DIY Doll Sandals

A few weeks ago I bought Hazel some sandals for her 18-inch dolls. A couple of weeks ago we went to a birthday party at the American Doll Store and now we are going back next week to celebrate my birthday with my mother-in-law. Hazel has been getting into dressing her dolls a bit more, so we decided to try to make our own sandals. The owner of the store where I bought the sandals told me his sister-in-law made them after looking up how to on-line, so I began looking. There are many different tutorials out there. Here is what we did. 

Somewhat following the tutorials I saw on line and playing around, I made three pairs (somewhat successfully) of sandals in different styles. I also had one disaster, but learned a lot from it. To get a pattern it is best to trace the dolls feet. Our dolls are not American Girl dolls, but here is the pattern I came up with. (Click on picture for the pdf form of it.)

I found it helpful to label the top of the feet not to mix them up or make reversed cuts. I wrote the name of the doll whose feet I traced. I happened to use Hazel's Hazel doll. Now you cut this pattern out of craft foam. I wanted to find thicker craft foam, but had trouble. I did however find some thick foam white ghosts and black spiders at A.C. Moore. I bought two of each. If you do not have the thicker foam, you can use more thinner layers (I would use a total of five or six after my experiences). With the thicker foam you will have three layers--one of the thicker foam and two regular craft foam thickness (a top and bottom). I mostly used sparkly foam for the top layer, but it does not matter. After cutting the foam, you glue the top to the thick layer or if not using thick layer, glue the top and two or three of the middle layers. If using only thin layers you want a few layers on top before gluing the ribbons to the bottom (or the ribbons can rip the top layer and yes, I had it happen). Then all the sandals or at least most I saw have some form of stretchy ankle ring to make sure the shoe is not lost if it falls off. You can add beads to it or not. A thin piece of ribbon holds the ankle ring onto the shoe. You glue this ribbon--both ends with the loop strung onto it-- onto the bottom of your glued layers. Next you measure the ribbon for the top part of the shoe and glue it on. I also remeasure after I have glued it on to make sure it will fit correctly.

Depending on the style you are doing, you may want to adjust this step. To do what I call the crisscross sandals, you first glue a ribbon folded in half and linked onto the ankle ring the length of the shoe and then put the crosses through it.

Or if you are using a wider ribbon and want to shape it or shape any ribbon more bow like, you can tie the ribbon with the ankle ring and use beads if you want.

My tutorial pictures are however for the simpler form of just having a ribbon going across the top. Hazel and I each made more pairs for the tutorial which are drying now. 

After the ribbon layer is glued on and attached if it is going to be to the ankle ring, I put a piece of tape over the glued areas just to hold it until it dries. Next glue on the bottom layer and clamp it with clothespins. Let it sit for a few hours or overnight for the glue to dry. If you want to hide your layers you can glue a ribbon of equal or less width around the edge of the shoes. You need to pin or hold until the glue sticks. You can buy special foam glue. I did not and used my regular Aleene's Original Tacky Glue. I will share our other two pairs after they are dry and finished. If you have questions about my tutorial, let me know.

Her dolls seem happy with the new sandals and playing my models. 

If you are looking for more doll clothes and craft ideas check out:

• Doll Mermaid Tail (Tutorial Coming Soon)
• Leather Doll Clothes
• Baby Doll Clothes and Changing Area
• Making a Waldorf Doll
• My Doll Clothes and Craft Pinterest Board

Easy Paper Doll Clothes and Creations

The other day I found sticky notes that were shaped as shirts in a bargain bin. My first thought was that they would be fun to dress up the cardstock people I bought ages ago. I pulled them out and then pulled out some cupcake liners and crepe streamers as skirts. Hazel and I had fun making them.

The shirts do not fit the people form 100%, but they are good enough for us. We used yarn for hair and Hazel drew on faces. We added a little glue to the bottom of the shirts when we glued on the skirts.

Hazel made up stories with them. I offered to glue sticks onto them to make the puppets, but she liked them this way. As she told me a story with them, she also mentioned that making them is more fun than playing with them. She also picked out one to be her and one to me.

