Fashion Outfit for American Girl Doll

Your kids are getting American Girl dolls for Christmas, but the clothes and accessories are super expensive. Now what practise you practice?

In 2016, Kohl'southward and American Daughter announced their plans to sell Lea, 2016 Daughter of the Year, doll accessories and the new line of Wellie Wishers. Although the dolls are only available in-store, the partnership provided a convenient way for families who don't alive near an American Girl store to get piece of cake access to these products.

A few years ago, my nieces Bella and Maggie (not their real names) were treated to a visit to the American Girl store in Chicago where they chose their dolls. Five year old Maggie immediately zeroed in on Rebecca, who was dressed in her favorite color. Six year old Bella was pickier, at offset enamored with Grace, briefly considering Addy, and ultimately settling on Maryellen.

Following later the girls as they explored the store, their mother, grandmother and I were all left stunned by the toll tags on clothing and accessories. Nigh of the outfits nosotros saw were $36 or more. A pet for your doll – a blimp fauna roughly the size of my fist – was $28. A doll-sized bicycle? $115. Seriously. I paid less than that for my real, actually rideable, grown upward wheel.

And then the three adults sprang into action finding alternatives. Nosotros quickly institute plenty of knockoff clothing lines. My mother and I are both pretty crafty, and there are tons of doll clothing patterns out at that place to stitch, knit and crochet. I dug around in my yarn stash to encounter what I could whip up speedily, and both girls were ecstatic to become new knitted hats for their babies on Christmas Day.

Neither Bella nor Maggie cared that the knitted hats didn't come from American Girl. And that's a wonderfully expert thing. Not but does it hateful that outfitting these dolls will exist easier on our wallets, it likewise vastly broadens the possibilities for doing so.

Stick to knockoff doll clothing and accessories

American Daughter isn't the simply 18-inch doll manufacturer out there. Most major toy retailers accept their own knockoff version. At Target, it'due south Our Generation. Walmart has My Life As. Amazon is a treasure trove of wearable from lesser known brands like Dollie & Me and Sophia's, often Prime eligible and cheaper than on their habitation websites.

These were some of the best off-brand wardrobe collections nosotros plant:

• Our Generation – Target
• My Life Every bit / MLA – Walmart
• Springfield Collection – Zulily
• Dollie & Me
• Silly Monkey
• Sophia'due south

All of these are much cheaper than American Girl brand outfits and fit American Girl dolls just fine. The quality is skilful and the cuteness factor is sky high.

Only for the skeptics out there who might wonder if the knockoffs truly stand up to official American Girl merch, may nosotros nowadays the following claiming:

Can You Tell Which One is From American Daughter?

Most of the kids who love their American Girl dolls intendance more well-nigh the doll than the brand of clothing that they wear. Retrieve how thrilled Bella and Maggie were with their handknitted babe hats? In fact, we're betting most grown ups would be hard pressed to spot the official merch. Check out these side by side comparisons to see exactly how like outfits and accessories from other 18-inch doll brands tin exist to the real thing.

Left:Treat Seat for Dolls – $30 at American Girl
Right: Our Generation Clip-On Chair – $19.99 at Target

When you accept dejeuner at American Girl Place, your dolls are seated at the tabular array with you using a special seat that clips on to the table, and it's a wonderful upselling gimmick. What petty daughter wouldn't want one after that? The American Girl version is $thirty, only Target sells a similar prune-on chair for $nineteen.99 that also comes in four different very beautiful patterns and includes a tray and dejeuner set complete with tiny utensils.

Our Generation Dress to Twirl Outfit – $12.99 at Target

Bank check out this precious ballet twirl outfit, consummate with tiny shoes and all in classic ballet pink. The American Girl version costs $xv more than a similar outfit from Our Generation at Target.

Sophia'south Plaid Pink Doll PJs with Slippers – $13.95 at Amazon

Here's another fix of pink doll PJs. The set is plaid and comes with slippers. It's half the price of the American Doll version. Would your little one know the difference?

Left: Badger Basket Trundle Doll Bunk Bed with Ladder – $xl.99 at Walmart

The doll-size bunk bed from Our Generation includes realistic touches like a ladder and guard rail, compared to American Girl's overly simplistic four-mail service design. The bed from Walmart is relatively simple, only it includes a trundle bed to accommodate a tertiary doll. Which of these options would y'all cull?

P.South. You totally need to bank check out Etsy, too.

A quick look at the eighteen-inch doll clothing available on Etsy proves that handmade doesn't have to be expensive. Many of the outfits you lot'll find here are priced on par with the commercially-made Our Generation and Journey brands from Target and Toys R Usa. Plus, the custom nature of Etsy makes it a heck of a lot of fun to browse, not to mention that you tin coordinate your kid's other interests with your doll a lot more easily than you can elsewhere.

