DIY 1980's Doll Accessories -- A Crafty Sunday

 

Have you seen her yet? American Girl has come out with a new doll and she is from the 1980's. Her name is Courtney and I think I am in love. After all I'm an 80's girl. Although I'm not as in love with the actual doll (at least from photos) I love her outfits and accessories. I turned ten in 1980, so the 80s represent my teen years. I remember the neon, off-the-shoulder, leggings, legwarmers, rubber bracelets, walkman, denim, and scrunchies. Plus the Pac Man and Lisa Frank and rainbows. American Girl also added the Care Bears but I was a bit old for them. I decided to try to create some of the accessories for Hazel's dolls. 

I pulled out some baby onesies I bought ages ago and made them into some off the shoulder shirts and pulled out the leggings Hazel has for her dolls.  I also found a denim jacket. Next I made some legwarmers for her dolls. I bought a set of bobby socks in the toddler section of Target sized 4T-5T.

To make the legwarmers all I did was cut the socks. The tube part of the bobby socks makes the legwarmers.

Now I used the other part of the sock to make fingerless gloves. I know the 80's were more into lace gloves but it also included fingerless gloves. I took the rest of the socks and cut a piece to be the glove. I avoided the writing on the socks (on my second attempt). I cut the rounded part off and made a small cut in the folded side for the thumb hole.

Next I stitched up the open side of the glove.

Then you just flip them right side out and you have fingerless gloves!

As I was looking around I found some small elastics I bought ages ago. They are similar to these. They reminded me of the rubber bracelets we wore back in the day but doll size. I put them on one of her dolls and it was tight to get them on, but they look like the bracelets.

The final thing I made was some doll scrunchies. I found a tutorial here. It is great if you are using knit (t-shirt material). I would probably change some things now that I have tried it with cotton. 

The suggested fabric is a strip 1.5-2" x 7-8". I used between 1.5-2" x 7", for cotton I think I would actually make it a little longer. The suggested elastic length is 4-5-inches. The first step is to turn one short end over about 1/4-inch and fold along the long side in half right sides together. 

Then stitch along the open side. Then take the safety pin and pin it along the short folded edge. 

Stick the pin inside the tube and push it to the other end. You are turning it right side out.

Now take the pin off the tube and pin it to the elastic. Stick the pin through the tube to bring the elastic inside.

Once the elastic is through the tube I tied it like I would tie the elastic of a bracelet. Then you stick the non-folded short end into the folded short end of the tube. Once it is completely in you stitch it by hand to close it all.

Once it is sewn up you have a doll scrunchie to put in her hair.

I believe I had a pair of short and a scrunchie out of this similar material back in the 80s. 

If you do want Care Bears for your doll you can get small ones on Amazon. What is your favorite style from the eighties?