How to Make A Carseat for Your American Girl

Doll, 18" Doll or Favorite Stuffed Friend

My daughter loves to take her American Girl doll everywhere we go, but she was never happy with where her doll had to sit.  If she sat on the seat, she "couldn't see out the window" and she would tip over, strapping her into the seat belt with my daughter wasn't safe and setting her on the floor when all the seats were occupied was just not acceptable!  So Mom had to come up with something to remedy the situation.  My solution is shown in the picture above and my daughter loves it.  Not only will her American Girl doll sit in the seat securely, but recently she received a stuffed kitten that sat in the seat perfectly also!

The following instructions will show you how I made the car seat (PLEASE NOTE: These instructions are meant to be used to make a seat for a toy - NOT a living pet or a child.  Please do not make this seat for anything other than to hold a child's toy). 

Materials Needed:

1. Hard sided plastic basket (approximately 9" x 6" x 6" deep) - I purchased this one in the bathroom accessories section of TJ Maxx.

2. Tin snips.

3. A scrap of fabric for lining (size of fabric depends on the size of your basket - I used a Fat Quarter for my daughter's doll's seat).

4. Quilt batting for the liner (the same size as the fabric scrap).

5. Adjustable nylon shoulder strap from old duffle bag or camera bag - it needs to have a clip or s-hook on either end.

INSTRUCTIONS:

First, use the tin snips to cut an opening in the narrow end of the basket for the doll's legs to slide through (remove the basket's handle first).  The basket is easy to cut if you put the point of the tin snips through the holes in the basket. Discard cut out pieces.  

Next, measure the overall size of your basket.  You will use these measurements to make your liner pattern.  I will use a basket that is 6" x 9" x 6" deep as an example. 

Measure the length and width of your basket and draw a rectangle on a piece of paper that is that size.  (My rectangle would be 6" x 9").  Now, measure the depth of your basket (mine is 6" deep).  On one short side of your rectangle drawing, extend your rectangle out approximately 1.5 times the depth of your basket (mine would extend out another 9 inches on the short end).  If your fabric scrap is not big enough - don't worry - the liner doesn't have to be perfect.  You just need to make the basic shape to fit inside the basket.  The liner can be made to be thick and cushiony, thin and flat, or anything in between.  Also, any type of fabric can be used - cotton, denim, faux fur, use your imagination!

Continue extending the rectangle out on the two longer sides - The size of the extension you make on the rectangle will determine how much of the cushion will go up the sides of the seat and over the edge if desired. 

On the remaining short side, extend the rectangle out at least a couple of inches so the seat liner will have enough length to fold down over the opening you cut in the end of the basket.  This will cover any rough edges made by the tin snips.  When your pattern is finished, you will have a + shaped pattern. 

Test your liner in the basket and make sure the liner fits inside the basket, up the sides, over the edges if you desire and through the opening you cut in the end.  It should hang down slightly through the opening.  If everything seems to fit okay (it doesn't have to be perfect), cut two pieces of fabric using this pattern and cut one piece of liner material (quilt batting, flannel, fleece, even an old sweatshirt piece will all work for the cushioning in the middle of the seat liner). 

Stitch the two fabric layers and one cushion layer together (stitch the right sides together so the liner can be then turned right side out and the stitching will be hidden inside).  Carefully snip each corner of the liner and turn the liner right side out.  Stitch the opening you used to turn the liner right side out closed.  Your liner is now complete.  If you would like your liner quilted, you may add the quilting stitches or design now. 

Now, place your liner into the basket, lining up the short and long edges. 

Next, fold the edges of the liner over the top edge of the basket and stitch in place, guiding your stitches through the holes in the basket so the liner stays securely.  Continue along each side until you are satisfied that the liner will stay in place. 

Next, use a scrap of your fabric and cushion to make a liner piece to cover the top bar of the seat.  This will cover the rough edges made by the tin snips.  Simply measure the length of the opening and and wrap the fabric around the bar and mark the length needed to wrap around the bar.  Again, cut two pieces of fabric and one piece of cushion material.  Stitch the fabric and cushion the same way you stitched the liner.  Turn right side out and stitch the opening closed. 

Now, wrap the bar with the liner piece you just made and hand stitch it along the length so the bar and any rough edges are completely covered. 

Carefully go over the seat and the liner and make sure all rough edges are covered and the liner is securely stitched and attached to the basket. 

