Can you believe that November is passing so quickly? I can’t! Thanksgiving is already this week. For my Handmade Holiday Gift Idea this week I wanted to show you how to make a dinosaur or dragon tail for a standard 18″ doll or a Bamboletta. It is a super easy thing to sew and the best part is you can also make a matching tail for your son or daughter! This a free tutorial for you to use for personal use.

Doll Animal Dinosaur Hat:

To make the hat shown on the doll you can download my free Doll Fleece Animal Hat Pattern . Follow the instructions on the post, but also add these few extra steps.

1. For the hat above I used snuggle flannel instead of fleece.
2. To create the spikes, buy a piece of craft felt. Craft felt is 9″ x 12″. Cut out a strip of spikes that measure 12″ long x 2″ high.
3. Before sewing the two outer layers together, place the felt spike strip in between the two right sides of the fabric and sew the spikes in as you sew the outside of the hat.
4. Follow the rest of the instructions as posted.

Doll Dinosaur or Dragon Tail:

Isn’t this little dinosaur tail super cute? The tail is actually a mini-version of the dragon tail pattern designed by Jessica at Running With Scissors. Below you will find a list of the materials and sizes of the pieces you need to cut, then I will link you to Jessica’s detailed tutorial for creating the finished tail. Her pattern is for the full-size tail, but the sewing process for this miniature tail is the same.

Supplies:

• 3/4″ x 5″ Velcro
• Craft Felt 9″x12″
• Snuggle Flannel or Fleece 20″ x 10″
• Stuffing

How To:

1. Click on the pattern template below to view it larger. Cut out pieces as shown on my template.
2. I had two places where I varied from her pattern:

• When sewing the straps fold right sides together (instead of having two separate pieces) and sew along one bottom end and up along the long side. Turn straps right side out.
• I cut my spikes out of one piece of felt instead of regular fabric. That let me skip a couple steps since my spikes where ready to be sewn in and didn’t need finished edges.

* VISIT Jessica’s site at Running With Scissors to find the full instructions for completing the tail. You will probably want to make a matching tail for your child!

The post Handmade Holidays | Doll Dinosaur Tail appeared first on Alanna George | The Craft Nest.

Remember earlier in the week when I teased you with the hint of a free pattern? Here it is. A free pattern download to create a matching fleece animal hat for your daughter’s American Girl Doll or 18″ doll. This hat will also fit a 15″ Bamboletta or various styles of Waldorf dolls too.

This free doll hat download has the same animal ears to match the Fleece Animal Hat Pattern for children that you can read about and purchase here.

I hope you are getting inspired to make your holiday gifts handmade! And please share my website with your friends so they can be inspired to create handmade gifts this year too.

Please note that this pattern is for personal use only. You may not sell this pattern, variations of this pattern or hats made from this pattern.

15″ Bamboletta Doll

Supplies:

• 8″ x 22″ piece of fleece for outer layer
• 8″ x 22″ piece of fleece for inner layer
• 24″ of ribbon
• Straight Pins
• Needle and Thread
• Sewing Machine
• Scissors
• Printed Doll Fleece Animal Hat Pattern

How To:

1. Print out the pattern pieces and cut them out.
2. *note: all the sewing was done with the fabric on the outside edge of my sewing foot, unless otherwise noted.
3. Fold outer layer fabric with right sides together and pin pattern (main hat piece and ear) to fabric. Cut out main hat piece and ear. You should have two cut fabric pieces for each shape.
4. Repeat step 2 with inner layer fabric.

5. 

   With right sides together, sew along top outside edge of outer layer fabric. Repeat for inner layer fabric.

6. 

   Place the inner layer hat inside the outer layer hat. Make sure right sides are together. Cut 2 – 12″ pieces of ribbon. Sandwich the ribbon in between the layers (as shown above). Place one on each side of the hat near the bottom corner. Pin in place. Pin together layers all around edge of hat.

7. Sew around outside edge of hat. Leave at least a 2″ hole for turning the hat right side out.
8. Turn hat right side out and sew hole closed. You can use a machine or do it by hand.

