1. Make Barbie a winter cloak with fur and fabric. Cut a piece of velvet, jersey or other warm fabric into a 9-inch rectangle. Stitch a piece of thread through the top to gather the material together at the neckline, allowing the cape to hang in folds. Create a collar with a small piece of fake fur with a thin backing. Edge the bottom and opening of the cape with fur. Sew two narrow ribbons to the front to tie the cape shut.
2. Step 2

   Sew a matching fur hat. Cut a 5-inch piece of fake fur. Sew the edges together so it forms a circle that fits over Barbie’s hair. Cut a circle of fur large enough to cover the top of the hat. Attach it by sewing it on.

3. Step 3

   Make a swimsuit cover-up using a facecloth. Cut a 3-by-10-inch piece of terry cloth. Cut a round hole in the center for Barbie’s head. Try it on to adjust it. It must be wide enough to fit around, but the shoulders can be cut narrow so it hangs properly. A long, narrow piece makes a belt. Make belt loops with pieces of thread on either side of the waist. This is a good project for younger girls because it needs no sewing. Preteens might want to sew the sides of the outfit.

4. Step 4

   Make a corduroy jumper or dress. Cut a 10-inch piece of fabric, making a hole in the center for the head. Sew the sides together, and hem the bottom. Attach two long thin rectangles of fabric as straps. Sew tiny buttons or other decorations on the front.

5. Step 5

   Help younger girls create a dress using paper towels, sequins and glue. Cut a 15-inch piece of plain white paper towel. Cut a hole for the head. Tape the sides together under the arms. Glue sequins along the neckline and hem. This is a quick, simple and elegant dress young girls can make themselves.

1. Cut out your pattern pieces.
2. Step 2

   Fold your muslin fabric in half, and pin your pattern pieces on the folded muslin.

3. Step 3

   Cut a total of four arm pieces, four leg pieces and two body pieces.

4. Step 4

   Sew the two body pieces together first. Use a 1/4-inch seam or what is called a presser-foot width.

5. Step 5

   Start at the bottom of one side of the body and follow all around, leaving the straight bottom open for stuffing.

6. Step 6

   Stitch two arm pieces together starting at the corner of the short, straight edge of the top and going around the mitten hand.

7. Step 7

   Stop at the opposite corner of the short, straight edge. Leave the straight edge open so you can stuff the arm.

8. Step 8

   Stitch the other two arm pieces together.

9. Step 9

   Stitch two leg pieces together. Start at the corner of the straight edge, go down the length, around the curved top of the foot, and come back up, stopping at the corner of the opposite short, straight edge.

10. Step 10

    Stitch the other two leg pieces together.

11. Step 11

    Clip all curved edges, preferably with pinking shears.

12. Step 12

    Turn right side out with the seams inside.

13. Step 13

    Stuff with polyester fiberfill so that the pieces are firm, but not hard.

14. Step 14

    Pinch the top of a stuffed leg closed so that the back and front seams meet.

15. Step 15

    Insert a pin to hold the top closed. Place the leg on your sewing machine and stitch the top closed.

16. Step 16

    Remove the pin, and repeat with the other leg.

17. Step 17

    Use an iron set at medium temperature, and press about 1/2 inch of the raw edge bottom of the body under.

18. Step 18

    Insert the legs into the body, feet facing forward, and pin the legs in place.

19. Step 19

    Machine stitch the legs into the body.

20. Step 20

    Fold the raw edge of an arm inside at the top. (The arm seams are at the sides and will not meet as the leg seams did.)

21. Step 21

    Pin the arms to the side of the doll’s body.

22. Step 22

    Stitch the arms to the doll where the shoulders are. Use a blanket stitch or a buttonhole stitch to hold the arms to the body.

there are three steps you can follow:

making a pattern

- Use a 4 1/2-inch (cottage-cheese size) container lid and position it in the upper center of a large piece of kraft paper.

- Trace your circle. This is the doll’s head.

- Overlay a rectangular tissue box on the bottom of the drawn circle with the circle resting on the end of the box. Make sure that each corner is straight.

- Trace around the box for the doll’s body. The box corners are the doll’s shoulders.

- Draw lines on the inside sides of the circle so that you narrow the head. You don’t want it so round.

- Use a ruler to draw a rectangle 3 inches wide by 6 1/2 inches long on another piece of kraft paper for the doll’s arms and hands.

- Place a large tablespoon, bowl-side-up on the paper at the end of the rectangle, positioning the bowl area so that the handle is actually within the rectangle.

- Trace around the spoon.

- Draw a straight line on one side of the spoon-traced line to start forming a mitten shape.

- Draw the thumb off this straight line where the rectangle line and the spoon line meet.

- Draw another separate rectangle about 10 3/4 inches long and 4 inches wide for the doll’s legs.

- Make another smaller rectangle about 7 inches long at the bottom of this rectangle. Place the smaller rectangle on the bottom so that the two ends overlap and look like an “L.”

- Draw a curve at the toe area. Take the curve back about an inch at the baby-toe area.