DIY Nap Mat Part 3: DOLL VERSION!


So we are now American Girl fans in the Curtis household.  Well, Scarlet is a fan of her doll (and I admit I am kind of living out some childhood fancy-doll fantasies myself, don’t judge me), but the Prudent Dad and I are not so much a fan of shelling out tons of cash on doll accessories.  So in the Prudent Mama spirit, I tried to make doll clothes. Then realized I would rather dump cash on clothes then get arthritis piecing together teensy seams all day long.  Hmmm, what could I make this doll?

Then it hit me – Scarlet’s favorite thing in the world is her nap mat, so why not make one for her doll?  As you can see, both Dolly and Scarlet are huge fans.

Check out more creepy Doll Nap Mat pics after the jump. What cool things have you whipped up for dolls?  Leave us some comments, this week’s favorite comment takes home a whole yard of Dan Stiles fabric from Fabricworm!

DIY Nap Mat for a Doll

This fabric is ridic luxe – I can’t tell you how amazing it is, you have to feel it. It’s Anna Maria Horner Innocent Crush Velveteen in Maybe Memory and it’s still in stock at Fabricworm! Grab it while is lasts!

Anyhoo, I followed Jacinda’s DIY Nap Mat / Bed Roll tutorial to a T, only in miniature, so I won’t re-hash it here. Just follow the original tute but make it all smaller (I went 18″ wide by 24″ long).

Why are dolls so extra creepy in pictures?

Nite-nite!

by

29 Comments

Bonnie

Now I just love that nap mat even more! My nieces have what I guess you would call the Canadian version of American Girl dolls (Maplelea Girls) and these would make amazing birthday gifts for them!

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Amber

I'm turning my computer away so my girls won't see those pictures! This is definitely going on my to-do list, but if they see that picture of the doll carrying her nap mat, I'm going to end up making a trip to the fabric store today!
And I like the dolls that close their eyes when lying down. If I have to go in to check on my girls at night, it's MUCH less creepy than when their dolls are lying in bed next to them, staring at me with eyes wide open!

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DomesticatedMama

What a great idea! I made two cute dresses for our American Baby doll. Both were mini versions of the pillowcase dress that my daughter had the same of. So easy and she loved having a matching dress. Also made a diaper bag with matching changing mat for her for Christmas. It is still a hit today! A hint, they have some cute clothes and even shoes premade in the doll section at Joanne. You can use your coupon and save even more!!

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Taylor {Sew Much Love}

I'm with you on making stuff for those American Girl Dolls! Their stuff is so expensive i'm pretty sure American Girl accessories will be an acceptable form of currency in the future…so hold on to your stuff!

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Ashley

agh! that is darling!
My daughter, Audrey is one and has the Bitty Baby American Girl doll, which she loves to pieces! I too, cannot bring myself to pay $24 for a dress that is THAT TEENY!, but since my Audrey LOVES to dress and undress and diaper Bitty, I have been making little doll diapers and have made two precious little dresses…which are reversible!….BONUS! And NO, I am not piecing together little sleeves and things, it's a wrap back dress with snaps! Awesomness!:)

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Julia

My MIL and I made matching pillowcase dresses for girls and dolls and sold them at a festival last year. I have made just about everything for AG dolls, bows, dresses, outfits, Halloween costumes! My daughter is 2 and already has Bitty Baby, Kirsten and my Samantha doll from when I was little.

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Beth @ Sand To Pearl

Creepy dolls! Ahh, my husband HATES those things. My mom got my daughter the "Fancy Nancy" doll and my husband and his whole family hate the doll, they all tell me how creepy it is. My mother-in-law actually banned the doll from her house. Hehehehe, this post just cracked me up.

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amidel

For my daughter's birthday party we had her friends bring a doll and they got to make clothing/outfits for the doll. Then they had a fashion show. It was sooo much fun for the girls. We only used needle and thread and low heat hot glue gun (used by adults only) to make the clothes. I gave them scraps that I had hanging around, along with ribbons, lace, buttons, and jewels. We put some white lights around a table and that was the cat walk for the dolls. The only thing I had to pay for was ingredients for brownies and the rental of the hall which was CHEAP. All in all, great fun!

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Lauren

You could always whip up a matching Minkee Eye Mask for her to hide those creepy eyes πŸ˜€ I'd much rather look at that beautiful fabric than creepy doll eyes!

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Sarah

Well I love the child and doll sized nap mats! But you know a lot of us thirty something mamas secretly think that those dolls come alive at night and creep around while we sleep! There were way too many Chuckie movies and killer doll books consumed in my adolescence for me to ever be completely comfortable around life like dolls again!

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April @ Sewing Novice

Too cute! I want to make a nap mat for my daughter once I'm better at sewing. Maybe I should start with one for her babies as she calls them (she is 1.5). Also, my husband always says how creepy her dolls are and he hasn't even taken pictures of them. I will have to share this post. LOL

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Mariel

LL Bean sells these boot key chains that supposedly fit American Girl dolls as shoes. I think they have a Bean boot and an "Ugg" boot.

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Angela

I have made so many outfits for my daughters' dolls – matching pj's, skirts, tops, dresses, matching robes – I even cut down an old Speedo swimsuit of my daughters to make one for her doll. (AG and Bitty Baby, and mini-AG dolls!)
Now my youngest is old enough that she has started sewing for her doll and I supervise/do the hard parts. It's actually a lot of fun once you get started… good luck!

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leaf and letter handmade

i'm due any day with baby #2, so i'm also totally loving this as a travel baby changing mat! [might have to make 2 at the same time since big sister has lots of my AG dolls from when i was little & will surely be jealous] πŸ™‚
~lindsey

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VickiT

Great idea and tute. Thank you.

I am about to make your day. πŸ™‚ I searched high and low on the net for better prices on American Girl Doll clothes because our Granddaughter was given one for her 3rd birthday. I found this place and was SUPER excited. I have ordered from them and the shipping was quick and exactly what I ordered.
Their prices are great but fair warning – if you see something you really love – order right then and there because their stock rotates VERY quickly. They don't always have the same stock from week to week and even day to day. The prices on their accessories and shoes are awesome. My Granddaughter got a huge bunch of clothing from us for her birthday for her doll we knew she was going to be getting. She was super excited.
http://www.silly-monkey.com/

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Becky @ The Barefoot Seamstress

I may have drooled recently when an American Girl doll catalog came in our mailbox! I read the books as a girl and always wanted one but yes they are waaay expensive. My parents were smart and put me in front of the sewing machine instead πŸ™‚

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ppags

My daughter is only 18 months old but I am already browsing these dolls. I hope that she loves dolls as much as I did when I was a baby. Great little project!

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Emily

OOO!!! good idea. πŸ™‚
I've made a whole bunch of things for my sister's doll…. including onesies and tights!!! πŸ™‚

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Jen

Oh, MAN. If only we had this tutorial in the 80s when I was growing up. My Samantha Doll would have been sleeping in STYLE. Love it.

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MEM

I've only made a Lainey-sized quilt and pillows to go with the Etsy-made bed a purchased. It was enough work! Especially bc I decided to make a mini-version of the baby quilt I made for my niece which was not simple with 5" squares… but they love it!

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The Queen

I once made some doll clothes for my little sisters (back when you could buy actual American Girl Doll company patterns) and that was fun because they actually played with their dolls. I made one little baby outfit for my oldest daughter before I found out she is not in the least bit interested in playing dolls. (Biggest waste of an hour ever. )My second daughter isn't too interested in them either. I'm holding out hope that my third likes them. She loves the "baby" on the yogurt container at least.

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