I thought the one with the butterfly skirt and brown hair should be me, but she picked the long yellow hair. I guess she really enjoyed them, because when I was making something else the next day, she made this one.

She told me she used tape instead of glue so she wouldn't have to wait for it to dry. I need to put some of our people away so we will have them to make mermaids at her mermaid themed play date in August. Otherwise she will be using them all up on me very quickly.

These dolls remind me of Flat Stanley. Anyone want to make a Flat Stanley for us so he can continue his trip around the world?

For more paper doll type of ideas check out:

• Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed Activity
• Making our Paper Princesses
• Korean Paper Doll
• Creative Mermaid Craft

Fairy Tales in Different Cultures: The Golden Slipper: A Cinderella Tale from Ukraine

So this month Around the World in 12 Dishes is visiting Ukraine. I am behind in writing the intro and cooking something, but imagine my surprise when choosing a story at random from The Magic Egg and Other Tales from Ukraine by Barbara J. Suwyn I found a Cinderella tale. Hazel and I have been enjoying stories from this book each night. I pick one at random to read to her as part of our bedtime stories.Since today is the day I usually would share our food from the Ukraine, I thought we would share the Cinderella tale called "The Golden Slipper".

Sharing Saturday 14:29

Thank you to everyone who shared with us last week and to all who visited the posts that were shared. Once again I was amazed by everyone's ideas!! I hope you take the time to visit. They are so inspiring!! We did have a most clicked. It was Edible Water Beads from A Little Pinch of Perfect.

I also picked a few favorites. I broke them into two categories: nature and school/story.

Nature Features

1) From The Kennedy Adventures: Backyard Dinosaur Dig

2) From Enchanted Homeschooling Mom: Gelatin Sun Catchers Kids Craft

3) From Cutting Tiny Bites: Fruit Theme Weekly Home Preschool

4) From Krafts and Kiddos: Easy To Make Sand Dough

5) From Joys of the Journey: Exploring in Ocala National Forest

Story/School Features

1) From Felt With Love Designs: One Year of the Best of Felt With Love Designs

2) From Growing Book By Book: Storytime Ideas: Superworm

3) From Little Log Cottage School: Back To School Kindergarten Spin and Graph

4) From Carrie Elle: Super Simple No-Sew Elsa Dress

5) From Frog in a Pocket: Storytelling Cubes Travel Set

 

  Thank you to everyone who shared last week!! I hope you will join us and share again!! If you are featured here, please feel free to grab a featured button to display proudly on your blog. 

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From Your Hostess: This week we did not post as much as we like. It has been a tough week with family visiting and my mom having heart surgery. We did share our review of the amazing book All About Indonesia, our book for Virtual Book Club for Kids, K Is for Kissing a Cool Kangaroo, exploring colors with music, quilts and a museum visit plus a purple people eater craft, finally some things from my sewing machine with a promise for a tutorial and pattern to follow with things calm down!

Now for This Week's Party  
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Sewing and Family

This is a very busy and somewhat stressful week in my house, but I wanted to hop on here and share a few things. I have my 12-year-old nephew visiting because he was staying with my parents, but my mom is having surgery on her heart tomorrow, so we are watching him while my parents are in the hospital. As a result, I have not had much time to share things or make things. Here are a few things I have sewn lately.

I made Hazel a fun pillow case dress with fairy pockets. I hoped to make one for her doll as well, but I didn't have enough fabric. Oh, well. There are tutorials for these dresses all over. Here is one on Sew Like My Mom: Easiest Pillowcase Dress Ever.

Hazel has been wanting a mermaid tale for her dolls (well actually she wants a couple in different colors). I have been playing with patterns including one I found at Peek-a-boo Pattern Shop: Dressing Up Dolly: Mermaid Tail. She had a pattern for a 15-inch doll, so I made my own. I also am making a green one using a method someone showed me that sells them professionally. It is not done, so I won't share pictures yet.

I will post a pattern and tutorial for the mermaid tale once I have the pattern finalized to what I like best. Sharing Saturday will still be happening, so stay tuned!