ironing board, it would look like..."

We'll run the giveaway through next Monday, August 25, pick a winner randomly, and get in touch with them via email.

They will receive the ironing board, a pretend iron, a sewing ottoman, a needle book, and a few other goodies too! Woohoo! 

**Because of shipping restraints, this giveaway is only open to US residents.

Thanks everybody! Have fun with this!

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

Hi everybody! This week's craft is a fun little storage ottoman! It's part of our current series of "sewing studio" crafts -- but you could just as easily use it to store art supplies, shoes, or anything else your doll has...

You'll need fabric, batting, ribbon, and of course a plastic container to be the base for your ottoman. I'm using an old cottage cheese container -- the 24 oz size seemed to be just about right for this project. And did I mention you'll want your hot glue gun? 

Glue a few layers of batting onto the lid, to give it a nice soft rounded top. Then, cover it with fabric, and glue the fabric down on the back side. Stretch it gently as you glue, to avoid getting wrinkles. 

Trim out any excess bits of fabric, and then glue in a second piece of fabric to cover the underside.

Check the fit of your newly-covered lid to the container; if yours has a plastic lip around the top of the container, like mine did, trim it down a little so that the lid will still fit on. 

Cover the base of the container with fabric, inside and out. I find this works best by cutting a large-ish rectangle, gluing it down, trimming off the extra, and then gluing on a circle of fabric to cover the bottom.

Ruffle time! Fold your ruffle strip in half, and then glue it down, pleating as you go; make sure the raw edges are towards the top of the container.

Then, glue on a ribbon to cover the raw edges, and tie the ends neatly in a bow. 

Pop the lid on, and you're done! A finished ottoman, ready to load up with a bunch of stuff for your doll.

Now, in case you were wondering -- this ottoman is going to be part of a mega-giveaway later on in the summer! So, craft away, and stay tuned for that in the future....

Thanks for following along, and have fun with this!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

** UPDATE: Thanks to everybody who entered our giveaway! The winner is # 53, Nancy B., who said "The prettiest key I have is one to the house where I grew up – just an old skeleton type key – but I love the memories it brings." What a cool key, and such a great way to unlock old memories :)  We'll be in touch with you via email soon, Nancy!

-----------------------

Hi everyone! I'm excited to share this week's tutorial with you -- a set of tiny, doll-sized keys! These are so much fun to make, and you can whip them out really fast....always a plus!

You can watch the video or follow the step by step tutorial below to see how to make them...

You'll need a sheet of heat-shrink plastic (like Shrinky Dinks), some old keys to trace, colored pencils, and a sharpie.

Pick a key to start with, then trace around it onto the rough side of the plastic.

Grab a metallic pencil, and get coloring! For some extra pizzazz, try outlining some "key" details with a fine-point permanent marker. :)

Using normal scissors, carefully cut out your key. Round off the sharp points (the shrinking process makes any pointy ends very sharp), and use a hole punch to make a hole for the keyring. 

Following the directions on the package, shrink your keys. Let them cool, then slip them onto a keyring.

Tie on a piece of cording for a lanyard, or add your favorite doll-sized keychain!

And that's it -- your very own set of doll sized keys!

**UPDATE: The giveaway is now closed, thanks to everybody who entered!**

NOW -- would you like to win this particular set of keys, instead of making your own? (Or perhaps in addition to making your own? Well, you're in luck, because we're giving them away! There are five different, awesome keys, and one of them is even larougetdelisle themed.... To enter, just leave a comment answering this question: "The prettiest key I've ever used was..."   (For example, I once had a key that had a tiny heart engraved on it. Gotta love the details!)  We will run the giveaway from now until Monday, June 30th, at which point we'll pick a winner randomly, and let them know via email that they've won!

Thanks for following along, and have fun!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway! The winner is #21, Carmelita, who said, "Roses are on the top of my list. I not only love the way they look but most smell really good, too." Great choice, Carmelita -- hard to go wrong with a classic like that! We'll be in touch with you soon via email. :) 

Want to make your doll some fun new hair flowers? Then this tutorial is for you!  

You'll need some sheer polyester fabric (this is important because polyester, unlike other fabrics, will melt); then, dig up some beads, bobby pins, a candle, and something sharp and pointy. I'm using an awl.

Start by cutting circles out of the sheer fabric. I cut squares, then folded the squares in fourths and rounded the corners. In any case, these circles don't have to be perfect! :) 

Next comes the fire part (and I'm sorry I forgot to get pictures of this step...) Light your candle, and carefully hold the edge of one circle near the flame. Melt the raw edges of each circle. Take your time with this step, and experiment to figure out just how close to the flame your fabric needs to be, to melt. Of course, be sure you have a grownup to help you with this...

