It's getting cold outside so don't forget to grab some tights and keep those little legs covered! And I don't just mean the girls. How about their dolls too? I just love little doll accessories and they are even more fun when you make them yourself.
Today I am going to teach you how to make tights for your doll in just minutes by upcycling! Maria, the head of our doll patterns, taught me this little trick and it's so fun and easy to do!
For supplies, all we need is one women's sock! I'm sure we all have a mis-matched sock hiding somewhere in the house. I chose to use this ladies' dress sock to get the look of black tights, but you can use any type of sock, stocking, or even a cut-off nylon. If you have holiday socks or striped socks, that's even more fun! You just need to make sure that whatever you choose will fit over your doll's legs:
Go ahead and put the sock onto the doll to make sure it will fit. We want the sock to leave plenty of room at the waist. There's nothing worse than store-bought doll tights that are impossible to keep on! I like them to be nice and roomy. This sock looks tight on her legs but it is really stretchy so it will be perfect. So let's get started!
Step 1: Turn the sock inside out and lay it on a flat surface. Put the doll on top of the sock, lining it up with her feet an inch or so above the bottom of the sock, to leave room for the foot curve. Then use fabric chalk or a marking pen to mark a 1/2" line at the top of the leg-gap, as shown in yellow above.
Step 2: Looking at the photo above for guidance, sew a straight line through both layers from the bottom of the sock up to the line you marked, sew across the line, then sew down again. I used a stretch stitch to sew mine and the lines were 1.5" from the side of the sock, but that will depend on how wide your sock is and how much it stretches. If you want, you can draw the lines on before you begin. Be sure to backstitch at the beginning and end of your sewing.
Use fabric scissors to cut a straight line up the sock, right between the lines we just sewed. Clip the corners. You may want to zigzag or serge the raw edges if it looks like it will fray. I didn't serge mine.
Turn the tights right side out, using a dowel if necessary.
Try them on your model and hopefully you have a perfect fit! They have always worked for me. I especially love how the reinforced ends fall on her toes. Super cute.
If the tights don't fit right at first you can turn them back out and adjust. Or it might be even faster to go search the house for a new sock. I won't tell anyone.
That's all there is to it! Now all she needs is her perfect party dress!
I can't wait to see all the tights you make for your dolls, so please share in our patterns group! Just think how cute they would be in stripes or polka dots.
Let's Create! ~ Kristen
