Guest Author - Susan Kramer

They say that clothes make the person, and this is true with dolls, too! So, let's talk about the care of your dolls' wardrobe of clothes and costumes.

If your doll has washable clothes, gather them together and put them in a mesh bag before tossing in the most gentle cycle of your clothes washer. This keeps the seams from fraying and keeps the clothes together.

After the wash machine turns off, lay the clothes out and smooth out wrinkles as much as possible. While still damp press with the tip of a clothes iron. Then let each little outfit fully dry.

To store doll clothes that are for future occasions lay each outfit between white tissue paper or bubble wrap. Or if you have a doll wardrobe, (a little closet made of wood or sturdy cardboard) hang each outfit up on its own doll clothes hanger.

When I was a little girl one of my most treasured possessions was my pink flowered cardboard doll wardrobe that closed like a small footlocker would. It had a bar rack and tiny doll clothes hangers.

Caring for doll outfits is a fun way for a child to learn to care for their own fine washable clothing, too!

Now, some costumes may not be washable, so these are best reserved for your dolls displayed in cabinets with glass doors that keep out dust.

If you have a washable costume that has beads, you could take the time to snip off the beads and restring them to reattach after washing the costume.

When making or buying doll clothes for a special child's doll it is best to check the labels to see if they are washable, because, being kids, the outfit will need cleaning sooner or later!

Article by Susan Kramer

Charity Note:
I'd like to suggest that if you spend time making doll clothes, anyway, that you collect a few dolls from friends and neighbors and sew a wardrobe or a complete outfit for each doll. Then donate the doll in the completed outfit to a charity that distributes used dolls and toys to kids that otherwise would not have any. When I was a little girl, nothing brightened up my face more than my mother making me a new outfit for my doll.