(It's also a good idea to have a bowl of water nearby, as a place to dunk burning fabric -- you probably won't have this problem, though!)

Once you've melted the edges of all your fabric circles, find a few that go well together and stack them. Big-medium-smaller tends to work well. :) Thread a needle, and take a couple stitches through the middle to secure. 

Stitch on a few beads!

Tie off your thread, and poke a hole in the bottom layer of your flower with the awl. Slide one half of a bobby pin through the hole.

And there you have it! A finished bobby pin! Slide it into your doll's hair and admire your handiwork :) 

**Giveaway closed! Thanks everybody for entering!**

NOW: would you like to win an assortment of these fun flowered bobby pins? We have three bobby pins that we'd love to send you, if only you will leave us a comment below telling us what your favorite flower is!

(I love pansies, but unfortunately, saying you love pansies too won't increase your chances of winning -- I'll pick the winner randomly. But we'll have something awesome in common!)

We'll pick a winner on Monday, June 16th, and get in touch with them via email.

Thanks for following along, and have fun!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

This week, I wanted to show you this fun, super fast way to fold paper into doll-sized books -- no sewing required here!

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway! The winner is #17, Pam, who said "My favorite book growing up was Black Beauty." Good choice, Pam! We'll be in touch with you via email soon. :)

All you need is some plain white paper, some fun scrapbooking paper, and colored tape. Electric tape seems to hold really well. 

I started by cutting my standard, American-sized 8.5" x 11" paper in halves and quarters. Either will make a nice size doll book! 

You'll make three folds with your paper. First, fold it in half down the middle; then, fold again the same direction so you get a long, skinny strip.

Then, open out the second fold, and fold your paper the other way. 

Now, open out this fold, and cut carefully from the folded edge to the center of the paper. (The loose ends are at the top of the picture; the folded side is at the bottom.)

Open the whole booklet up, and refold it along the third fold.

Gently push one end into the other -- you should have three pages form on one side, and a fourth page left on the other side.

Fold the remaining page to one side of the booklet. 

Then, cut pieces of fun colored paper and glue them on to make 'covers'. If you want your finished book to be made of more than one booklet, make sure you glue your 'front' and 'back covers to separate booklets. 

Line up your booklets, and run a strip of colored tape down the spine. Fold it over both edges, and press it down firmly to make sure it sticks!

Give your book a title, and you're all done -- congratulations!

These are really fun to make up in a variety of sizes.

Thanks to everyone who entered! Our giveaway is now closed, and the books will be on their way to the winner soon!

NOW: WOULD YOU LIKE TO WIN THESE LITTLE BOOKS, INSTEAD OF MAKING THEM? SUPER! 

TO ENTER, JUST LEAVE A COMMENT ANSWERING THIS QUESTION: "MY FAVORITE BOOK GROWING UP WAS..."

(Yes, I know this is a very hard question. So you can just pick one of your favorites. Personally, I still love "The Saturdays" by Elizabeth Enright.)

WE'LL RUN THE GIVEAWAY THROUGH MONDAY, MAY 19TH, PICK A WINNER RANDOMLY, AND CONTACT THEM VIA EMAIL.

Thanks for following along, and happy reading!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

UPDATE:  Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway! It is now closed, the winner is comment #36, Sandy, who said "My favorite pair of shoes are the boots, oh my just love me some good boots." How right you are, Sandy! We'll be in contact with you via email soon :)

Itching for a new project? How about giving those boring old doll shoes a makeover? 

All you need is some fabric or lace, your plain shoes, and some mod podge! 

Start by taking off any embellishments (these little bows just peeled right off).

Cut an oval-shaped piece of lace or fabric; make it slightly larger than the shoe so you have enough to overlap. Cut a slit up the back.

Coat the shoe with mod podge, and gently position the lace, arranging it so that the slit lands at the back. Trim off the extra at the back, leaving just enough for a small overlap.  

Trim off the extra lace around the sole line. Stick down any rebellious raw edges with more mod podge!

Trim the extra fabric around the inside edge of the shoe down to about 1/4" or 3/8", and cut little slits into the remaining lace. Then, glue the little lace 'tabs' down into the inside of the shoe. Give the shoe a final coat of mod podge, and let it dry overnight.

Embellishment time! After much deliberation, I went for these little fabric flowers; but you could just as easily use sequins, beads, buttons, or ribbon bows. (So many options!) In any case, hot glue works wonders to affix them to the shoe. 

NOW: would you like to win this pair of shoes, instead of making them? Super! 

To enter, just leave a comment answering this question: "My favorite pair of shoes is..."  (because, let's be honest, who doesn't love a good shoe story!) 

We'll run the giveaway through Monday, May 5th, pick a winner randomly, and contact them via email.

Thanks for following along, and happy shoe-spiffing!

