Craft Small Award Ribbons

These gold metal award ribbons for 1rst, 2nd, and 3rd place are 4" long.

       To craft these small award ribbons you will need: decorative paper, fancy ribbon, cardboard, tacky white craft glue, either number stickers or number candy mold (and oven bake clay), acrylic paints, and tiny cupcake or candy liners.

       First cut out a circle from the cardboard and center your number in the middle of it. Your numbers could be stickers or molded out of oven bake clay. If you're using clay numbers bake them according to the instructions on the manufacturer's packaging. 

       Above, I layered the numbers on top of glittery gold paper. Then glued this to cardboard circles. After letting this dry, I cut the gold paper ruffle from tiny, metallic cupcake liners and pasted these to the backside of my award. Lastly, I cut striped grosgrain ribbon to paste on the back of each award. If you want to use this little craft idea to make SWAPS you will need to sew a tiny safety pin to a circle of felt and glue this last onto the back of the award ribbons.

       Below, I layered my numbers on top of a scrap paper and then glued this to cardboard shaped flowers. Then a cut and pasted patriotic ribbon to the backs of the place awards. 

These patriotic ribbon awards are 3" long.  Make a few for your
 McKenna Brooks doll to share with her friends!

Our Dolls Dressed in Leotards

Above are handmade leotards that I altered from adult versions.
 I find it easier to sew this knit fabric by hand instead of using a machine. 
It takes a while but the results are much more successful.

       A leotard is a unisex skin-tight one-piece garment that covers the body from the crotch to the shoulder. The garment was first made famous by the French acrobatic performer Jules Léotard (1838–1870). There are sleeveless, short-sleeved and long-sleeved leotards. A variation is the unitard, which also covers the legs.
       Leotards are worn by acrobats, gymnasts, dancers, figure skaters, athletes, actors, wrestlers, and circus performers both as practice garments and performance costumes. They are often worn together with ballet skirts on top and tights or sometimes bike shorts as underwear. As a casual garment, a leotard can be worn with a belt; it can also be worn under overalls or short skirts.
       Leotards are entered by stepping into the legs and pulling the sleeves over the shoulders. Scoop-necked leotards have wide neck openings and are held in place by the elasticity of the garment. Others are crew necked or polo necked and close at the back of the neck with a zipper or snaps.

After sewing this hot pink leotard, I decided to change the neckline in my pattern a bit. 
Both of these versions are scoop-necked.

       For females, the standard gymnastic competition uniform is a leotard. Traditionally, competition leotards have always had long sleeves; however, half-length sleeved and sleeveless garments are now permitted under the Code of Points and have been worn by teams at the World Gymnastics Championships and other major events. Practice leotards and those worn in podium training sessions are generally sleeveless.
       Leotards may not ride too high on the hip or be cut too low; in rare instances, gymnasts and teams have been penalized with score deductions for their attire.
       In the 1970s leotards were typically made from polyester and related fabrics. Since the 1980s, however, they have been made from lycra or spandex. Since the 1990s, leotards have become more elaborate and have employed a variety of textiles, including velvet, velour, mesh, metallic fabrics, foils and iridescent "hologram" fabric. They can also be decorated with rhinestones, and metallic jewels that are heat-set onto the garments and will not fall or wash off.
       Leotards cannot be cut above hip height or be cut past the shoulder blades, back or front. Any leotard that is somewhat see-through is also against the rules. Usage of white tights is not standard.

Skirted leotards are worn for competitions and professional shows.
This one is an unusual watermelon color trimmed with tiny white pom-poms.

Gymnastics Fashion Tutorials:

• A Leotard or Swimsuit for American Girl Doll
• How to Make Doll Leotards: Part 1

DIY Basic Gymnastic Equipment for American Girl Dolls

Pictured above is an incline wedge ramp, balancing
 beam and a tri-fold workout mat. Read more about
her leotard here.

       Gymnastics is a sport that includes exercises requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and endurance. The movements involved in gymnastics contribute to the development of the arms, legs, shoulders, back, chest, and abdominal muscle groups. Alertness, precision, daring, self-confidence, and self-discipline are mental traits that can also be developed through gymnastics. Gymnastics evolved from exercises used by the ancient Greeks that included skills for mounting and dismounting a horse, and from circus performance skills.
       Here I have crafted basic gymnastic equipment for our 18" dolls: a tri-fold workout mat, a balancing beam and an incline wedge ramp. All three crafts required only basic skills to complete and I recycled materials found in the garage, scrap bag and our toy block collection.

Supply List:

• wool felt for durability
• narrow wooden blocks (for feet)
• wood scrap for balancing beam, 3/4" dowel
• wood varnish
• wooden block for wedge ramp
• enamel paint and or varnish for balancing beam and wedge ramp
• foam padding for the tri-fold workout mat
• sandpaper

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. The wooden, wedge shaped block is common to the majority of classic block collections. Ours was originally unvarnished, so I painted it with a teal colored enamel paint and sealed it with a clear varnish. In real gyms these wedge ramps are made using foam and vinyl. 
2. Cut the balancing beam, using a hand-held saw, from a square dowel. Our beam measures 18 inches across.
3. Remember to sand the ends of the dowel smooth.
4. Then, stained and varnished the dowel, leaving space for gluing two wooden blocks at either end to act as feet for the doll's balancing beam.
5. Paint the feet a coordinating color to match the other two pieces of equipment.
6. The tumbling, tri-fold mat was sewn together with a durable thread and heavy duty wool felt. 
7. I removed the foam stuffing from a box. These pieces measure approx. 6 1/2" x9 1/2" each.
8. Line the foam sheets up side-by-side on top of the fabric. Allow for approx. 1" of space between each sheet and 1 1/2" extra fabric around the circumference of the entire mat before cutting it out.
9. Cut a second sheet of fabric the exact same size as the first.
10. Remove the foam sheets and sew the two identical pieces of fabric with right sides facing together. Make the seam approximately 1/2 inch wide.
11. Only sew the two long sides plus one short side together to form a 'pouch' so that you can insert the foam padding easily.
12. Turn the pouch inside out so that the right sides of your tumbling mat now face outwards.
13. After adjusting the first foam piece inside the long narrow pouch, sew a plain top stitch across the open end, up next to the cushion.
14. Add the center foam cushion and repeat the above step.
15. Then stuff the final third foam cushion between the opening of the tumbling mat and sew an invisible seam across the open end to close off the end neatly.
16. Your tri-fold tumbling mat should fold up neatly into three sections for storage.

Our American Girl doll does the splits on her tri-fold tumbling mat.

Left, cut the foam and wool felt. Center, the mat is sewn with straight stitches.
 Right, the tri-fold gym mat folds up for easy storage.

Close up of basic gymnastic doll equipment made from materials found at home.

More Links to Gymnastic Equipment for 18" Dolls:

• DIY American Girl Doll Gymnastics Mat
• Gymnastics mat by Shelbri AG