Let’s Make Dresses For Our Fairy Dolls!

Does Tink have a lot of clothes? Yes, she does.

I make her new outfits pretty regularly…and I think the other fairies are kind of jealous.

Sewing these itty-bitty dresses is a bit trickier than sewing for Barbie, but the end result is well worth the effort. And it looks like Tink’s colorful garb has caught the attention of one of our readers because we’ve received a request for a tutorial showing how I make these tiny garments.

Well, dear friend, your wish has been granted! Today we are sewing new dresses for our Jakks Pacific mini fairies!

While Tink is usually the recipient of my fairy-sized creations, she has (begrudgingly) agreed to share the spotlight with one of her sisters—a fairy you haven’t met yet.

Besides the dolls, the set also contains a zip-line contraption that I’ve yet to try. I just wanted Glimmer😁.

Right now, Glimmer is still wearing her factory-made outfit, which (as you can see) is already unraveling despite being practically brand-new.

So, we’re going to make Glimmer a lovely new dress to replace her less-than-awesome purple costume.

How To Sew A Dress For Jakks Pacific Disney Fairy Dolls:

Supplies Needed:

Making The Top:

This is a hand-drawn pattern and not 100% perfect. Be sure to keep your doll nearby and test the fit as you sew. Frequent fit checks are key to creating great-looking doll clothes.

Step 2: Lay the template on the wrong side of your fabric and trace around it.

Step 3: Cut out the top, staying as close to the outline as possible. I like to cut right on the line to remove all traces of ink.

Before going any further, let’s stop and check the fit:

Both of these bodices look great. The polka-dotted one has extra material along the edges for hemming, and the winter-themed one is more contoured to Glimmer’s chest. If for any reason the fabric bunches under your fairy’s arms or wings, carefully trim it until there is no interference. And don’t worry about the long strips in the back—we’ll snip them off later😉.

Step 4: Make little cuts in the corners and around the curves. This releases tension and keeps the fabric from wrinkling.

Step 5: Fold over the top edge and glue it down using fabric glue. Leave the sides and bottom alone for now. Set aside until the glue has dried.

Step 6: With the wrong side facing out, wrap the bodice around your doll. Overlap the long strips (which we will now refer to as the ‘back panels’), and mark each one just past the center of the doll’s back.

Step 7: Take off the bodice and cut on the marks to shorten the sections.

Step 8: Fold over and hem the side edges. Make sure the back panels still overlap after hemming.

Accidentally cut your top too short? No worries! We’re going to finish the sides with fabric glue and Velcro, so hemming is not an absolute must. It just neatens edges.

Step 9: Cut two pieces of ribbon long enough to reach around your fairy’s shoulders. Mine are about 2 inches long.

Step 10: Again, place the bodice on your doll with the wrong side out. Make marks where you want the ribbons to lay in the front.

Step 11: Glue one end of each ribbon over the marks and allow to dry.

Step 12: Once the ribbons are thoroughly bonded, put the bodice back on the doll and wrap the ribbons around her shoulders. Pull them slightly taut and mark where they need to attach in the back.

Step 13: Keeping the ribbons as straight as possible, glue the remaining ends to the back panels. There should be one strap on the left back panel and one on the right. Cut off any excess ribbon.

Step 14: Sew a tiny row of stitches along the top hemline to give it a polished look.

So, I had a little mishap here—Glimmer’s pink-dotted blouse is too small!

You see, I broke my own rule and didn’t double-check my work after hemming the sides. Fortunately, this is totally fixable. I just removed the side hems, making the top long enough to reach around Glimmer’s waist.

Perfect! Now the back panels overlap, and we can close the dress—after making the skirt, of course.

Making The Skirt:

Step 1: Cut a strip of fabric twice to triple the width of your top. Mine is roughly 4″ wide and measures 2″ from top to bottom.

You can make the skirt as long or short as you like. For knee-height skirts, I cut mine somewhere between 1 3/4 to 2 inches.

Step 2: Fold up the bottom of the skirt about 1/8″. Sew a straight stitch across the folded edge to hem it.

Step 3: Next, sew a gathering stitch along the top of the skirt, tying off one end of the thread but leaving the other loose.

Step 5: With the wrong sides together, pin the top of the skirt to the bottom of the bodice. Adjust the ruffles as you pin them so they are evenly spaced.

Step 6: Using a backstitch, sew the skirt and bodice together.

Step 7: Snip off your thread, and trim the raw edge just slightly to reduce some of the bulk.

Our dress is almost done! And doesn’t it look cute?

All that’s left for us to do is glue on the Velcro and sew up the back. So, grab your Velcro dots, and let’s finish this thing!

Finishing The Dress:

Attaching The Velcro: Smear a little fabric glue over the back of your Velcro dots and glue them to the back panels. I add glue even when using Sticky-Back Velcro (like these dots) because the adhesive tends to wear out after a few wardrobe changes.

Be sure to attach the Velcro with the hooks on one side of the dress (either the outside or inside) and the loops on the other so the dress will fasten.

Don’t have Velcro dots? No worries! Just cut tiny squares of regular Velcro instead.

Once the glue has dried, go back and sew around the Velcro to doubly secure it.

Gluing and sewing may seem like overkill, but this area is going to get pulled and tugged every time you change your doll’s outfit and needs the strength.

Sew The Back Seam: With the dress inside out, line up the back edges. Starting at the bottom hem, sew up the back opening, stopping just short of the Velcro.

Finish the seam with an overcast stitch or Fray-Check to prevent fraying.

Finally, turn the dress right side out and admire your work!

I adore this dress’s simplistic style! It’s perfect for showcasing fun colors and prints. However, if you want something a little fancier, glamming it up for special occasions is super easy.

Add ruffles or lace, sew on a ribbon belt, tack on a cute bow, bedazzle it with a few seed beads…whatever your heart desires!

I decided to sew white lace to the bottom of Periwinkle’s dress and give Glimmer a pink flower belt.

You can also mix things up by pairing a solid-colored top with a printed skirt. Or use specialty fabrics (like sparkly satin) to make a gorgeous gown.

What about Tink? Well, of course, she got a new outfit too!

Well, folks, I hope you enjoyed this tutorial! I sure had a blast writing it (sewing is one of my favorite activities!).

Now it’s your turn!

What other crafts would you like to see? A post showing off Elsa’s new house is already in the works, but I can’t decide which project to tackle after that. More doll clothes? A new doll room? Or maybe something smaller, like food, tech gadgets, or books?

Share your ideas in the comment section, and we’ll see you soon with more doll crafts and adventures!