DIY 30 Minute Baby Doll Romper
I’m going to put this disclaimer loud & proud here at the top of this one… I am in NO which way shape or form an accomplished seamstress and these doll clothes are rudimentary at best. This is less of a Doll Clothes pattern, and more of an idea or jumping off point. Take this and make it your own!
Okay, now that your expectations have been sufficiently lowered, let’s start off by explaining how much my Kiddo loves his Baby Doll. This was his big gift for his second birthday, and we don’t leave the house, or go to bed without Baby. (Don’t worry, I have already purchased a backup to keep in the closet in case the worst happens and Baby is lost or destroyed.)
Seeing as how Baby gets so much daily use, and isn’t exactly washing machine friendly, I decided we needed a few different outfits to try and keep the soft body of the toy as clean as possible. The inspiration for this pattern (I’m using the word pattern loosely here… again, more of an idea/guideline!) is one of sheer laziness. While my Home Economic Teaching Grandmother did in fact teach me to sew a perfect button hole, they are time consuming and not my favorite. Instead, I’m using pre-existing buttons and button holes to make a romper for this project.
The first step here is to turn the sleeve inside out, and take an existing outfit or doll and trace it out for shape and size. When in doubt, go a little bigger. You want the button to land on the chest of the doll. Trace around the body and leave gaps where the sleeves will be added, at the bottom of the pants, and the neck opening.
Take this tracing, and if you’re as ambitious and sloppy a seamstress as I am, sew it as is without cutting it out and pinning it down. Once it’s sewn together, you can trim and flip it right side out. If you’re a traditional (read, GOOD and PATIENT) sewer, cut the pieces out, pin them face to face, and sew around the outside.
At this point, it’s a good idea to try the little romper on the doll to make sure the legs fit and the arm holes are big enough. The romper is cute enough to rock without sleeves, if you so dare! Otherwise, trim four pieces out to make your sleeves.
Now, for my outfits, I’ve been getting fancy and adding elastic around the ends of the sleeves. I like that I can push the arms up a bit on the doll, and it looks a bit more finished to me. However, this step is ENTIRELY optional. If your doll has weirdly shaped hands (like ours does) it might be simpler to hem the ends down without elastic. Either way, lay the pieces face to face and sew down one length of the sleeve. Hem the end (with elastic, or without) and then sew up the other end to create your sleeve.
(Helpful hint: the un-hemmed end of the sleeve with attach to the body MUCH simpler if you start your seam in 1/8″ instead of at the end leaving little flaps.)
To attach the sleeve, take the little “Flaps” of your sleeve and match them with the armpit opening. With both pieces still inside out, put the faces of your fabric together and attach with a straight stitch.
Touch up with hemming around the foot openings, and neck openings and tack down the corners of the “Collar” with a couple stitches. And there you have it – My 30 minute Baby Doll Romper.
We made the first outfit with one of my husbands worn out work shirts and every time I see my kiddo playing with it, it warms my heart to know he’s got a piece of his Daddy with him all day. The one I did today is with a $.99 shirt I saw at the Thrift Store made of the softest fabric.
Let me know what you think of this pattern/idea/guideline and send me pictures of your finished doll clothes!
