How to Sew Doll Clothes {Making Doll Clothing}
Learning how to sew doll clothes is a great way to practice your sewing skills, use up fabric scraps, and create an entire handmade wardrobe for your favorite doll. Doll clothes are small and quick to sew, but there are a few tricks that make working with tiny pattern pieces, narrow seam allowances, and small-scale trims much easier. In this beginner’s guide, I’ll show you how to make doll clothes step by step, including choosing the best fabrics, cutting small pattern pieces accurately, sewing tiny seams, adding fastenings, and finishing your doll clothing neatly. I’ll also share some free doll clothes patterns to help you get started. Doll clothes were actually one of my first sewing projects. When I was seven, I made a simple elasticized skirt for my favorite teddy. I don’t have the skirt anymore, but I still have the teddy!
How to Sew Doll Clothes (Quick Guide)
Sewing doll clothes is much like sewing full-sized clothing, but the smaller pieces and seam allowances require a little extra accuracy. Start with a simple pattern for a larger doll, choose lightweight fabric, and use short stitches and narrow seam allowances for the best results.
- Choose a simple doll clothes pattern that fits your doll.
- Select lightweight fabric with a small-scale print.
- Prewash and press the fabric.
- Cut the small pattern pieces accurately.
- Sew the seams using the seam allowance specified in the pattern.
- Finish the raw edges with a narrow zigzag, pinking shears, or a fray-prevention product if necessary.
- Press the seams as you sew.
- Add hems, fastenings, and any decorative trims.
Supplies for Making Doll Clothing
Your pattern should give you a list of all the supplies needed to sew doll clothes but here are a few common ones you will need.
- Fabric – See below for more information on fabric. In general, lightweight fabric is best. Look for fat quarters which are often the perfect size for making doll clothing.
- Pins – Most of the time you will just use straight pins. A safety pin can be useful for threading elastic through casings.
- Measuring Tools – You will need a soft tape measure and a ruler.
- Marking Tools – Tailor’s chalk or a removable pen. Sometimes you can use a pin to mark placement dots.
- Cutting Tools – Fabric scissors, rotary cutter and mat, pinking shears for finishing seams, and a seam ripper.
- Pressing Tools – Iron and ironing board
- Sewing Machine
- Hand Needle and Thread
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Best Fabric for Doll Clothes
The best fabrics for doll clothes are generally lightweight, soft, and easy to sew. Quilting cotton is one of the easiest choices for beginners because it doesn’t stretch or slip while you’re sewing. For T-shirts, leggings, and other fitted doll clothes, use a lightweight knit fabric with the amount of stretch specified in the pattern. Because doll clothes are so small, fabric scale matters too. Small prints, narrow lace, tiny buttons, and fine trims will look more proportional than large prints and bulky embellishments.
PRINTS – Fabrics with small-scale prints work the best as larger prints will be cut into. Look for solid colors as well. You can add interest by using contrasting solid colors. Add a pocket or detail in another color. Doll clothing doesn’t have to be plain.
SOFT FABRIC – Fabrics should be soft and not stiff. Quilting cotton works well for many patterns. Stay away from medium or heavy-weight fabrics as they are usually too thick. Using a thick fabric will make the outfit tighter.
FABRIC TYPE – The composition of the fabric you use doesn’t matter but try and choose fabrics that are not too thin as they are more difficult to sew due to the small seam allowances and size of the garment.
KNIT VS WOVEN – Take note of whether the pattern designer has used a knit or woven fabric. Knit fabric patterns are generally tighter so you can’t substitute a woven fabric. You will need stretch needles to sew knit fabric while woven fabric can be sewn with a universal needle.
SCALE – Use small-scale laces and ribbons for trims. Sometimes you can cut laces down smaller. Otherwise, look for 1/4 inch (6mm) widths.
UPCYCLING – Save money and don’t limit your fabric choices to your fabric stash. Consider upcycling old clothing and t-shirts for some really creative ensembles.
