Fancy Feet

Clothes on dolls are adorable, and of course fun to make but even the simplest outfit can be made even cuter by adding shoes! Barbie shoes are inexpensive, and not too hard to find but American Girl Doll shoes (and similar 18" dolls) are a different story. They can be more expensive and elusive. So today, I'm going to teach you how to make some simple shoes to fancy up your dolls tootsies.

For the soles of your shoes there are a few different materials you can use which are quite cheap. Doll shoes aren't that different from people shoes and so the soles are made of similar things. Here are some suggestions:

Foam (soft or foam board)
Cardboard
Felt
and cork

These can be doubled up or mixed and matched to create various heights. For example, try a foam sole with a felt bottom for a cute look.

Here's the basic shape for the sole of your shoe:

This is the general shape. Use the doll's foot as a guide and simply trace (loosely) around it. Be careful not to make the instep (the part along the inside) to close to the doll's foot. You want space around the foot to attach the top of the shoe to. The sole will be the same for most style shoes, but the top can be drastically different. To attach the top to the sole you'll need to either sew (canvas, felt, cardboard) or glue. I recommend Mod Podge.

A basic horseshoe can be used for the simplest shoe shape. Sew or Glue the toe down and then the sides. For sandals try some strips of stiff trim criss crossed over the foot. When you're done with the top, you can embellish the sole's edge with fancy trip or braided rope. Add buttons, bows or other baubles for extra oompf. 

The tops of your shoes can be made with a variety of materials such as:

Felt

Cotton

Canvas

Knit

Patent Leather (real or faux)

Ribbon

Burlap

Lace

Suede

The best way to come up with designs is to look at real shoes and experiment! Check out these helpful tutorials by other online crafters!