DIY Boogie Boards and Surfboards for Dolls

Our doll, Christine with her boogie board (12'' x 6'')

       These doll-sized surfboards and boogie boards are cut from cardboard and decoupaged. Young students may use tracing paper and pencil to copy the shapes of our versions, if they wish. Otherwise, there are many different surfboard shapes on the web that they may work from when designing their own doll ocean crafts. 

Supply List:

• heavy corrugated cardboard
• decorative black and white patterned papers
• decorative ocean wave or colorful printed papers
• Mod Podge
• white school glue
• fun stickers to further decorate the doll surfboard/boogie board
• Velcro
• felt scraps
• masking tape
• twine

Handmade 18 inch, doll boogie boards, front and back. The fronts are decorated with
tropical papers and one with text, 'Ride The Waves.' The backs are papered 
with black and white prints to keep sharks disinterested in human prey. Small cuffs
with Velcro attachments and twine help child dolls hold onto their boogie boards in
the rough ocean waves.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a surfboard or boogie board in a shape similar to our own from the corrugated cardboard. I doubled each of my four examples, gluing the layers together with white school glue.
2. Mask all of the surfaces of cardboard entirely with tape.
3. Now layer decorative papers and stickers using white school glue. After the final layer is completed, brush on Mod Podge  to seal the papers, keep them clean and strengthen the surfaces for play.
4. If you are designing a boogie board cut a hole through the paper layers in the center of the board, near the top using a nail. 
5. Fill the hole with glue and thread a piece of twine into the hole. Let it dry inside.
6. Next, cut a piece of felt and stitch Velcro on each end to make a ''cuff'' for the twine to attach to with stitching. Now the cuff may be wrapped around the dolls wrist to keep the Boggie board with the doll. Boogie boards have this added feature to prevent them from floating away should a small child or doll in this case, fall off their boards in the water.

Left,  an ocean themed surfboard, decoupaged with wavy paper and shark stickers.
The backside is papered with a black and white, zigzag pattern to ward-off sharks!
The next example of a doll surfboard was decoupaged with ''groovy'' colorful
patterned wrapping paper and the underside decorated with a black and
white wavy pattern. Both surfboards are 18'' tall.

Prevent Shark Attack at Sea:

• Painted his surfboard with black and white stripes!
• Dress like a zebra, avoid becoming an ocean snack...
• Black and white mean DO NOT BITE!

1960's surffin' tunes for little ones to play at the beach:

• Jan & Dean sing ''Surf City''
• ''Beach Blanket Bingo'' sung by Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello
• The Surfaris ''Wipe Out''
• The Beach Boys - ''Surfer Girl'' and ''I get around''  and ''Don't Worry Baby''

Make Fun, Easy Beach Balls!

Our Mesha doll waiting to swim.

       I made two decorative versions of this beach or pool craft. One ball is red with white polka-dots and the other with large color blocking in: yellow, green, pink and lavender colors. The polka-dots where cut from typing paper and glued to the surface after the ball was layered in red tissue. The color blocking on the second beach ball was made by marking the masking tape surface in advance with a pencil and then filling in the four areas with different colors of tissue.

        To make a beach ball for a doll in any size or in any color you will need the following supplies: masking tape, colorful tissue paper, a Stryrofoam ball, white school glue and Mod Podge. You can purchase water resistant Mod Podge if you believe that this pretend beach ball will come in contact with water during playtime. I used ordinary Mod Podge because our 18'' doll pool is a dry playset.
       Cover the surface of the Styrofoam ball entirely with a layer or two of masking tape. Do so gently but with some small pressure of your fingertips. If you press too firmly, you could end up denting the surface unnecessarily. Judiciously squeeze small amounts of white school glue directly on top of the layered masking tape and press colorful tissue paper on top of the glue. Cover the entire surface one section at a time, allowing areas to dry entirely before covering other parts of the foam ball. 
       Drying times between each application are not lengthy, but you do need to be patient and methodical during the process. After the ball is covered with tissue and glue, brush on several layers of Mod Podge to seal it's outer surface completely before play. The Mod Podge will harden and take on a vinyl appearance after it dries.

 

Left, Styrafoam balls. Right, decorated to look like beach balls.

•  See more Barbie size pool toys here.

How to sew doll swimsuits using socks...

This Wellie Wisher doll, Kendall, wears a
cute purple and pink striped swimsuit made
from a sock. There are straps for the suit 
that tie around the neck to hold it in place.

       Young girls can design cut and fashion small socks into swim wear. Pictured here is one of our Wellie Wishers and a Best Friends Club Doll, Addison, modeling different variations of this simple sewing craft.
       The swimsuits when made of socks need to have their raw edges sewn down tightly or these will unravel. Sewers may also use a glue made especially to prevent this called No Fray, Dritz Fray or Sit n Sew as an alternative.
       I chose pastel striped socks for our dolls to wear but socks come in so many different, colorful designs these days, it's difficult to choose which print to try for this simple craft.
       I cut the sock straight across where the leg and heal come together. Then I slip this tube onto the doll's body to measure where the leg openings should be and the top of the bathing suit should end.
       Next I sew a small seam between the legs and finish all of the openings with seams both at the bottom and top of the sock tube.
       Finally, I sew on ribbon or straps to hold the swimsuits on the dolls body.

More Ideas for Crafting Doll Swimwear:

• How to make swimwear and bikini for Barbie without sewing by Ideas Barbie DIY
• How to make really cute swimsuits for your doll using socks by Americangirl Land

Day At The Pool for Dolls:

• Take a Brain Break at The Pool! by mixiepixie7 and Sophie Clair's Pool Party Plan
• DIY Pool Floats for Your Doll

Our Addison doll wears a bathing suit made from a green and white striped sock. It is trimmed 
at the top with calico print, cotton ribbon and has a snap in the back to tighten and close the 
swimming suit snug against her body.