DIY - Doll Carrier

The other week, my daughter asked me if she could have some string from Daddy's office. Wondering what she might need string for, I asked her. She told me that she wanted to make a carrier for her dolly. First, I thought that she was rather creative to decide that she could use string to make a carrier. Then, I told her that instead of string, we should make one together out of fabric. I told her that we could go shopping in a couple of days to get the material for the carrier. When Sunday afternoon came and we were ready to head to the store for fabric and groceries, she wrote out a list to bring along. (I just loved this list - that first item is fabric, can you guess the others?)

It was then that I decided, I might want to have a plan before I shop, rather than figure it out on the fly. I quick search of the internet and Pinterest, yielded me lots of different carrier photos, but I couldn't really find a pattern or directions. There were some shops that were selling patterns and some that appeared to use a book, that of course, my library didn't have. So, as any industrious person would do, I started measuring my computer screen to get the 'relative' dimensions, which then I scaled up and added a seam allowance to. I drew it on a piece of paper that wasn't quite the right size and then transferred it to the funny pages.

So, I had a pattern and that gave me an idea of how much fabric I would need. I opted to skip batting - which it seemed that several of the carriers were made with. I had planned to use buttons to secure it, but eventually opted for Velcro, with button accents at the points of connection.

At the store, I told her that she could choose two fabrics - one for the inside and one for the outside. I wasn't really sure how much I would need, but I went with 1/2 yard of each fabric - this was probably a lot more than I needed, but it is always nice to have some extra fabric on hand for future impromptu projects. She also chose a quilting quarter for the pocket. The fabric in total cost me about $5. In addition, we picked up four buttons and some thread (turns out I had some purple already, but it didn't seem worth the effort to return a $1 spool of thread, so I have added it to my collection). That was about $3 in total. As I mentioned, I decided to go with Velcro, but my husband picked that up for me and we have a lot left.

I folded my fabrics near the end, allowing just enough to fit the pattern. Using the skills I learned in 8th grade Home Ec, I pinned the pattern to my fabric and cut it out. I had to cut two of the pieces - the inside and the outside.

Then, I cut two long strips at about 5" wide to make the straps. Then, I cut out the pocket. I cut it square and sewed it into shape.

I decided, based on pictures, that I would sew the straps in at the bottom of the carrier, so with right sides together, I sewed around the outside of the carrier body leaving the bottom open for turning it and securing the straps. The planner that I am, I failed to sew on the pocket ahead of time, so the stitching is visible on the 'inside' of the carrier - not a big deal, but a cleaner project would have had the pocket sewn on before joining the pieces. The, I flipped the carrier right side out and sewed on the pocket.


To make the straps, I used my iron to press a 1/4" seam on the one side and then folded the other side to just past middle and then folded over the side that I had pressed, making sure that I covered the unfinished edge from the other side. I ran a stitch on each side at about 1/4" from the edge and then ran two that worked out to be about 7/8" from the edges. This secured it and made them look 'strappy'.

I inserted the straps into the bottom of the carrier and folded in my edge, sewing it across with a 1/4" seam allowance.

Then, using Velcro dots, I 'sized' the carrier to fit a dolly and my daughter. I had intended to create button holes and attached buttons, but the Velcro seemed to work well, so I switched from the sticky dots to sewn on Velcro. Then, I added button accents.


She loves her doll carrier. She uses it to carry her dolly when she is busy doing other things and can't be bothered to actually carry the dolly. I must say, that for no pattern, I am very pleased with the results, it's not perfect, but is perfect for her.


This post shared at Works for Me Wednesday and Homemade By You and DIY'ers link up.

Update: I have been asked about dimensions. I didn't use a real pattern, but sort of used a guide and then adjusted. Here is a sketch of relative dimensions. So, you can see that it is about 3 times as tall as the tail is wide, etc. This will allow the most flexibility to you to figure out the sizes for your own child. The straps were cut at about 5" wide and finished were about 2" wide, so you can use that to see that the tail is about 5" wide finished on mine.

Ride Along Dolly - Doll Bike Seat

Being of a frugal mind, like I am, when we picked out my son's first bike several years ago, I made sure that we selected one that wasn't too 'boy'. I figured that when you are looking at a small starter bike, you won't get much use out of it and using the same bike for both kids simply would make more sense. The one we got was definitely 'boy', but being green and black without any character tie in, I felt it would work for my daughter.

When he was big enough to move up to the next size bike, we put the training wheels back on and added a basket with big flowers. Of course, my daughter wanted a seat for her dolly, which seemed to be available with some new bikes. Last year, I searched high and low for a doll seat that could easily be attached to a child's bike. I even called the companies that sold bikes with them on to find out if there was any way I could buy it direct from them. I simply wasn't able to find one. It was the only thing that I had wanted to get and I couldn't find it. I actually continued to check when we were at the store to see if I could find one.

This year, my daughter got a big girl bike from Santa. It didn't come with a doll seat either.

Now though, there is finally an option (I actually think it might have been an out of stock option the prior year, as I am pretty sure I did a search on this item before) - Ride Along Dolly - doll bike seat.

It is a cute little, pink, lightweight plastic seat that easily attaches to the bike frame - all of the hardware is included. It even comes with stickers so that your little mommy can decorate that seat in whatever way she feels. Dolly can be securely fastened in with an easy to operate clasp. The seat fits dolls (or a favorite stuffed toy) from 18'22" and up to 3#.

