How to Make Doll Clothes: 6 Simple Instructions

Learning how to make doll clothes is the perfect DIY project and easy activity for kids. This is a fun, easy to make, and rewarding DIY project. 

Your kids might love the doll and insist you make clothes for their dolls. Making doll clothes will help you engage your kids in some activity. It is the best way to make something beautiful with your kids while helping them learn the importance of homemade clothes.

There are several types of dolls available in the market. In this article, you will learn to make beautiful clothes for your kid’s doll.

Let’s go! 

18 How to Make Doll Clothes Patterns to Considers

Buying doll clothes can be expensive. You can not get all styles and colors in one cloth. 

What if there was a way you could make it at home? Don’t worry. 

There are many types of clothes you can sew for your doll. Be it American Girl, Barbie doll, or any other doll style you have. You can make everything at home, from doll skirts to jammies and cloth diapers.

No matter what size doll you have, you should consider the following how to make doll clothes patterns. 

Easy Sew Doll Clothes

Wendi Gratz from Shiny Happy World offers the simplest, easy to sew doll clothes pattern. They make super-cute dresses that can fit a bunch of dolls. You can customize it as per the doll’s size. 

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Two-piece Baby Doll Jammies

Snuggle your baby’s doll with amazing two-piece jammies. They are sewn in a separate way so that you have a top and a bottom. Use your creativity and customize and style them as per your needs. 

Basic T-shirt for an 18-inch Doll

The list of how to make doll clothing patterns and tutorials is incomplete without mentioning basic t-shirts. This t-shirt-making pattern is perfect for 14 to 18-inch dolls. 

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You can style them with almost anything. Don’t forget to choose bright, vibrant colors for making doll t-shirts. 

Knit Dresses in Three Styles

When you know that you can learn how to make barbie doll clothes by hand, it becomes easy to try a new variety of doll clothes. 

This basic knit dress pattern features several styles and amazing colors. You can customize this style as per the requirement. 

Circle Skirts For 14-Inch Dolls

Nothing can beat the love for a circle skirt. This amazing, super tiny circle skirt is perfect for 13-14 inch dolls. It can be made in various colors and sizes. 

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Simple Jacket

Wondering how to make a doll jacket? Don’t worry. This cardigan jacket pattern is all you need for your doll. 

Add some itty bitty buttons and other details to dress up your doll with a perfect jacket. Do not buy those expensive jackets sold by premium, miniature garment stores. Make it at home with this pattern. 

Leggings and Jeans

Everyone loves to wear jeans and leggings. They are the most popular daily wear. 

Jeans and leggings are not just part for adults and kids, but they can also be made for small dolls. 

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These adorable small leggings and jeans are one of the best patterns on our run-down of how to make needle felted doll clothes. You can use any stretchy denim-like fabric and make easy pull-and-wear jeans for your doll. 

Custom Swimsuit for Dolls

This super customizable and free doll swimsuit pattern is all you need to give your baby if you are going to a beach. Use colors matching your baby girl’s swimsuit and give her an amazing swimsuit for her doll. 

Baby Doll Dress

A sweet baby doll looks sweeter when you dress it in a beautiful sundress. 

This baby doll dress pattern is perfect for a 12-inch doll, and you can also adjust the size if you have a bigger doll. Add some rickrack on the bottom edge to add some details to the dress. 

Barbie Dress Pattern

Want to make something super cute for your baby girl’s doll? Choose this barbie dress pattern. 

This is another polka-dot inspired by how to make doll clothes by hand. It is made by using 2.5″ fabric for the bodice and 12-inch fabric for the doll skirt. 

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Just gather your sewing kit essentials, and you are all set to make an adorable dress. 

Mermaid Shape Barbie Clothes

What’s better than learning how to make clothes for a doll in a mermaid shape? You can make it by using ¼ yard of Lycra fabric, threads, a sewing machine, and a stretch needle. These amazing mermaid-shaped clothes will bring a lot of joy to your little one. 

Aprons for Dolls

Do you have a scarf that you don’t use anymore? Convert it into your doll’s aprons. 

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These beautiful and adorable aprons look great on dolls, and you can dress them in any clothes. Learn how to make clothes or aprons for your doll as they are easy to make and take less time to complete. 

