Tuesday, July 24, 2012

You can make this for Christmas...Day 1 Advent Calendar


I thought that I would show case wonderful doll items that you can start making now for the up coming Holiday gift giving season. I believe in giving gifts from the heart and handmade items. With a little planning you can create a handmade Christmas for the doll lover in your life.
Now maybe you are not a wood worker but know how to knit, or sew that is okay but I recommend you form a team. Creating for the holidays is more then just making something it is about being creative. So if you can gather a group of crafty Mom /Dad/friends with different talents who can work together to help  you to create a holiday to remember for the young doll lovers in a group.
That being said let's start with an Advent Calendar

The easiest way to a fun advent calendar filled with doll play fun is to start with a 24 pocket over the door shoe holder.  You can find them easily at Target and home decor/organizing stores under $15. Filling the pocket doesn't need to cost a fortune either. The best part is that after the holiday's your calendar provides wonderful doll play storage.

 Items I recommend for the pockets are items you can find in party shops, dollar stores, yard sales or hand make.

* small erasers that resemble doll sized food/toys or tooth brushes
* doll shoes or socks (make yourself, shop for on Etsy, or on line)
* doll clothes (see up coming posts, try Liberty Jane for wonderful free patterns and reasonably priced patterns you can print in secret and sew)
* AG books, check your local thrift shops for all the wonderful pocket books, how to and self help books that AG offers, I picked up mine starting at 29 cents from Good Will. or Check on line for great no shipping offers from The Book Depository ( I order regularly from them and they are often less expensive then Amazon)

* a Mini AG doll, You can find these wonderful dolls for under $20 on line Amazon, The Book Depository and in store AG locations are less expensive then Americangirl.com

* hair supplies for your dolls. Check your dollar stores, big box and party shops for hair ties, barrettes, bobby pins and more!

* Pick up some of the American girl doll DVD's, check for second hand on Ebay as well. I love the doll hairstyling DVD and recommend it if you can find it!

If you are a Christian person you can also down load and print passages to include in your pockets.
You are not a Christian Person but an Advent or count down too... calendar is apart of your celebration you can add bits of Holiday History, or information on how the winter holidays are celebrated by girls your child's age from around the world.

I look forward to sharing more holiday ideas with you in the coming days. As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

5 comments:

  1. Great idea! Brandy

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fantastic! I think I should do this for my doll emmies one year celebration! She's important to me because she was a special delivery from an eBay seller. She has meat up hair and I'm hoping to gather all supplies and customize her on her birthday! It's August 23.

    - Chloe :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Good tip about looking for ameican girl books at thirft shops my mom and I once found a whole of I think four american girl short stories and a set of three american girl histroy mystreys. TThey aren't in perfect condtion one has marker in it ( little brother+ pen + book= really cheap later) every since then that has been one of my favorite stores. Now if only I could find an used doll there.....

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks Serena, it is such a great thing to get a second hand book, it is like the gift that keeps on giving! Thank you for taking the time to write me!

    ReplyDelete