Make a Beekeeper's Straw Hat Craft for A Doll

Finished beekeeper's hat.

        Make your doll's their own straw, beekeeper's hats to prevent the pretend bees from stinging them while they care for their hives. This adorable accessory is a must for the doll's farm camp this summer! Later, I will also post how to make several different kinds of hives for your dolls.

Supply List:

• A straw hat that fits your doll
• 2 feet of white tulle
• needle and thread
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• ribbon for finishing the edges
• Sculpey or air-dry clay for bees
• black, white and yellow acrylic paints

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Purchase a doll sized straw hat from a hobby store. These come in many sizes and shapes and cost very little to purchase.
2. Cut approx. two feet by six inches of white tulle, or a little less
3. Sew or glue a finished end using ribbon running length-wise.
4. Gather the rough edges along the length of tulle and pull tight about the cap part of the straw hat, just above the brim. 
5. Add a bit of hot glue beneath the tulle to adhere it to the straw hat.
6. Clip off a ribbon band to glue on top of the gathered tulle to cover the raw, gathered edges.
7. Now sculpt a few tiny bees from the clay and paint these with black and yellow stripes after they have been baked or let dry in the air. (optional)
8. Paint the wings white.
9. Glue the tiny bees to the tulle netting on the outside of the hat.
10. Use embroidery floss to gather the ribbon edging hanging down from the straw hat.
11. Knot the ends and leave this "tie" in place so that you can fit the protective netting to the doll while the hat is on her. (see photo)

Details, front, top, and back of the straw hat with veil to protect from bee stings.

Craft graduation caps for your doll students...

Our doll's 5th grade graduation.

       Make a square graduate cap with a yellow tassel for your dolls to celebrate the end of their school year. Collect the following materials...

Supply List:

• construction paper for the cap
• yellow embroidery floss for the braided tassel
• white school glue 
• masking tape
• ruler
• cardboard

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. For a 14" doll cut a square 4"x4," and for an 18" doll cut a square cardboard 4 1/2" x 4 1/2." 
2. Cover this cardboard with a colorful construction paper and glue. The color you choose should be one of the school colors of your doll's school.
3. Cut 3/4" strip of construction paper 13" long  for the 18" doll. Cut a strip of construction paper 3/4" x 10 1/2" for the 14" doll. There is a bit of extra paper in these measurements so that the strip can slightly overlap around your doll's head. Tape the ends so that these fit snugly in place.
4. Double up the narrow strip again to make the attached cap pieces sturdy when fitted.
5. Glue down the narrow strip to the covered cardboard cap on the bottom side. Use a bit of masking tape to hold the two parts together until the glue has dried. (see photo below)
6. Gently remove the tape once the cap has dried.
7. Now braid the embroidery floss and add a small tassel to the end.
8. Make a small hole in the center of the cap top to insert the end of the braid. Glue this in place.
9. Now the tassel end can dangle over one side of the graduation cap while your doll struts her stuff down the aisle of her school auditorium for graduation day!

• See the caps and gowns of Memorial Elementary 5th Grade Graduation here.
• Graduation song "Thank You" for kids, children & babies with lyrics
• It's Been A Good Year by elementary students

Left, the cut square for the top of the graduation cap. Center, the construction paper band is
drying in place with a little help from a bit of masking tape. Right, the yellow tassels have
been strung and pasted in place in the center of the tops of the caps.

You may have a young doll, like a Wellie Wisher,  or an older one, like an American Girl doll or My
Generation Doll, who would love to celebrate her graduation with a small party and a neat,
graduation cap of her very own.

How girls wore their hair in 1915

        According to the original commentary about the following hair styles, bobbed hair cuts were all the rage in 1915, but some young girls with long locks were somewhat hesitant to cut them off. Hence, the popularity of tying the hair up with all kinds of combs and headbands in order to make the hair only appear shorter. The combs and hair trims below were popular to use along with the Japanese ''geisha rolls" at the back of the neck. By 1920, short haircuts really were more prevalent. 

Combs and fancy hair ribbons from 1910-1920 were very popular.