How to Make Doll Clothes and Accessories

When I was young, I loved my fashion dolls.  My mom was an avid sewist, but she was not interested in learning how to sew fashion doll clothes.  I suppose fashion doll clothes patterns were not on the top of her list of things to sew!

Being creative, I decided that I was going to learn how to make doll clothes myself. I started with fashion doll clothes patterns, then eventually developed my own way of making doll clothes.

18" dolls were not something my generation had access to, but I am sure I would have learned how to make 18-inch doll clothes if they had been!

Here you will find a plethora of ideas to learn how to make doll clothes, both for fashion dolls and 18-inch dolls.  

18-inch doll patterns will fit dolls like American Girl, Our Generation, Journey, Playtime by Emmie, My Life As, and New Adventures Styles dolls.

Fashion doll patterns will fit 11.5-inch dolls like Barbie, Aziam Kidz Yoga, Queens of Africa, Lammily and One World Dolls. Some items may fit the 10.5-inch dolls like Monster High and Hasbro Disney Princess. Each of these dolls has different shapes, so some items may fit one and not the other.

What is the best fabric to make doll clothes?

When starting to use doll clothes patterns, sewists often wonder what is the best fabric to make their doll clothes. 

The most common fabric used to make doll clothes is quilting cotton, and it is the best fabric for beginners.  The quilting cotton at large stores is not expensive and comes in many designs that are great for making 18-inch doll clothes and fashion doll clothes.

Look for small prints since the clothing pieces will be small. The clothing for larger dolls, such as the 18-inch dolls, can be made with medium sized prints.  The smaller the piece of doll clothing, the smaller the print design should be. 

Once the sewist is familiar and comfortable using quilting cotton, more difficult fabrics to sew such as knits, bamboo and wool can be used as well.

How to make fashion doll clothes without sewing

Several ideas on this page include making clothes for fashion dolls without sewing!  Making no-sew doll clothing is a very fun and simple craft project. This is something young children can do as well.

Examples of items the sewist may want to have on hand are fabric, straight pins, chalk, scissors, craft glue, ribbons and an iron, plus any other materials to add embellishments. 

Fabric glue, fusible tape and hot glue are some other things that will be helpful to make no-sew fashion doll clothes.

Making fashion doll clothes without sewing is something I did regularly when I wanted doll clothing that was quick and easy. When I did sew, I didn’t use a sewing machine. Instead, I made them with hand stitching.

Since the 18” dolls are larger, it might be simpler and neater to learn how to sew these doll clothes.  Some of the links below have tutorials on making doll clothes and accessories that don’t involve sewing or require very little sewing.

With glue or hem tape and an iron, it is possible to make 18-inch doll patterns into no-sew projects too!

Our list of ideas below include both sewing and no-sew projects for fashion and 18-inch doll clothes.  You will find:

• Accessories such as purses, stockings, backpacks and tote bags
• Tutorials for doll tops, skirts, and dresses
• 18" doll clothes patterns to match children’s outfits
• 18-inch clothes patterns inspired by bridesmaid dresses worn in Princess Kate’s wedding
• Instructions showing how to make sleeping bags for dolls
• And so much more.

If more items for Fashion Dolls and 18-inch Dolls are of interest, check out our page devoted to everything a doll could need!

Scroll down and look for ideas to share with your child!  The possibilities are amazing!