Crafts: Making Clothes in a Barbie World

Is it just me, or have Barbie clothes gotten a lot more risqué since I was playing with the doll twenty-something years ago?  Barbie has recently invaded our house in a big way.  It started with one Disney Princess Barbie last Christmas, and in a year’s time we have somehow accumulated close to a dozen dolls. 

While my feminist self can’t help but point out that if Barbie were a real woman she wouldn’t have enough room for all her internal organs and in fact would not be able to stand up straight, my family self has given up any sort of fight.  We are a Barbie household.  Heck, I was a Barbie-loving 6-year-old once, too. 

Now we find ourselves attempting to strike a balance between the Barbie world and, well, our world—the world of sustainability and green living, of feminism, social justice, and social responsibility.  So what does this balance look like?  Well, I can tell you right now that those micro-mini skirts we see in the store are just not happening.  Ben and I have committed to sticking with a DIY philosophy, even with Barbie.

Barbie’s “Green” Wardrobe

I found a great book at the library—Fabulous Fashion Doll Clothing That You Can Make—that is full of ideas for making Barbie clothes out of socks, scarves, ties, old blouse sleeves, and other “upcycled” items.  All of the projects are completed with a glue gun.  (If you have a library card, you can request the book through the Newport Public Library; the often forgotten wonders of inter-library loan mean that the book will be delivered to Newport, and then it's yours for three whole weeks!) 

I liked the book so much that I ordered our own copy, and when Mom was looking for something to give Be for her birthday, I handed her the book and she went crazy filling up a box with socks and ties and lace and who knows what else.

We officially have a Barbie clothes-making kit now.

This weekend, we dove in.  And it was fun.

If you have a Barbie-loving girl with a creative streak in your life, this is a fabulous way to spend a cold Saturday afternoon, and with the impending snow storm, it looks we'll be home-bound yet again. Socks are the easiest way to start because they are stretchy, so you don’t need to worry about getting it on and off the doll.  The outfits come together quickly and easily; pretty soon you will find yourself trying more challenging designs.

 Try it:  get an adult sock, and a Barbie.  Cut a hole in the toe for her head and two holes for her arms.  Cut the bottom straight across at the heel.  These two steps give you the basic dress, then the sky is the limit.

One word of warning—you may want to leave any perfectionism at the door.  I happen to be a perfectionist, but once I let the glue gun take over and let go of worries about frayed edges and visible glue, we were just rocking through the outfits.

 If you want to start your own clothes-making kit, start gathering your mismatched socks and old ties.  The next time you splash red sauce all over a beautiful blouse, save the sleeves for a Barbie dress.  Shrink your favorite sweater in the wash?  Those sleeves will make a great dress, too.  A quick trip to Newport's Salvation Army can yield some great dress-making options.  Keep in mind that bottle caps, buttons, even single earrings or broken necklaces can make great accessories or dress accoutrements. 

If you know a sewer or crafter, ask them for scraps of fabric, ribbon, and lace.  Or scour thrift stores or the clearance racks at craft stores for these items.  (Michael's in Middletown has a clearance section that's easy to miss-- it's in the far corner of the store near the yarn.)