Let me begin by saying.. yes…. I am SHOWING OFF! This post is all about me showing off to you. Because I am really rather, very and totally pleased with myself. There. I hope you don’t mind my smugness, but sometimes, I think you just have to be, right?!?! I do love a Gift to Make for Kids! (I also think this makes a great DIY Gift Box idea) A few months ago, we received a GORGEOUS book – Crafty Dolls (more on that at the below) – and from that day on Pip Squeak has been browsing it on a regular basis. She asked if I would make her a dolly. I am ALWAYS making the kids things, but I thought this would be a big project so I said – Ok, Darling, for your Birthday, ok?! And now her birthday is around the corner, I finally had to get around to making her Rag Doll. Now. My 5yrs old, gorgeous as she is, is also TERRIBLY messy. There are things all over the house. And I know that this crafty doll would be a real labour of love. She didn’t just want the doll, but she wanted outfits and tutus to go with it. I didn’t want this dolly’s right shoe landing in the front room, the coat disappearing under the bed and her tutu to go in our dressing up box.. so I pondered about how I could “contain it all”.. and contain it all NICELY. In a way that Pip Squeak would WANT to look after it all and then it came to me: A Doll in a Box Gift Set! I was going to make the doll a shoebox home. A doll’s home “on the go” – complete with “inter changeable artwork” a bed and storage for all there things.. ta daaaaaaaaaa……….. I am ridiculously pleased with the shoe box idea!
Please note – I have added relevant affiliate links for convenience and where appropriate!
This is how Pip Squeak will receive her Doll in a Box present! I used decoupage paper and made a Fabric Flower to glue on.
(This is the one I used: UK Readers – Decoupage Paper; US Readers- Decoupage Paper)
When she opens it, she will see her dolly + a baby doll like this. You can see on the lid of the box that I added a “picture frame” detail, where Pip Squeak will be able to “hang” her own post it not artwork.
(I made a smaller box that slides INTO the show box, again decorate with decoupage paper this time I used this pattern – UK Readers, US Readers, you can see Dolly lying on it)
This is what you see when you LIFT open the box that that the doll was lying on.
Take it all out… and you have
* a bed (with ribbons to pull the box out)
* a pillow and blanket made from Daddy’s old shirt and lined with Granny’s old fleece
* a finger knitted orange scarf with pom poms and hat – the scarf made by Red Ted for her sister on her brithday (awww)
*a toy camera (more on that **soon**) also made by Red Ted for his sister
*a pink ballerina’s out fit, complete with tutu and shoes
*a pyjama set (made from Kids Chaos‘s old dress!)
Here we are ready for a day out. What will dolly find to photograph? And didn’t Red Ted do an AMAZING job with thatย finger knitted orange scarf? I knitted the hat for him. And that camera slides open, so you can draw the “pictures you have photographed”.
The Dress, Coat, Shoes and Wolly Hat are all patterns from the Dolly Book (see below). Though we adapted it slightly by adding a pom pom to the hat and elastic to the skirt rather than ribbons.
What a busy day! The Pyjama set is from the book, as is the little dolly. I adapted the baby dolly to have “woolly hair” (rather than felt hair) and essentially made the hair as per the mermaid here, glued it on and stitched it i place for extra safety, I also used marker pens to add the face details).
The pillow and blanket are “my pattern” (ahem, just sew around a rectangle).
And now Dolly is ready for bed. We have put all the clothes away in her bed box. Her artwork is up and she is reading a book (about box trolls that Red Ted made a while back!!!).
And here is the book – Crafty Dolls, by Jane Bull
I have to say, on the whole I found all the patterns easy to do and manage. I think they are designed for a young girl (maybe 8yrs+??) to have a go herself. It is all based on hand sewing, do I did do a bit of it on the machine. And it uses a lot of pinking shears patterns – to avoid having to sew additional seams. I have to confess, that I didn’t rely on the zig zag cuts, and added some fabric glue here and there to “seal” everything. The felt patterns are super easy to make. Though I do worry a little about “wear and tear”, as I can imaging Pip Squeak tearing the odd seam her or there. But we shall see! Overall, a super cute book, with great ideas and patterns and I know I will have a v happy little girl very soon!
ย More Gift Ideas to make FOR You kids.
More DIY Gift Box ideas
Valerie @Glittering Muffins says
Super job on the scarf Red Ted! Maggy this makes me wish I had a little girl or I still was one! SO cute!
Red Ted Art says
Aww I hear you Valerie, my son is the same! Could you make yours a “Teddy in a Box”?
Mel Brammer says
That is sooooo gorgeous. I am very inspired. At the moment though, my 3 year old is still very very attached to the teddy she has had since birth. I think any other doll would soon be evicted of her lovely box bed, and teddy would be installed!
Red Ted Art says
Oh yes make make make make! And in the meantime,make a box bedroom for teddy too?!
Birute Efe says
my daughter has her 5th bday this weekend. maybe I still have time for this? So beautiful!
Red Ted Art says
Maybe start on one and then give her clothes etc for Christmas?! Or make a Teddy in a Box bed?
maryanne @ mama smiles says
This is adorable! The book looks lovely.
Dayna @ Lemon Lime Adventures says
WOW! These are amazing! My little one would LOVE this!
Red Ted Art says
Awwwww thank you!
Linda Shelley says
I would really love to know how your little girl responded to the lovely present you made!
Red Ted Art says
๐ well… she was VERY quiet for about 10 minutes, just looking at it all. Then she grabbed it all and didn’t let it go ALL DAY (even though we were visiting family). She has now gone to bed with her Dolly (Annabel) and has post it notes and pens ready to draw some art to go in the box when she wakes up in the morning!!!!
moralina estacio says
i love this doll.how much and how can i order one of this red ted art.tnx
Red Ted Art says
Awww, sorry these are not for sale ๐ you have to make it yourself!
~Becca~ says
OHMYGOSH! You need to make these and sell them!!!
Red Ted Art says
I need more hours in the day!!! ๐
marlene says
I so agree!
CANDICE says
where can you get the pattern for the doll in the box like to make one for my granddaughter ?
Red Ted Art says
Hi Candice – at the bottom of the post, I have linked the book that I made the doll from! Have fun!!!
Marie says
What a super idea! Thanks for sharing. I loved all the things you included with the doll, and the framed picture is a brilliant touch.
Linda says
Wow, this is adorable! I love classic cloth dolls and what a nice present to give to your girl! The book looks very interesting, I might get it for my girl as she has juststarted to learn to sew. I gave her for Christmas a few sewing kits from “Dress My Doll”, which are these ready to sew doll outfits, very cute and they come in different difficulty levels.
Linda from http://www.CooCooLooo.com