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

**UPDATE: Super thank you to everyone who entered our giveaway! The winner is # 2, Jessica, who said "My favorite Easter tradition is sitting down for a nice easter meal with my family. Everyone dressed in their Easter best. Love it!" Thanks Jessica! We'll be in touch via email soon!

Does your doll still need an Easter basket? With just some felt scraps and a little hand-sewing know-how, it's easy to whip up one of these little baskets. 

I'm using embroidery floss, two colors of felt, and some fun narrow ribbon. 

Start by cutting two circles out of felt: a big one about 4 1/2" across, and a smaller one for the base of the basket, about 1 1/2" across. Stack the two circles on top of each other, making sure to center them, and sew them together with a running stitch. 

Cut some wedges out of the big circle! Try to keep them all about the same size.

Next, whipstitch the slits closed, to make the sides of the basket. 

Sew on a ribbon handle (I made this one by braiding some narrow ribbon, but you could just as easily use a single ribbon.)

Finally, fill your new basket with some fun Easter goodies, and give it to your doll!

Now: would you like to win this Easter basket, instead of having to make it? How cool would that be?

To enter, just leave a comment on this post, finishing this sentence: "My favorite Easter tradition is..." 

We'll randomly pick a winning comment on Monday, 4/21, and contact the winner via email. It's that simple!!

Thanks, and have fun crafting and entering!

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who entered our giveaway! It is now *CLOSED* and the winner is comment #21, Lori, whose favorite way to color eggs is "….with my family all together. We heat the water, add some vinegar and all sit around the table coloring, painting and laughing. It’s a wonderful big mess." Sounds like fun, Lori! We'll be in email contact with you soon. :) 

Get ready for Easter with this fun little decoration! Done up in miniature, it's a great size for your favorite doll. You can follow along in the video tutorial or scroll down and follow each step with text and step by step images. Enjoy!

You'll need a paper mache egg (the kind you can find at craft stores about this time of year), some felt, paint, modelling clay, and of course, little figurines. I found the mushrooms pre-made, but ended up sculpting the bunny and tiny eggs out of clay myself.

Make a base for your egg with modelling clay; harden it up following the directions on the package.

Draw on your egg, to figure out where you want the opening to be. Tackle it with the exacto knife (but be careful; roly-poly egg plus sharp knife can be a little dangerous! )

Then, it's time to paint. I painted my egg, the stand, and a few of the figurines.

Once your egg is painted, go ahead and glue some felt scraps down into it, to build up a base for your scene.

Glue in your figurines!

Then, glue the egg to its stand. Make sure the egg is straight in the stand, before the glue sets....

And there you have it! A super cute little piece of Easter decorations. 

NOW: would you like to win this decoration, instead of having to make it? How cool would that be?

To enter, just leave a comment on this post, answering this question: "My favorite way to color Easter eggs is..." 

We'll randomly pick a winning comment on Monday, 4/7, and contact the winner via email. It's that simple!!

Thanks, and have fun crafting and entering!

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

Is it warming up yet where you are? Start gearing up for spring with this super easy headband!

All you need is some twine or ribbon, two pretty buttons (mine are shaped like flowers!) and an elastic hair band, preferably the kind without a metal join.

Thread the first button onto a piece of twine, then tie a knot around the button's shank. 

Thread on the second button. Snuggle it up next to the first button, then tie a knot around it too, to keep it in place. 

Next, thread a second piece of twine or ribbon through the buttons. This can get kinda tricky, but a piece of dental floss or other sturdy string makes the job easier. Just thread both ends of the sturdy thread through the buttons, then catch the twine in the loop that forms, and pull the twine through. Easy enough, right?

Tie both ends of the twine around a hairband, and cut off the extra. For the best fit, tie on one end, then try it on your doll before tying the other end.

If you're concerned about your buttons wiggling around, you can secure them at this point with a couple dots of hot glue. 

And there you have it: a super fast hairband!

Thanks for joining us today! Be sure to let us know in the comments if you make this :)

For larougetdelisle,
Melinda

So, I'm very excited about this week's craft! To round out our mini-series of ballerina/dance crafts, I thought it would be fabulous to make a barre -- there are almost no tutorials online about how to make your doll a ballet barre, and this version is sturdy, looks great, and goes together pretty easily!

**Giveaway update** We have a winner! It's Rena, who said she loves all kinds of dance, but specifically Fancy Shawl -- "when the dancer mimics a butterfly’s movements". Sounds like a really beautiful dance, and a great part of your cultural heritage Rena! We'll be in touch via email soon :)

Want to get started? All you need is a few things from the hardware store. 

I'm using 1/2" PVC pipe for this project. One 5' length should be plenty! You'll also need two T joins, two 3-way elbow joins, two 45 degree joins, two straight connectors, and two end caps. This goes without saying, but make sure all your fittings are the right size for your pipe, and that they're all 'slip joins', not threaded.

