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How to Design a Barbie Outfit
by Charles Dodd White
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Overview
Barbie Dolls are always being updated with the latest fashions. However, trying to keep up with each new outfit that comes out can quickly put pressure on your wallet. To keep you kids happy with the latest outfits, you may want to begin designing your own Barbie clothes. You will need to have some proficiency with sewing to start, but once you get involved, you can whip out a new wardrobe that is the match of any factory made ensembles. Your sense of style can take Barbie in a direction the toy maker never imagined. As a joint project, it will give you a chance to work with your kids so that they can have input and help out themselves.
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Designing a Barbie Outfit
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Step 1
Lay out store-bought Barbie outfits so that you have a standard to work with. The dimensions of the clothing will be uniform across the board, so having this model will save you having to figure patterns from scratch.
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Step 2
Remove the stitching on these outfits so that you can spread them flat. This will allow you to make copies close enough to meet the tailor fit of the prefabricated clothes. The advantage, of course, is that now you can alter the look of the costume without losing the reliability of the fit.
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Step 3
Buy doll clothes patterns available from hobby shops. This is an alternative to using what Barbie clothes you already have. Some of these patterns are available as computer programs as well.
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Step 4
Design accessories such as purses, boots and hats to create an overall look for the new costumes. Inspiration can be found in the current fashion trends on the television and in magazines. By creating these outfits yourself, you can actually have clothes that are more in step with current trends than the toy manufacturers can provide.
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Step 5
Get the kids involved; they will enjoy the chance to give you their feedback and even get some experience making the clothes themselves. As a result, important sewing skills can be developed through the fashion design process.
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Step 6
Design both winter and summer attire. Barbie will quickly lose her charm if she does not adjust to the seasons. Make sure your materials vary in thickness and texture, to keep up the illusion that her outfits would be just as realistic as the larger scale versions.