Upcycle Socks in Doll Clothes

Upcycling clothes is the modern way to adopt more sustainable solutions and save our planet earth. So why not learn how to make doll clothes patterns? 

You can use any socks available in your home for this doll clothes pattern and learn how to sew doll clothes. Make sure you choose old ankle-length socks for this pattern. 

Mid Maxi Dress for Dolls

As the name suggests, these doll clothes patterns are the simplest and most quick for making American doll clothes. The length of the dress depends on you. 

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You can make it mini, midi, or maxi and add an instant variety to your baby girl’s doll wardrobe. 

Doll Peasant Dress

Another popular pattern of how to make small dolls clothes is the peasant dress. These dresses are the favorite addition to any girl’s wardrobe. 

Your little girl will be happy to make one beautiful peasant dress for her little doll. The peasant doll clothes pattern highlights the ruffles along with the hemline. These dresses are sewn in bright colors to bring a summer vibe. 

Reversible Doll Dress

This doll clothes pattern is for all 18-inch dolls. They are the perfect way to use different types of fabric on both the inner and outer sides. 

Reversible doll dresses are one of the best ways to learn how to make clothes for doll projects. You can design these dresses with sleeves and tie straps on the shoulder to add an adorable look. 

Doll Pinafore

Want to make something special for your doll, this valentine? Learn to sew this pinafore doll clothes pattern and match your baby girl’s clothes with your doll. 

This doll pinafore pattern features a heart-shaped bib which you will not find anywhere else. 

Doll Shorts

Learning how to make doll clothes patterns is incomplete without mentioning the classic shorts. 

The doll shorts can be made with contrasting hemlines and waistbands to create a more colorful look. The elastic hemline gives flexibility and is a perfect fit for your American doll. 

DIY How to Make Doll Clothes: Tips To Consider

Now that you know various doll clothing patterns, it’s time to learn some DIY how to make doll clothes tips and tricks.

Having some tips in advance will make much more difference between well-prepared doll clothes and a fashion disaster. When you work on how to make clothes for dolls no-sew, you will make fewer mistakes.

When you work with small pieces and use a sewing machine, the chance of making mistakes is high, and it may lead to a disaster in finished pieces. 

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To avoid all those mistakes, here are some essential tips you should consider while learning how to make a doll with clothes. 

Stock Up on Patterns When They Are on Sale or Use Free Patterns

The best tip on learning DIY how to make doll clothes is to gather your patterns. There are paid and free doll clothes patterns available in the market. 

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For paid patterns, you can purchase them when they are on sale. For free on how to make doll clothes with no-sew or glue patterns, you can browse through the internet and find your desired doll clothes. 

When working with doll clothes patterns, pay attention to all the symbols, measurements, and fabric requirements. In this way, you will be able to make the perfect doll clothes. 

Types of Seams

There are different types of seams available in the fashion world. Some seams work best for making men’s and women’s clothes, but they won’t look good on your doll’s clothes. 

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Make sure you pay attention when choosing the seam for the doll clothes. The seams look exaggerated on the doll as the dolls are small. 

Sewing Seams

The seams that will be used for making doll clothes will be small. This can create an issue when sewing them using the needle. 

The best solution for this is to cut some seam allowance and trim it after sewing the piece. Another solution is you can glue them using fabric glue. 

Sewing Darts in Doll Clothes

Sewing darts on doll clothes is easy if you know some tips. People will notice an incorrect dart. 

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When sewing darts on doll clothes, make sure the dart ends just before the bust point. It should end in a smooth way and doesn’t leave any bad impact on the fabric. 

Using Lining Fabric For Doll Clothes

Lining fabrics are popular when it comes to learning how to make doll clothes. The lining dresses for dolls look amazing. 

The downside of using lining fabric is that you need to pay attention to matching the lines of the fabric. Make sure you pay attention to see if linings are aligning or not.

Pro Tip: Use white or black lining fabric to make doll clothes. 

Hard to Sew Areas

Sometimes sewing seams on doll clothes are challenging; In that case, you should try to sew as much as possible using the sewing machine and then use fabric glue. 

Once the garment piece is ready, you can hand sew the pieces to give it a finished look. Running stitch or blanket stitch is perfect for decoration. 

Adding Embellishments

When working with embellishments such as zippers, buttons, and tiny bows, you will be required to hand sew them on the doll clothes. This is an essential tip on how to make a cloth doll. 