Bella has been really into Paris lately.

Paris Sparkle / Eiffel Tower / Ooh La La past JillRodgersDesigns – $15.95

Their auntie may be a fleck more into Star Wars.

Left:Star Wars Darth Vader Doll Dress past JustaTad4Dolls – $twenty
Correct: Star Wars Theme Outfit by sewcutebymary – $15

Basically, whatsoever y'all or your kids are into, Etsy's probably got you covered with an outfit for your American Girl doll.

Brand your own adorable doll clothes

My mother can sew. Once upon a time, she made an unabridged Barbie wardrobe for my sister and I for Christmas and information technology was glorious.

Looking around for sewing patterns, there are enough from McCall's and Simplicity (found in affluence at JoAnn and Material.com), but my favorite patterns come up from Etsy, where the designs seem to be a lot more on-trend:

Left:Doll Hoodie Dress Pattern by MyChildhoodTreasures – $4.99
Middle: Air current Chill Glaze Design by ManySmallFriends – $6.03
Correct:JANES Doll Shoe Blueprint past PixieFairePatterns – $3.99

Personally, I'g a knitter. As I noted in the intro, I whipped out a couple doll hats just in time for Christmas using a free pattern I found on Ravelry.

I'll be honest, a lot of the knitting and crocheting I've seen for dolls tin look homemade in a well-significant merely not particularly appealing way, and I concord my knitting to a pretty high standard these days. But with a good centre for color and the right pattern, the results can exist nothing curt of spectacular. The quality on these defenseless my center and maybe, possibly fabricated it into my Ravelry queue:

Left:Love My Doll Sweater by Jodi Lewanda – Free design
Middle: Olive Cardigan by Steph Wylie – $5 blueprint
Right:Whidbey past Deb Denair – $3.65 pattern

And Don't Forget Matching Daughter & Doll Outfits

Both Bella and Maggie beloved dressing their dolls upwardly in clothes that match their ain. American Girl has more than a few, of course, but Kohl's, Amazon and Target come through on this request rather well at a much better price. Kohl'southward can be pricey, but the discounts are nifty when outfits go on sale and the usual Kohl'southward coupons codes tin can reduce the price even more.

Bank check out the Dollie & Me drove at Amazon right now. Beyond that, you lot tin can find Our Generation Me and You outfits at Target.

Making your ain is also an selection. If you're a knitter, bank check out the pattern for these ambrosial matching Dolly Flower dresses, designed by Georgie Hallam. Does information technology get any cuter?

If yous absolutely must have American Daughter brand stuff, yet…

Shop the Sales

Our sources tell us that Blackness Friday and Cyber Monday always have some of the best deals seen all yr at American Daughter. In fact, in the by, we've seen an American Girl promo code covering the entire weekend, taking 20% off total priced items, including the dolls themselves.

We've too heard the Cyber Monday sale is THE sale of the flavor, and nosotros've seen up to 50% off there. And that is ordinarily followed by a full calendar week of daily deals.

There are also some fantastic sales after Christmas, though they tend to be in-store only.

Check Craigslist and eBay for secondhand clothing and accessories

It can exist tough to find bargains on sale sites and the like. Many buyers and sellers in these markets are collectors, so y'all're often going to be looking at collector prices. Translation: Hardly anyone is divesting themselves of this stuff for inexpensive.

On the other hand, there's a ton of secondhand AG for sale online and there's bound to exist a gem or ii out in that location for those with the patience to sift through information technology.

Buy a used doll and transport her to the Doll Hospital

While poking around on Chicago'southward Craigslist, I spotted someone selling American Girl's Julie doll for $fifty. She may be sold without her clothes, simply that'due south still $65 off the price if you bought her new.

Assuming she's in reasonably good condition but could utilise a bit of touching up, add in $28 for a Health Visit at the American Daughter Doll Hospital for cleaning and hair restoration, and you've spent $78, still $37 less than yous'd pay for a new Julie doll. The Doll Hospital's services range from cleaning all the way up to reattaching and replacing parts and are priced from $28-$44, plus shipping and processing.

Look for discounted American Girl gift cards at Costco

In past years, we've seen $100 American Daughter souvenir cards being sold for $79.99 at Costco, and rumor has it this is a deal that comes back periodically. So if y'all're a regular Costco shopper, proceed an centre on the gift cards at your local store to potentially score a xx% disbelieve.

Follow American Girl on Facebook

Several collectors we spoke to noted that discounts and free shipping promos are usually appear on American Girl'due south official Facebook page the same morning they showtime. You'll demand to move fast!

Will your kids be getting American Girl merch for Christmas this year? Allow us know in the comments!

Related coupons:

• Kohl'south Coupons
• American Daughter Coupons
• Target Coupons
• Walmart Coupons
• Amazon Coupons
• Zulily Coupons
• Costco Coupons

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