I like that it is lightweight, because it doesn't feel like it would have a significant impact on the balance of the bike or make it harder to pedal. I have to believe that the 3# guideline for doll weight has to mean that most dolls can ride along, I can't imagine a dolly that is much heavier than 3#.

Unfortunately, while it is easy to attach and includes all of the necessary hardware, the bicycle that my daughter got has an integrated rear fender that flows from the frame, meaning that while the seat would have worked on the bike she inherited from her brother, now that she has her own 'girl' bike, there is no place to attach it on the new bike.

Giveaway!
Courtesy of Ride Along Dolly, one A Busy Mom of Two reader will have the chance to win a Ride Along Dolly seat.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Giveaway will remain open through January 22nd. Giveaway is open to residents of the US only. One winner will be selected through Rafflecopter. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be selected.

No compensation was received for this post. I received a complimentary Ride Along Dolly doll seat to facilitate my review and one to give away to a reader. All opinions expressed are entirely my own or that of my family.

Hearts for Hearts Girls

My daughter was so excited to come downstairs one morning last week and see a new doll sitting on the counter, waiting for her. I told her that as long as she was good, we would open it up and she could play with her later that day. (she had been rather mean the evening before, so it was a well-timed arrival that I could use this new toy to inspire good behavior).

After a successful day of being on her best behavior, we finally opened up the doll. Being only 4 years old, my daughter was a lot more interested in the doll than the story behind the doll. As an adult though, I knew that this was more than just a doll. We had received the Hearts to Hearts Girls doll - Lilian of Belarus.

Changing the World One Heart at a Time! That is the goal of the new Hearts For Hearts Girls doll line and fashion collection from Playmates Toys. The collection features six dolls from around the world, each with an inspiring story to share.

Meet the six Hearts For Hearts Girls:

Meet Consuelo from Mexico City. Colorful and warm, Consuelo provides aid to hungry children who are homeless and live on the streets near her parents’ bakery.

Meet Lilian of Belarus. Determined Lilian provides aid to girls whose parents must find work in the big city and are forced to leave their children with orphanages.

Meet Dell from the heart of Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountains. Dell creates music and knitwear to share with others in need of warm clothing.

Meet Rahel of Ethiopia. Rahel, who dreams of becoming a doctor so that she can make a real difference for people in her region, journeys with her family into the wilderness of Ethiopia to help bring back aid to her community.

Meet Tipi from Laos. Based on a real girl who shares her art and storytelling with others through dancing, drawing, and puppetry, Tipi leads her school in a mural contest in hopes of winning much-needed books for her class.

Meet Nahji who hails from Assam, India. Brave Nahji breaks tradition to bring courage and education to the girls who work in the tea fields of India.

Each doll is 14" tall and comes dressed in culturally inspired clothing. Each doll includes a "girl-sized" Hearts for Hearts friendship bracelet. It also includes a story booklet that shares about the doll's life. Included with the purchase of doll is a special code that unlocks a free membership to the kid-safe Hearts for Hearts Girls website.

I checked out the website and even with out the free membership, you can read Real Girl stories, which features stories about girls in countries that are making a difference in their community. You can also read and learn more about each doll and their country. You can also play the games in demo mode. By logging on with the free membership, your daughter can access the full games and a special "myHeart" page. There is also access to the doll's diary, where she continues to share about her life.

Additionally, through a partnership with World Vision3, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each Hearts For Hearts Girls doll is donated to programs that support girls in that doll’s country. Whether it’s malaria nets in Africa, schoolbooks in Asia, or food supplies in the United States, these programs help girls to thrive and succeed.

I always allow my kids to play and interact with toys that I am reviewing. I like to watch how they play with them. I ask them what they like best about the toy, as well as what they don't like. Lately, I have been allowing my son to type up his reviews. Then, I usually grab the toys for the evening so that I can have them at hand while I am writing up my post. My daughter was not willing to give up the doll, even for a night (she has slept with her most nights since opening her), told me that she would write it for me so that she could keep the doll for the night. Here is what she wrote:
(She is good with letters, but not so good with proper use of upper/lower case or layout. This says: My little girl liked the doll) When I asked her what she liked, her response was "everything about it!" I'd say that is a pretty good review!

I think that my daughter really likes that she can comb and style her hair. Most of our dolls do not have hair, or certainly not enough to brush. She even came with her own pony tail holder and comb. I should clarify by saying, my daughter likes to comb her hair and have me braid it - an art that she hasn't mastered. She also likes that the doll can stand on her own - none of our other dolls can do that. She would like to have clothes to change her, but I have not seen that they have them available.

Not only does my daughter like the doll, but I like that there is an educational piece with the back story on the doll, the inspiring stories on the website and the donation made for each doll purchased to children's programs in the home country.

Want to get one? You can visit Playmates Toys to purchase Hearts for Hearts Girls . Enter the coupon code “DUXNT4S1” to receive $3.00 towards the purchase of a Hearts for Hearts Girl doll today! The dolls are also available through select retailers.

Want to learn more? You can visit the Hearts for Hearts Girls Website and Like Hearts for Hearts Girls on Facebook.

No compensation was received for this post. We received on Hearts for Hearts Girls doll from Playmates Toys for our review through MyBlogSpark. All opinions expressed are my own or that of my family.