MUSLIN – Because different brands of 18-inch (46cm) dolls and toys can vary slightly in measurements, make the first try of a new pattern in muslin or a cheap fabric to check the fit before using expensive fabric.
How to Sew Doll Clothes, Step by Step
1. Prepare and Cut the Fabric
PREWASH – Always pre-wash any fabric used for doll clothing. You don’t want to go to the effort of sewing only to find that something doesn’t fit after the first wash. This will also check that your fabric color doesn’t run. Always beware when using white with another color. Red and white together can be deadly for the color running.
BE ACCURATE – Because your pattern is very small and the seam allowance is only 1/4 inch (6mm) it is important that you cut accurately to ensure the garment fits well when you are finished.
KEEP TRACK – Keep the pattern pieces pinned to the cut-out fabric until you are ready to sew to help identify the pieces more easily.
USE FREEZER PAPER – Really small pattern pieces can be cut accurately using freezer paper. This kitchen paper has wax on one side that can be ironed to the fabric. It is amazing for appliqueing and cutting small pieces. Read my article on what is freezer paper and how can it be used for sewing.
2. Stitch the Doll Clothes Seams
When you start sewing doll clothes, hold the threads tightly to prevent them from getting caught up underneath.If your fabric is getting caught in your machine as you sew due to the small seam allowances, you could try sewing over a piece of thin paper to stabilize it. Gently rip the paper away when you are finished.
- STITCH SIZE – Use smaller stitches than normal if you want it to look to scale. Try a length of 2.0 on a scrap of your fabric and see how it looks.
- SEAM ALLOWANCES – Most doll clothing has much smaller seam allowances than you are probably used to sewing. Common seam allowances for dolls are 1/4 inch (6mm) or 3/8 inch (1cm).
3. Finishing the Seams
Many of my pattern instructions include seam finishing options but really your dolly doesn’t care about the inside of the dress. You will notice many bought doll clothes are unfinished inside.
In thicker fabrics, finishing your seams with a serger can add bulk due to the extra threads. Try a narrow zig-zag stitch or pinking shears. If you want to use your serger, try using a 3 thread overlock.
Using a fray stop (also called Fray Check) solution is another great way to stop seams from unraveling.
4. Press the Seams
Like our own clothing, doll’s clothing looks better if you press the seams as you sew. It is not essential but it can help to buy a mini iron like Clover makes to press fiddly small seams.
5. Making Doll Clothes with Embellishments
After you finish sewing your doll clothing, start decorating for a truly unique look. Embellishment ideas include adding lace, applique, embroidery, sequins or ric-rac. Just make sure that the trim is suitable for the age of the child that will be playing with the doll. For example, I wouldn’t put beads or sequins on an outfit that a young child would be playing with. Don’t forget to make some accessories too.
Where to Get Patterns
The internet is full of simple free doll clothing patterns, and here are a few of mine to get you started. The doll t-shirt pattern is especially popular and a great starter project for making doll clothes. Best of all, the sleeves are joined to the body, so it really is easy.
- 18 inch Doll Blanket Pattern – You can adapt the size of this blanket.
- Doll Pillow Pattern – This is a pattern for the pillow insert.
- Doll T-shirt Pattern – Use up scraps of stretch fabric or upcycle an old t-shirt.
- How to Make a Doll Mattress – Make a mattress for your favorite doll bed.
- Doll Pillowcase Pattern – Add some colorful doll pillowcases.
- Doll Cape Pattern – This vintage-style capelet is fun to make.
Once you have some confidence in sewing doll clothes, it is time to create a whole wardrobe! Check out my sewing pattern shop for more doll clothing patterns. There are also matching girl’s dress patterns for most of these so you can create a “dolly and me” look.
Tips for Sewing Doll Clothing
CHECK SIZING – The sizing between dolls can vary so always check with the pattern designer that it will fit your doll. I have several American Girl Dolls and have noticed that the newer ones have a considerably smaller chest.
