It was a book, with lots of craft ideas in it, along with three long-sleeved t-shirts and items you could use to make some of the ideas.
It's published and packaged by American Girl, retails for around $15 (sometimes less if you look), and was, I thought, a really cute and fun idea. It's called Doll Tees: Sparkling Shirts to Make Your Doll Shine!
When you consider how much just a shirt usually costs from American Girl for one of their dolls, getting three shirts, a craft book and embellishment materials for $15 is really a good buy. Especially when you can purchase your own crafting materials and other cheaper shirts down the road, but still use the craft book for ideas going forward.
Some of the book's ideas included felt and other items, though, which had to be purchased separately from the kit, so be forewarned that you may make a trip to the craft store depending on what your child falls in love with in the idea book. You'll also want to purchase some craft glue that works with fabric and gems/sequins before you give this as a gift, especially if your child really loves this sort of thing and will want to make one right away, because the kit does not come with any glue.
Since The Peanut loves anything that has to do with a craft, I thought it would be a big hit. And I was right.
I also found a larger kit at Sam's Club called "Tiny Tees" that I purchased last year for around $30 or so that included a couple of shirts, a dress and a pair of jeans, plus more embellishment items for the clothing, and a "stage" that folds out that she could use for a "fashion show" for her doll. I bought that and put it away for her birthday -- hoping she'd like the smaller one she got for Christmas.
Thankfully, I was right: she loved it, and the second kit came just about the time she was jonesing for more outfits that she could "make" for Natalie. And the stage turned out to be the perfect place to put her doll chair so she could play hairstylist -- she uses it all the time now, and it is a hoot to watch.
Both kits turned out to be a big hit at our house. But what really made them awesome?
Before her birthday, I went to the craft store and picked out a few multi-colored "gems" and several different types of cute buttons and some colorful ribbons with things like polka-dots or stripes on them that I thought would catch her eye. I put them into a little "kit" for her to go with the larger American Girl kit, but because I picked everything out with an eye toward what she likes, it was personalized to her taste and her magpie love of all things sparkly.
She absolutely loved it.
Which got me thinking: why couldn't you just put something like this together on your own? Little bags of sequins, gems, patches, buttons, and ribbon don't cost an enormous amount if you shop carefully. Put together with some glue and a needle and thread and you would have an instant "bling" kit for the American Girl wardrobe.
Especially if you can find a simple t-shirt and jeans ensemble or a plain ballet outfit or even a t-shirt and denim skirt from Springfield Collection at your local craft store (I have found these at both A.C. Moore and Michaels near our house). I found a t-shirt and jeans combo for about $8 that The Peanut will be getting this year along with a note that she can embellish both of them with her craft supplies from last year.
That's good for at least 2 hours of Christmas break crafting time all by itself.
Thought I'd pass this idea along. It's one we'll use this year and at least another year or two as I pick up plainer doll items at lower prices and then give The Peanut and opportunity to "bling" them up with her own idea of flare. Fun stuff for her, and for Momma, too, because I usually get to sit and help, which also gives us valuable play time together. Now that's priceless!
(Photo via alice-palace.)
5 comments:
If you sew, there are lots of doll outfits sized for American Girl dolls in the pattern books. I've made several -- they're very easy and take only a small amount of fabric. My granddaughters have American Girl doll outfits to match things I've made for them, made with the leftover fabric.
Alas, Molly, I am the worst at sewing. I can attach a button and sometime mend a tear with stitches that don't show too horribly. But making an entire outfit would be beyond my meager abilities, I'm afraid.
That sounds really cute, though -- I bet your granddaughter loves it!
I finally had to warn them that grandma is not going to make matching doll outfits every time I make them something. I sew for them a lot, and they're young enough to be delighted. As they get older, they probably won't want grandma's homemade clothes.
What about a t-shirt for the peanut to decorate and wear that matches the doll? I'm sure I saw on their catalog matching outfits.
Toni, that is SUCH a great idea. Thanks!
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