Come and Visit us at Simple Treasures this week !

We will be doing another boutique this week and if you are nearby come and join us. We have some great styles and even a few new ones in that are perfect for a dolls summer wardrobe.  Hope to see you there !

Come and Visit us At Battlecreek this Week !

If you are in the area be sure to stop by and visit us at Battlecreek this week. We have cute new styles and great fashions for your dolls summer wardrobe.

Make It Monday- American Girl 18" Doll Sew Party Hats !

Make it Monday, April 22

Did you know that Spring is a busy time for American Girl Historical Birthdays?

April Birthdays include Rebecca on April 4^th, Addy April 9^th, Felicity April 21^st and Molly April 22^nd. May birthdays include Julie May 1^st , Kit May 19^th , Samantha May 26^th and Cecile May 28^th.

I thought it would be fun to share with you a simple party hat you can sew from items you can find in your craft supplies or at your local craft store.  I love using what I have on hand and I think you will agree that a well stocked craft area leads to hours of doll play crafting fun.

To make your own felt party hats you are going to need:

-a side plate

-a pencil

-scissors

-paper

-felt

-rick rack

-pompoms

-a glue gun

-1/4 inch or thinner elastic cut at 6 inches

-sewing machine

-thread

Step 1- Select your side plate from the kitchen, you can use a dinner plate but your hat will be a little bit bigger. Turn it upside down on your paper and trace it.

Step 2- Cut out your circle and fold it in half. This will be your pattern piece for the party hat.

Step 3- Fold a piece of felt in half and place the pattern piece on it. Cut around the shape. You will now have two pieces of felt to create your two party hats.

Step 4- Thread your machine and get ready to sew the rickrack on to the round part of your felt as shown in the photos above. Trim away access thread and rickrack when you are done.

Step 4- Fold your hat in half as shown in the photo above and sew down the seam from top of the triangle to the rickrack edge.

Step 5- Fold your hat inside out to see your hat, the seam you just created is now the back of your party hat.

Step 6- Fold your hat inside out again and prepare to attach the elastic to the hat.

Step 7- Cut 6 inches of elastic  and fold your hat so that the back seem is not where you are sewing.

Step 9- Attach the elastic to the hat as shown in the top right corner above. Sew through the elastic. Make sure to backstitch to hold the elastic in place. Repeat on the other side.

Step 10- Heat your glue gun up and add a dollop of glue to the top of your hat and press a small pompom into place. Let it dry. Then Place on your dolls head.

Step 11- Create your second hat and while you are at it create some for all your dolls!

These make great party favors and gifts!

I hope you have enjoyed today’s craft and I look forward to sharing more doll crafts soon. Karen Owen aka Karen Mom of Three

Don't forget to enter our Spring Giveaway !

Don't forget to enter our Spring Giveaway !!
Ends April 30.  Find it here : GIVEAWAY

Join us back here later this week for another inspiring Pinterest find and some new styles coming in at our website. Thanks for stopping by :)

Make it Monday- Backyard Bird Lovers Play Set for American Girl and 18" Dolls

Make it Monday April 8^th.

Make your dolls a Backyard Bird Lovers Play Set!

Recently a new dollar store opened in my neighbourhood. I loved it! So many wonderful things to buy and repurpose into doll play items that fit with in with my doll play budget!

This week I created a fun outdoor themed Spring play set for my dolls

To create your own Backyard Bird Lover’s Play set you will need:

-A wooden mini bird house (Mine was $2I chose this one because it was on a post but you do not need yours to be if you can not find one)

-A package of small foam birds. I bought these birds for $1.25 at my dollar store

-A small amount of Spanish Moss

-A lid from a Soda Pop bottle

-Scissors

-A glue gun with glue

Step 1- If your bird house has a perch you can use one of the bird’s wires to create a loop that will allow your bird to sit on the perch and easily remove to sit on your dolls hand.  The wires shown in the photo above on the back side of the package are really easy to bend.

If your bird house does not have a perch use your glue gun to attach your bird to the house opening.

Step 2- To Create the birds nest you will need to heat up your glue gun. Add a line of glue on the edge of your soda lid. Carefully press in Spanish Moss along the edge, adding more glue and more moss as you go until you have the shape of a birds nest.

Step 3- Use your scissors to trim the most if needed.

Step 4- Add a dab of glue inside your soda lid and press in more moss to that it looks just like a real nest.

Step 5- Bend the wire beneath the bird into a loop so that the bird can sit on your dolls hand or sit in the nest.

This entire play set cost me less then $5 to create and makes a  really fun dolly outdoor play set. I hope you enjoyed today’s post.

Today I used my newest American Girl Doll Ivy, and my Harmony club boy doll Ethan (http://harmonyclubdolls.com/). Picnic Table made by my brother in law from Ana White’s Plans http://ana-white.com/2011/04/doll-picnic-table

~by Karen Mom of Three aka Karen Owen