Now, make the strap that will hold the doll's seat to the seat in the car using the shoulder strap from an old duffle bag, camera bag, etc.  The strap needs to have a clip or an S-hook on each end.  My car has bucket seats, so attaching the strap to the long side of the basket works the best so the doll can sit next to my daughter (see the first picture).  We have also moved the strap to the back edge of the basket and hung the seat from the headrest at times.  The hooks on the strap in this picture are quite narrow, so I clipped off the straight piece that closes the hook leaving only the hook shape to hang the basket from.  The weight of the doll and gravity help keep the basket hanging from the hooks when it is in place. 

You are now finished!  Your child's favorite toy has her very own place to sit in the car!  This may even work on the back of a chair in a restaurant! 

How to Turn Children's Tap Shoes into Slip Ons

Most children's beginning tap shoes are similar to the style above - the traditional patent leather Mary Jane style.  Unfortunately, these shoes usually come with black grosgrain ribbon laces that need to be tied and ultimately get lost.  I have never been able to find replacement laces for children's tap shoes.  They can be replaced with a piece of matching 1/4 inch grosgrain ribbon, but the ends will fray if they are not sealed and, they still need to be tied if your dancer cannot tie his or her own shoes (boys oxford style tap shoes usually have laces that are easier to replace - flat cotton or round type laces). 

It is very easy to turn this style of tap shoes into slip ons. All you need is two large shank-style buttons and about four inches of round elastic in a color to match the shoes (have you seen the adorable light pink tap shoes?).  A slender small hair tie will also work.  Be creative with your button choice (as long as your dance instructor doesn't mind) - this button is shiny black with crystals.  How about some of those cute colorful daisy shaped buttons?

Tie a knot in the end of the round elastic (skip this step if you are using a hair tie).  Thread the elastic (or hair tie) through the shank of the button.

Push the elastic loop on one side of the shank through the loop on the other side of the shank and pull it tight leaving the button secured on the elastic loop.

Thread the large loop you now have attached to the button through both eyelets of the tap shoe.

Place the elastic loop over the button.  You are finished!  Now, the shoe can be pulled open enough for a little dancer's foot to slide in and the elastic pulls tight to hold the shoe on.  Now make another elastic tie for the other shoe.  No shoe tying needed!  Make several sets with different buttons and your dancer can change her look whenever she wants to!

How to Repair Ballet Slippers

Supplies Needed

How to Repair Ballet Slippers

Most ballet slippers (not pointe shoes) have an elastic lace that runs around the upper edge of the shoe and ties in the front on top of the foot.  This round elastic lace is added so the shoe can be tightened around the dancer's foot.  Most experienced dancers will tie this elastic and either cut off the ends or tuck them inside the shoe after it is on their foot.  Unfortunately, if a tight square knot is not made before the ends are clipped, the knot may come untied and the elastic will slip back inside the casing.  Fortunately, this is fixable and your ballet slipper will be just fine. 

All that is needed to repair your shoe is a paperclip, strong thread, a fine needle, a stitch ripper and a bobby pin (we all know dancer's have bobby pins everywhere!).  Before beginning, use a pair of pliers and bend the ends of your bobby pin straight so they make a straight line. 



Next, feel along the elastic casing at the top of the slipper until you feel the end of the elastic.  Use your stitch ripper and remove just two or three stitches to open the casing and expose the elastic lace. 

Now, use your needle and thread (I prefer to use a heavy weight thread like hand quilting thread) and run a stitch through the round elastic about 1/4 inch from the end of the elastic. Tie a knot in the thread so it makes a loop. You will have a circle of thread hanging from the end of the elastic lace.

Next, slip your bobby pin through the loop in the thread and use the bobby pin as a "needle".

Now, guide your bobby pin through the remaining casing until it comes out the original opening for the elastic lace.

Once the bobby pin appears, gently pull it and the elastic lace through the casing and out through the original opening.  If only one side of the shoes elastic lace had disappeared into the casing, you can now tie a very tight square knot in the two ends of the lace.  If the other end of the lace is also inside the casing on the other side of the shoe, slip a paperclip through the circle of thread to prevent the lace from boinging back up inside the casing and repeat the above steps on the other side of the elastic lace.

Once the elastic lace is tightly tied and the shoe fits properly again, clip off the thread loops. 

Now, repair the hole you made in the casing when you opened it with a small amount of good quality fabric glue (I held the casing closed with a binder clip while the glue dried) and once the glue has dried, your shoe is ready to dance again. 

Happy dancing!