Easy Sewing Project: Doll Carrier

Have you ever made a doll carrier? Why not? You sew, don't you? Then there's no reason why your daughter shouldn't have a beautiful, handy carrier for her favorite doll. The simple carrier can be sewn in a few minutes but will last for years! All you need to make it is a pillowcase!

You can use pretty much any pillowcase to make the doll carrier but one that features stretchy fabric is not ideal. Lay the pillowcase out flat on a table and cut the hemmed area off. Cut a piece of cardboard to go inside and give the doll carrier a hard bottom. This piece should be cut three to four inches shorter, all the way around, than the pillowcase itself. Slide the cardboard into the pillowcase and use a few pieces of double-sided tape to hold it in place.

Cut a piece of thin foam the size of the pillowcase. Slide it into the case to cover the cardboard. The side that features the foam will become the inside of the cradle and the opposite side will be the bottom of the carrier.

Fold one long side and one short side of the pillowcase up and pin them together at the corners. These should be pinned so that the excess fabric faces inside the doll carrier. Turn the cradle and pin the next two corners together, and so on, until all four corners are pinned.

Sew the four corners and trim away the excess material from inside the corners. Now that that the doll carrier is shaped you can decide on the material you'll use for the handle. Use the piece you cut off of the pillowcase or even a piece of wide ribbon.

Position the ends of the ribbon to the sides of the cradle. Stitch these in place by sewing a square at the end of each ribbon while connecting it to the sides of the carrier. If you want, glue on four soda lids, beads or other objects to make short legs for the carrier. This will keep the cradle from getting dirty while setting on the floor or other surfaces.

Your daughter can carry one large doll in the cradle or several smaller ones. The pillowcase doll carrier is handy and really easy to make even if you're just learning to sew!