FASTENINGS – Velcro can get caught in the doll’s hair so buy either doll velcro or the type used on baby clothing. These types of sewing Velcro are softer and less scratchy. If they are too wide, you can cut them down to a better size for your doll.
DON’T START SMALL – When choosing which doll to sew clothing for, start with 18-inch doll clothing rather than Barbie doll clothes. Barbie clothes are much smaller and harder to sew than those for American Girl Dolls or baby dolls.
USE PDF PATTERNS – There is a whole world of PDF patterns for dolls on the internet. If you haven’t tried one before then you should definitely start with doll clothing. These patterns are printed on your home printer and the instructions are viewed in Adobe Reader on your computer screen. The small size of doll clothing pattern pieces makes this an ideal introduction to PDF patterns.
How to Sew Clothes for 18-Inch Dolls
An 18-inch doll is a good size to start with when learning how to sew doll clothes. The pattern pieces are large enough to handle easily, while the finished garments are still quick to make and require very little fabric. Keep in mind that not every 18-inch doll has exactly the same measurements. Check the pattern’s finished measurements or sizing information before cutting, particularly around the chest, waist and hips. If you’re unsure about the fit, make a test garment from inexpensive fabric first.
Plastic 18-inch dolls can be expensive and hard to find in some countries so why not sew your own! Rag doll crafts are fun and rewarding. The Milly rag doll pattern will fit all my 18-inch doll clothing patterns. Technically she is a little taller as her feet point downwards but her body has similar dimensions to most of the popular brands so you can sew her a whole wardrobe. She comes with the dress pictured so you can start off her clothing collection in style.
Making Doll Clothing FAQS
Doll clothes are so easy to sew. Firstly they are only small, so they don’t take long and you can skip the time-consuming finishing of seams. Most doll patterns have simplified techniques to make them not only easy to sew but easy for kids to put the clothing on and off by themselves.
Doll clothes are expensive to buy and making doll clothing is a cheaper option that is extremely rewarding. It is easy to make doll clothes in simple designs as most styles are simplified to account for the small sizes. Choose simple shapes and make them look different by changing the fabrics you use as well as embellishing with ric-rac, lace and kid-safe trims.
Yes, doll clothes can be sewn by hand. Just use a small backstitch or running stitch for the seams. Hems are best sewn with a running stitch so they will look good on both sides. If you do want to sew a hem with a backstitch, you will need to sew on the right side of the garment as it doesn’t look as good on the back.
For a no-sew option for making doll clothing, you could use fabric glue for the hems and seams. Or better still use a combination of hand sewing and glue. Hand sew the side seams and then glue the hems. This will give you longer-lasting doll clothing. Fusible hemming tape is normally 3/4-1 inch in width but can be cut down much narrower to use on your doll hems. Hemming tape is placed between the garment and the hem and then ironed to activate the glue.
In Conclusion
Learning how to sew doll clothes is a fun way to build your sewing skills while using surprisingly little fabric. Start with a simple pattern and lightweight cotton, take your time when cutting and sewing the small pieces, and you’ll soon find that making an entire doll wardrobe becomes surprisingly quick and easy. Once you’ve mastered your first outfit, experiment with different fabrics, trims, pockets, appliqué, and matching accessories to make each piece unique.
Ready to start sewing? Browse my doll patterns in my sewing pattern shop for dresses, tops, skirts, pants, pajamas, and more, or start with one of my free doll patterns above.
Author - Luisa Clare
Luisa Clare is the founder of Treasurie, a sewing and crochet education platform offering step-by-step tutorials and printable patterns. With over 15 years of experience in dressmaking, pattern design, crochet, and craft education, she specialises in teaching beginners through clear, easy-to-follow lessons. Her tutorials and patterns are used by home sewists and crocheters worldwide to build practical skills and confidence. Learn more about Luisa and Treasurie.
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