Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Repairing Doll Clothes 101

So you just bought a special 18 inch doll for your child. Along with customized accessories and clothes, your little one is sure to have tons of fun with his or her new pal. Hours of outdoor play, however, can take its toll on the doll’s clothes, resulting in torn seams or loose buttons. Before long, your child would come up to you, doll in hand, and request you to fix his or her buddy’s garb. Here are a few tips for repairing doll clothes you ought to remember:
Popped Seams
Taking care of doll clothes entails almost the same methods and principles as your actual clothes. Take popped seams, for instance; analyze the seam for the original holes and knot the loose threads at both ends. Sew in a thread of the same color as the original thread, with the starting and closing points a few millimeters off the edge of the open seam.
No Buttons?
The doll clothes you buy may include a full suit and tie get-up, or a buttoned dress. Regular dress-up games could eventually lead to loose or lost buttons. Considering how missing or loose buttons can make a doll look shabby, you’d want to sew these buttons back on as soon as possible. Simply grab a needle and thread, position the button on the fabric, push the threaded needle up through the fabric and through one hole in the button, and repeat the process until the button is securely in place.

Tuesday, May 6, 2014

A Few Tips when Choosing Toys

Toys are one of the things that characterize a child the best. Toys keep a child entertained throughout the day and help stimulate his or her senses. Children are always bound to radiate smiles upon the receipt of a new toy—whether for their birthday or during Christmas holidays.
This is why it is important for parents and guardians to surround their tots with the proper toys to help the latter have the ultimate childhood experience. There are several pointers that thoughtful adults should consider when buying toys for children:
Variety is king. Choosing toys that only function if used a certain way can easily bore any child. It is better to choose a toy that allows children to use it in different ways. A toy that has longevity on its side will make it a child’s favorite.
Use the child’s imagination to your advantage. A child is extremely rich in imagination, so a toy that aids the child in make-believe activities like playing house is invaluable. A girl or boy doll is a perfect example of a toy that mixes well with a child’s role-playing games.
Aim for cross-generation playtimes. Toys like puzzles that can be played by both child and adult will result to more exciting and meaningful playtimes than usual. Toys of this type allow the adult to spend quality time with the kids.



Grooming 18-inch Dolls

Dolls will always be part of a girl’s early years. Childhood is often the time when creativity starts to show, and your little princess will want to deck her dolls in various getups. It may even remind you of the scene in Remember the Titans when Coach Boone’s daughter responds to a quip, with “I’m not playing, I’m accessorizing.” As a parent, you can turn things into the right direction by acquiring new clothes for her dolls, but consider these points first:
Interests
Buying the right doll clothes warrants scrutiny on your daughter’s own preferences for clothes. For instance, if she has an affinity for the outdoors and sees to it to bring at least one doll with her every time she goes out, you may help her go for pants and shirts. On the other hand, dresses and feminine accessories work if your daughter enjoys girly stuff like Disney princesses and fairies.
Same Same?
Some young girls have a knack for dressing up their dolls in clothes that match their attire in creative ways. Observing your daughter and watching how she mixes and matches her own clothes will give you ideas on which doll clothes to buy. A veritable array of doll clothes that suit your child’s interests will work wonders for their sense of style. Don’t settle for just one set of clothes. Having a slew of doll’s clothes on hand will allow your daughter’s creativity to fly.