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Step-By-Step Guide On How to Make Simple Doll Clothes

We have given an overview of the doll clothes patterns available in the market and some essential tips to avoid any future mistakes. 

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It’s time to learn how to make simple doll clothes. Your baby girl will adorn these tiny clothes. It will bring a lot of joy to her.

Making doll clothes are easy and take less time to complete. 

You can start this DIY doll clothes-making project in the afternoon and can complete them in an hour. Engage your kids in this activity so that they can also learn to make something at home.

The below-listed step-by-step instructions will help you learn everything about doll-making clothes. Once you complete this tutorial, then you can try making some skirts, pants, and jackets for dolls and style an entire wardrobe from scratch. 

Supplies You Will Need

• • The fabric of your choice
  • Scissors
  • Sewing machine
  • Matching threads
  • Needles
  • Embellishments such as ribbons, bows, etc.
  • Fabric glue
  • An iron
  • Straight pins 

Choose Fabric

When starting to make doll clothes, you first need good quality fabric. The doll clothes can be made from any type of fabric. 

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Here are some of the fabrics you can use for beginning your journey on how to make simple doll clothes.

• • Soft fabric
    • The soft fabric is perfect for making doll clothes as your baby girl will be playing with that doll. Use quilting cotton for better outcomes.

• • Muslin
    • Muslin is perfect for making different-sized dolls, such as 12,13,14,18 inch dolls. This fabric will look great when turned into a beautiful doll dress. 
    • Make sure to check the care labels of muslin fabric so that you can preserve it for a long time.

• • Prints
    • You can go for some prints and polka dots as well. Popular brands prefer to choose printed fabric as it is eye-catching.

• • Fastenings
    • Some clothing velcro can get caught in a doll’s hair and create a messy look. You should buy the doll Velcro as they are soft and less scratchy.

• • Upcycling
    • If you don’t want to purchase fabric from the store to make doll clothes, you can use any fabric found in your home. This is the best way to recycle fabric and turn it into something useful. 

Choose a Pattern

Once you choose your desired fabric, it’s time to pick a pattern for making doll clothes. You can use paid or free doll clothes making patterns. 

The above section of doll clothes patterns will help you choose the right pattern. The ready-made free patterns help you make doll clothes in an easy way. 

These patterns have all the marking symbols and fabric suggestions, so you don’t need to work extra on determining the measurements. In this tutorial, you will also learn more about how to make dolls’ clothes without a pattern.

Cut Out the Fabric

At this stage, you should lay your doll on the fabric and start marking the holes. Make sure the holes are big enough so that you can fit your doll into it. 

Now, wrap the fabric across the doll’s body and cut the fabric as per the fit. In the end, you will have separate fabric pieces of the dress as per the doll’s size. 

Sew the Pieces Together

Once you have cut the pieces, it’s time to use a sewing machine to sew the pieces together. Make sure you check the pieces and set the regular stitch on your machine to sew pieces. 

Once you complete sewing the fabric pieces, you will be ready with a beautiful doll dress.  You can also use woven labels and hang tags from Superlabel Store to sew it on a doll’s dress and make it look like the store-bought one. 

Add Embellishments

If you want to make your doll’s clothes more eye-catching and super cute, you can use embellishments like embroidery, ribbons, flowers, pom-poms, ruffles, small buttons, zippers, etc.

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Embellishments are a great way to turn a simple-looking dress into a stylish and attractive clothing piece. 

How to Make a Doll From Cloth: FAQs

How to Make Paper Dolls and Clothes at Home?

If you want to make a paper doll and clothes for it, you can refer to the above-listed information and choose the best pattern and sewing essentials to make the clothes. 

Can A Beginner Sew Doll Clothes?

Yes. Making doll clothes is an easy to sew and simple project. Anyone with little to no sewing knowledge can make doll clothes. 

Conclusion

Dolls are close to children’s hearts. Nothing beats the DIY doll clothes-making project if you want to cheer up your baby girl.

The above-listed instructions on how to make doll clothes can help you make some amazing doll clothes. 

These instructions can be taken as a base, and then you can polish your sewing skills and make several skirts, jackets, pants, aprons, etc. With advanced sewing skills, you can start your clothing business. Want to know how? Read our guide on how to make a clothing line.

Happy learning and happy sewing!