9. 

   Hat turned right side out. If you don’t want to add ears, then your hat is finished!

10. 

    With right sides together, sew around outside edge of ears. You will want to sew quite close to the edge, but make sure you are catching both layers of fabric. Do not sew bottom closed.

11. 

    Turn ears right side out.

12. 

    Pin ears to hat. Hand sew ears in place.

13. 

    Your hat is done! Try hat on favorite doll to check the fit.

Free Download: Doll Fleece Animal Hat Pattern

*Please note that this pattern is for personal use only. You may not sell this pattern, variations of this pattern or hats made from this pattern.

The post Handmade Holidays | Doll Fleece Animal Hat Pattern appeared first on Alanna George | The Craft Nest.

My daughter recently lost her first tooth. We created this felt fairy doll with tooth pocket to hang on her doorknob so the tooth fairy would have easy access to her lost tooth. We worked together to choose the color of the fairy’s hair and dress. After I was finished sewing it all together she decorated the doll with glitter glue, stick-on gems, ric-rac and buttons. I am glad to report that the tooth fairy had no problem locating her tooth in the pocket and leaving my daughter a surprise. (p.s. this what a 6 yr. olds room looks like on the average day!)

How To | Felt Tooth Fairy Doll

Supplies:

• Felt Fairy Doll Pattern Download
• 2 – 8.5×11 Skin Tone Felt Sheets (we used off-white)
• 1 – 8.5×11 Hair Color Felt Sheet (we used brown)
• 1- 8.5×11 Gold/Yellow Felt Sheet
• 1 – 8.5×11 Dress Color Felt Sheet
• Scrap of White Felt (for tooth)
• Matching Embroidery Thread for Each Felt Sheet
• Poly-fil Stuffing
• Sewing Needle
• 2 Round Black Bead for Eyes
• White Tulle (for wings)
• 10″ Grosgrain ribbon
• Sticky Velcro
• Craft Glue

How To:

1. How To | Felt Tooth Fairy Doll Pattern.
2. Match up the front and back doll shapes and pin them together.
3. Sew along the outside edge of your doll using a running stitch. Start sewing on the right side of the doll’s head. Knot one end of the thread and hide the knot between the two layers of felt. When you are almost all the way around leave an open spot the size of a couple fingers to put the stuffing through.
4. Add the stuffing by pushing it in with your fingers. Make sure it gets in all the way into the legs and arms. Finish sewing the doll closed. Knot your thread and hide it between the two layers of felt. The doll’s hair will also cover your knots.
5. Match up the front and back of the doll’s hair. Start on the right edge and sew using a running stitch along the top of the hair to the other side. (See picture 1)
6. Then open the hair like a pocket and insert the doll’s head into the pocket. Arrange the hair to fit her head. Next, sew along the bottom of the front hair piece to attach the hair to her head. Make sure you sew through both the hair layer and the face layer of felt to attach the hair securely to the doll. (See picture 2)
7. Sew the piece of ribbon in center of head. Sewn ends will be covered by crown.
8. Position the crown on the doll’s head. Sew along the bottom edge of the crown through both the crown layer and hair layer of felt.
9. Sew the dress by aligning the dress front side edges with the two back dress pieces. Sew along each side leaving the armholes open. (See pictures 3 and 4)
10. Sew pocket onto dress and then glue on tooth shape.
11. Put the dress on your doll. Add a piece of Velcro between the overlapping edges on the back of the dress.
12. Make the doll into a fairy by adding tulle wings. Pinch the piece of tulle in the middle and place it on the doll’s back under the hair and in the open notch of the dress. Sew the tulle onto the doll’s body.
13. Sew beads on to create eyes. Use thread to create a mouth and nose.
14. Use the other items to decorate your fairy doll and make her magical.

Free Download: How To | Felt Tooth Fairy Doll Pattern

The post How To | Felt Tooth Fairy Doll appeared first on Alanna George | The Craft Nest.