Next, cut your pipe into sections. You can use a hacksaw for this, but I like to use a ratcheting pipe cutter. It's much cleaner, safer, and tidier. (And you can do it in your living room, instead of having to resort to the garage!) 

Cutting the pieces above will get you a basic barre. If you want to add the second, lower barre, you'll need another piece of pipe 17" long.

I wanted my barre to look rather fancy, so I painted my pipe and fittings.

If you want to add the second, lower barre, now's the time to add some extra, special fittings! You'll need something that looks and works rather like this (I believe it's called a 'split ring hanger'). Drill a hole in your straight connectors, and attach the split ring hanger.

Next, lay out all your pipe pieces, as shown in this picture. Start putting everything together!

And, if you're doing the second barre, go ahead and attach that using the other half of your split ring hanger fittings.

And there you have it! A finished ballet barre, just the right size for your 18" doll! 

Happy dancing, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you make this!

Has your doll caught the ballet bug this year? Well, this week's craft just might be the answer! This tutu goes together pretty quickly, and you can make it in her favorite colors...

All you need is some ribbon, and some tulle. I am using 1/2 yd each of three different colors, but I wanted mine pretty fluffy. :)

Start by cutting the tulle into long strips. I've folded it up, so that one short pass with the rotary cutter yields a single long strip. Using a rotary cutter will save you a lot of headache (tulle can be very slippery!) but be careful. Like any powerful tool, rotary cutters can be dangerous!

Next, decide how far out you want your tutu to come (mine is 4" deep). Then, cut a piece of scrap cardboard that length.

Start wrapping a strip of tulle around the cardboard; when you get to the end, trim off any extra strip. Then, cut along one side of the wrapped strip, and unfold. You should now have a bundle of strips that are just the right length and width!

Keep doing this until you have cut up all your tulle. It takes a while, but trust me, this is the easiest way to make it happen. :)

Once your strips are in order, cut a piece of ribbon for the waistband. I've marked off the length of my doll's waist (11 3/4") on the ribbon, leaving some extra on each end for ties.

Tie the ribbon around a book for stability.

Then, start looping strips of tulle around the ribbon. Fold some strips in half, run the loop under the ribbon, then run the ends through the loop. Pull the knot tight.

Start adding tulle at one marking, and work your way around to the other marking. 

All that's left is to tie it around your doll's waist, and fluff out the tulle a little bit for the most festive look!

Have fun, and let us know in the comments if you make this :)

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

Is your doll the active, sporty type? Then this super easy workout mat might just be the craft for her!

You'll need a large sheet of craft foam, some ribbon, and a marker. (Just be sure the marker and the foam get along -- I had to try a couple of different pens before I found one that would dry instead of smearing. :) 

Start by cutting the foam into the size of mat you'd like. Mine is about 8" x 14", a good size for stretching on (and toting to and from class...)

Then, draw on some decorations! I went with a bunch of circles and the word "dance" -- but you could draw on stars, swirls, hearts, or your doll's name. The sky's the limit here, after all....

Next, use a sharp knife and a ruler to cut vertical slits near the top of your mat. Be sure to get an adult's help with this, if you need it! 

Run a piece of ribbon through the two slits.

Roll up the mat, tie the ribbons into a nice bow, and trim off any extra. Now your portable mat is ready to go, anywhere your doll might need it!

Have fun, and let us know in the comments if you make this :)

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda

Happy Valentine's Day!

It doesn't take much to make this fun little crown -- and it adds a great deal of festivity to any Valentine's Day party :) You'll need colored paper, a chenille stick, some embroidery floss or ribbon, and some little flowers and ribbon. Scissors and a little hole punch will make the job a lot easier, too! 

Start by cutting lots of little hearts out of the paper, then punch holes in them. You can also use a large sewing needle to pierce holes, if you don't have a punch -- just be careful not to stab yourself. :)

Then, cut off a piece of floss or narrow ribbon, and start tying hearts onto it at intervals. Trim off the tail at the bottom heart.

Keep adding hearts until you like the length, then make a couple more; three heart strings is just about right for a doll crown.

Next, bend a chenille stick into a circle, overlapping and wrapping the ends to hold them together. One stick makes a circle just right for our purposes :) 

Tie the heart strings onto the crown, and clip off the extra string.

Next, if you have little artificial flowers and leaves, go ahead and wrap them onto the crown, over the knots.

Finish off by tying a pretty ribbon or fabric scrap over the back of the crown; arrange the tails so that the heart strings still show around them :)

And there you have it! A lovely little Valentines Day crown to make your (and your doll's) holiday more festive!

Have fun, and let us know in the comments if you make this!

For larougetdelisle,

Melinda