Craft suggestions for a group of seven year old girls and their dolls?
October 13, 2015 8:36 AM Subscribe
My daughter's seventh birthday party is fast approaching and her plan is to have six or seven friends over and make something for their dolls. I'm looking for suggestions as to what that craft should be.
Ideally it's something that's fun and unique. But also something they can do relatively independently (i.e. we'll be 2 adults helping 8 girls).
Most of the girls are brining 18" Maplelea or American Girl style dolls. There may also be some stuffed animals or baby dolls.
Ideally it's something that's fun and unique. But also something they can do relatively independently (i.e. we'll be 2 adults helping 8 girls).
Most of the girls are brining 18" Maplelea or American Girl style dolls. There may also be some stuffed animals or baby dolls.
You could make knotted fleece blankets- they can be any size you cut the fleece to, and they're pretty simple to make. The instructions I linked will make a lovely adult-sized one, and they involve precise measuring and cutting, but the girls will probably be just as happy with wobbly cuts and not quite square blankets. Fleece is pretty cheap, and you wouldn't need much to make six or seven small blankets.
posted by Adridne at 8:51 AM on October 13, 2015
posted by Adridne at 8:51 AM on October 13, 2015
How about finger knit scarves?
posted by divined by radio at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by divined by radio at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
This no-sew vest looks pretty easy - if you use fake fur you can probably even do it without the trim.
posted by Mchelly at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015
posted by Mchelly at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015
Make Halloween costumes for them?
Paper mache masks, formed to fit using aluminum foil molds? Warm in the oven to dry while they eat cake, then come back and decorate them with paint. Or at that scale, you could easily make mask forms out of sculpey or model magic clay, and it would probably bake/dry faster.
And/or actual costume clothing. Fabric would be great if you've got the resources/skill, but if you want it quick and easy, tissue paper and tape will go a long way. Some of it is taping tissue paper to itself, some is arranging tissue artistically over a more stable base like a basic cloth tunic or paper armature. Adhesive velcro closures, possibly. Scotch tape, also maybe rubber cement or stapler. Would be pretty easy to make very fluffy princess dresses, superhero capes, ballet tutus, animal costumes, etc. so long as lasting indefinitely as a memento isn't one of your criteria.
posted by aimedwander at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
Paper mache masks, formed to fit using aluminum foil molds? Warm in the oven to dry while they eat cake, then come back and decorate them with paint. Or at that scale, you could easily make mask forms out of sculpey or model magic clay, and it would probably bake/dry faster.
And/or actual costume clothing. Fabric would be great if you've got the resources/skill, but if you want it quick and easy, tissue paper and tape will go a long way. Some of it is taping tissue paper to itself, some is arranging tissue artistically over a more stable base like a basic cloth tunic or paper armature. Adhesive velcro closures, possibly. Scotch tape, also maybe rubber cement or stapler. Would be pretty easy to make very fluffy princess dresses, superhero capes, ballet tutus, animal costumes, etc. so long as lasting indefinitely as a memento isn't one of your criteria.
posted by aimedwander at 8:55 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
These sleep masks are cute, and you could probably get human sized ones at Target that the girls could also decorate for themselves.
This ice cream sandwich and cotton candy combo are freaking adorable, and then you could also have treats at the party.
Out of season, but how about flip flops? Like the masks, you could maybe find cheap ones for the girls to decorate as well?
I kind of love this idea - the t-shirts, the tutus, the hats.
posted by librarianamy at 8:59 AM on October 13, 2015
This ice cream sandwich and cotton candy combo are freaking adorable, and then you could also have treats at the party.
Out of season, but how about flip flops? Like the masks, you could maybe find cheap ones for the girls to decorate as well?
I kind of love this idea - the t-shirts, the tutus, the hats.
posted by librarianamy at 8:59 AM on October 13, 2015
Fun!!! Polar fleece scarves and vests can be made with no sewing. My daughter used to make decorative duct tape hats and skirts for her dolls. Any fancy single socks? Also can be cut into skirts or a doll tube dress. Those rubber band bracelets that were super trendy last year can be doll necklaces.
posted by Malla at 9:00 AM on October 13, 2015
posted by Malla at 9:00 AM on October 13, 2015
Make Halloween costumes for them?
These sleep masks are cute
I totally forgot about halloween and you could easily combine these two ideas to make masquerade masks. If you pre-cut them, all the girls would need to do is decorate with sequins and feathers. Add a bit of elastic to circle them around their heads and boom, done.
posted by phunniemee at 9:05 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
These sleep masks are cute
I totally forgot about halloween and you could easily combine these two ideas to make masquerade masks. If you pre-cut them, all the girls would need to do is decorate with sequins and feathers. Add a bit of elastic to circle them around their heads and boom, done.
posted by phunniemee at 9:05 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
This is an adorable idea. My daughter did something similar a while back. She and her friends made tiny scrapbooks for their dolls, like Samantha's from American Girl - it's just paper and ribbon. They really loved making them.
I would suggest no matter what you end up with, for you/and or your daughter to try making it before the party to make sure you have everything you need and that it isn't hard to make. That way you'll end up with a finished product the guests can refer to.
posted by the webmistress at 9:10 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
I would suggest no matter what you end up with, for you/and or your daughter to try making it before the party to make sure you have everything you need and that it isn't hard to make. That way you'll end up with a finished product the guests can refer to.
posted by the webmistress at 9:10 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
How about making tie-dye matching shirts for the girls and their dolls? (Alternately: shirts + puffy paint.)
posted by jeather at 9:20 AM on October 13, 2015
posted by jeather at 9:20 AM on October 13, 2015
(Alternately: shirts + puffy paint.)
I feel at this point it's necessary to make sure you know that they make multicolored GLOW IN THE DARK puffy paint now and it's just as awesome as you'd expect it to be. What a world.
posted by phunniemee at 9:23 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
I feel at this point it's necessary to make sure you know that they make multicolored GLOW IN THE DARK puffy paint now and it's just as awesome as you'd expect it to be. What a world.
posted by phunniemee at 9:23 AM on October 13, 2015 [2 favorites]
When I did this sort of party for my girls, I went out of my way to find all sorts of "mini" things, and I set up a party table for the dolls in the middle of the table where the girls sat. We had mini m and ms, mini party hats, mini party bags etc. All the girls fell in love with all the mini stuff spent a lot of time playing with all the mini stuff- so based on that, could you make up a craft in relation to the dolls? Mini party hats that they decorat? Fimo or some other sort of clay for them to create miniature food? Paper to create miniature books for the dolls?
posted by momochan at 12:57 PM on October 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by momochan at 12:57 PM on October 13, 2015 [1 favorite]
Halloween costumes, definitely! If there's a common interest the girls share (besides dolls) maybe pull together supplies for a few small themed projects? Superhero capes and masks, or Harry Potter robes and wands, or fairy wings.
posted by nonasuch at 12:40 PM on October 14, 2015
posted by nonasuch at 12:40 PM on October 14, 2015
This thread is closed to new comments.
I also liked making hair accessories and hats, which don't work out so well on stuffed animals. My favorite stuffed animal was a bunny and her ears got all of the hair accessory abuse.
Since the types of dolls you're talking about all have proper hair, I think hair accessories and fascinators would be a great idea. some wire, beads, and pretty ribbon can be built off of a regular barrette to be worn by the doll and the girl.
Jewelry (necklaces and bracelets) made with seed beads would probably also go over really well, but might be frustratingly small and fiddly for some girls.
posted by phunniemee at 8:47 AM on October 13, 2015 [3 favorites]