How to Design Clothes for Barbie
If you have daughters or granddaughters, a niece or even a little sister, then this is something to consider. You can design and make clothes for Barbie. First you imagine, then you design. Think of how many adorable Barbie outfits you could create. Once they are designed, all that's left to do is make and use them.
Instructions
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Find some quiet time to sit down and sketch. Gather your supplies. Choose the color you'd like to begin with and imagine. What do you see? A dress, a skirt or a shirt? Maybe even pants or an evening gown. The first step in designing is to imagine and visualize what you want to create. Get as specific as possible. Determine color, shape, size, style and texture in your mind.
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Take the colored pencil that matches the dominating color in your idea and begin lightly sketching the shape of the piece of clothing you have visualized. As the sketch develops, switch colors and add details. Keep working at it, adding to it little by little until it becomes what you want it to be. Draw in things like beads, pleats, seams and slits.
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3
Look at the sketch carefully. It will need to be remade to fit Barbie's proportions. A pattern will be made that will allow you to actually create a piece of clothing for Barbie from it. For a shirt, make a box on your sketch pad that is 1-inch wide by 2 inches long. Sketch your shirt idea into that box. Skirt boxes are 1-inch wide by 6 inches long. How long do you want the skirt to fall on Barbie's legs? Sketch your skirt idea into the box to proportion it to Barbie's width and height. For dresses sketch a shirt box with a skirt box underneath and separate. Plan to make the dress in two pieces and seam at the waist. For pants use a skirt box and remember that pants come in many lengths from shorts and Capri's to styles that cover the foot.
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Use the tracing paper to trace the sketches that have been done in the boxes and that are now to scale with Barbie's size. Use a ruler to add a 1/4-inch border to the entire outline of the clothing shape. This will allow that much extra fabric for sewing later on.
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Mark the measurements of the design on the tracing paper. This is now your pattern. When you use the pattern to make the clothing, simply lay it on the fabric, pin and cut out. Repeat to make another identical cutout. Place right sides of fabric together and stitch. Designs can easily be brought to life and made into actual clothes for Barbie.
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Tips & Warnings
Design as many sketches as you can to make the most clothes. Create your own styles.
When you do sew, use care and caution. Only adults should operate sewing machines.
References
- Photo Credit Samantha Thompson
