The other day at JoAnn Craft Store I saw this adorable tiny chicken coop I thought would be perfect for mini kit. It even has a little chick inside. Of course extra chicks are available. These guys are even on sale right now for Easter. Wouldn't this make a wonderful scene for Kit (AG's spunky depression-era character who sells eggs to help her family)?
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I recently found a retired Liv doll at a second-hand shop. One thing I love about this line is how you can change their wigs. They even come with a painted on short hairstyle so they can go without a wig. Mine came with the doll and 7 wigs for $10! Even with all those possible looks, I wanted to see if I could make my own wigs, so I found this tutorial from My Froggy Stuff. To make it even faster and easier, I actually just tied a piece of matching yarn in the center instead of sewing it. You will want to sew it to make sure it stays together well if you are giving it to a child. After making the wig shown above, I decided to experiment by combing through the yarn to unravel the strands and create a softer, more realistic look. This time I just used a clear elastic in the center to keep the strands together, I tried out different looks by moving the part and styling the ends. You can attach the wig with tape or a clear elastic, but it stays pretty well if you fasten it into a pony tail. Brushing out the pieces of yarn does result in some fluff coming off, so I used that as a short wig by forming it into a blob and tying it onto the doll's head with a piece of tulle. This works best with the thick yarn that is not twisted too tightly.
I recently joined a mini doll group over on Facebook, and they are having a great giveaway for posting a picture of a mini doll Easter egg hunt, so here's what I created: Felicity shows off her tiny Easter basket, an easy weaving project using wire and yarn. Here's a close-up of the mini candy. I used bubble gum eggs, jelly beans, and Russell Stover iddy biddy bunnies. These were inside my children's Easter eggs from grandma's annual egg hunt. my mom said she got them from Big Lots. Happy Easter from my minis and me!
Ok, so this isn't exactly doll related, but I thought I'd share anyway. This could be a fun project to prepare for the debut of Mary Ellen, the new AG historical girl rumored to be from the 1950s. I just took a large rectangle of felt, folded it in half, and cut a curve along the top and bottom edges. Then I unfolded it and attached a ribbon along the waistline using fabric tape. I cut out the poodle using a pattern I found online and attached that with fabric tape as well. I added a pom pom for the tail, and it's done! It ties right on over a shirt or shorts. I paired it with a twin sweater set and some Bobby socks to complete the retro look for my daughter's 50th day of preschool. I didn't have time to iron out the crease or embellish the poodle with a ribbon leash, but I think it still turned out pretty cute.
During my latest thrifting expedition, an unusual doll caught my eye. When I checked to find the manufacturer's name, I was surprised to see Pleasant Company stamped on the back of the head and an American Girl tag on the side. This is a Hopscotch Hill doll, which AG made for a few years to appeal to younger girls. The dolls are 16 inches tall with articulated elbows and knees, and they are meant to be early elementary age. Meet Skylar. I got her for $1.40.
Quinn is pinch-proof in this DIY ensemble for St. Patrick's Day. Her hat is just a sock. Her bracelet is made from beads and a pipe cleaner, and her top is a can cozy (a decorative sleeve to keep your drink cold). Gold shoes are from Springfield. Too bad these don't come in my daughter's size. My all-pink princess does not own a single scrap of green, so I had to send her to school in her girl scout vest to avoid any pinches. With any luck, you and your dolls will have a great St. Patrick's day.
My daughter was digging around in my doll stuff and found this old wig I got somewhere. I decided to put it on my brown-eyed Battat doll and make AG's 1824 girl Josefina. Here's a close-up of her face. The skin tone is a little lighter than the official Josefina doll, but I think it works well with the wig. I also used the braided headband from Addy's retired hairstyling kit I got on sale. I put the wig on over her existing hair and fastened it all into a ponytail in the back. Josefina is one of my favorite historical characters from AG. I like her stories, and I think the doll and her collection are beautiful. Josefina didn't get any major new releases with Beforever, so I'm looking forward to her new Journey book and mini doll in the fall. In the meantime, I took a picture of my Josefina collection to share. The first book on the left is one of Josefina's short stories that I found at a thrift store. Next is the American Girl Club book, which had pictures, activities, and historical information about the first six AG characters, including Josefina. My doll is wearing an official AG dress I got on clearance, and I also bought the mini doll and the Meet Josefina book on sale from AG's website. I'm not sure where I got the little stuffed animal, but it reminds me of Josefina's goat Sombrita, though it might actually be a horse. Are you looking forward to new items for Josefina? Comment below.
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