The Printable Doll Clothes site inspired me to make more paper doll clothes, so I decided to combine and adapt a few free printables to make this Anna costume for my mini Felicity. 

The bodice is an embroidery reference pattern by MomoKurumi at deviant art, and the skirt is from a Disney paper craft from the Disney Family website. 

I cut a slit up the back of the bodice piece and trimmed it down for a better fit. Then I taped the bodice together at the sides, placed it on the doll, and taped the back closed.

I cut out the skirt piece and then trimmed it just below the tabs so it would fit around the doll's waist. Then I placed it on the doll and taped it together in the back.

Here she is wearing Cecile's black boots and a little pink cleaning cloth for a cape. I couldn't do the signature braids because I want to maintain Felicity's original hairstyle, but I think she still looks cute.

     When I was growing up, I somehow missed the whole American Girl phenomenon (probably too busy making tin foil clothes for my second-hand Barbies). Even so, I find myself feeling nostalgic toward the original characters. While I didn't get the chance to "meet Samantha," I did meet and fall in love with similar characters like Anne Shirley, Mary Lennox, and Sara Crewe and their fascinating time period. Though my daughter is thrilled about the pink-clad "new" version of AG's beloved Samantha Parkington, I prefer the original. So I decided to to add her to my mini-doll collection while she is still readily available. The new Beforever mini comes out later this month.
     Mini Samantha is currently sold on the American Girl website for $24, but I actually purchased mine for about 19$ on Amazon, since I had free shipping. When Samantha arrived, she was a little off-kilter inside her box, so I was afraid she might be disheveled, but she came out looking lovely, though her hair does lean to one side.
     I had already purchased Samantha's Play Scenes and Paper Dolls book on sale for $5. It is no longer available, but some of the other historical paper dolls are still on sale. I love these sets, and at $5, they are an incredible value. The actual paper dolls are a little large for the play scenes, but the mini dolls are a perfect size! Here are some pics of my new "old" Sam.      

Samantha gets ready for back-to-school time with this fabulous classroom scene from her paper doll book.

Samantha plays with her new birthday teddy bear in her room (bear and play scene are from the paper doll set). The first chair is made from a free printable available here, and the second was purchased with a coupon from Jo-Ann craft store.

When I first saw this mini doll, I immediately thought of the beautiful Diana Barry from L.M. Montgomery's books. Naturally, I had to create her kindred spirit and bosom friend, Anne Shirley. Saige is borrowing Marie-Grace's dress and Cecile's boots with a mini straw hat to complete her costume. This picture just makes me giddy. I loved Anne of Green Gables so much, and I was even in a junior high production of the play, where I played Diana's sister Minnie May.

Which do you prefer, the new version of Samantha, or the old one? 

When I got my first AG mini doll, Felicity, I set out to find some cheap furniture for her, so I turned to Pinterest and looked up Printable Dollhouse Furniture. I was not disappointed! Here is one of the pieces I found, which is from a set of vintage postcards with art by W.H. Ellam.
     You can find more of these pieces on TuckDB.org, a free online database of antique postcards published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. The images are now in the public domain and free to use as you wish. Click on the pictures below to get the full-sized versions from the Tuck DB website. Be sure to look around for more vintage printables for your dolls. Click on the Full Sized Image link in the upper right-hand corner and save to your computer.

Here are some more links for printing or making miniature dollhouse furniture:

• The AG Minis of Snickerdoodle Street: This is my absolute favorite mini-doll blog. Under the Mini Furniture tab, you'll find printables and tutorials for making your own inexpensive furniture. Check out the Printables and Scenes and Setting sections too.
  
• Small Stuff's Print Minis: This great site has lots of free printables for your dollhouse, including posters, furniture, wallpaper, and more.