Doll's sandals or How to use up scraps of fabric!  (and please your doll-lover)

In the blog which included a doll's sundress, I said I'd show you how to make matching sandals. So, here they are.

Materials

cardboard (an old cereal packet is fine)

foam sheet

fabric to match the dress

glue

To make

1. Draw round your doll's foot and smooth the outline to make a sole shape.

2. Cut out and use this pattern to cut 2 in cardboard and 4 in foam. (You may be OK with 2 in foam if you use the thicker foam. I only had thin available.)

3. Stick a cardboard sole onto the bottom of a foam sole.

4. Cut a strip of fabric. Mine was about 16cms x 2.5 cms. It needs to be long enough to go across your doll's foot and wrap underneath on both sides x 2 and 4 times as wide as the finished strap.

5. Fold your strip in half lengthways and press.

6. Open it out, fold the edges into the middle

7.  and fold in half again.

8. Stitch along the long edges.

9. Cut your strip in half, to make a strap for each shoe.

10. Glue one end of a strap onto the cardboard towards the front of the sole. Check on the doll for the exact placing.

11. Wrap the strap across the doll's foot to check the fit, then glue the other end under the sole.  (Or you could use masking tape to hold the ends in place.  It's a bit less messy and easier to alter if you don't get it in the right place first time.  You can glue on top of the tape.  If you use sellotape, the glue won't stick!)

12. Glue a foam sole onto the cardboard, sandwiching the strap.

• Repeat for the second sandal. Don't forget to reverse it, to make a pair! Alternatively, make your sole template symmetrical.

And here's a Dolly Clackett Instagram-style view of the Elephant dress and matching shoes!  (If you haven't come across her, Dolly Clackett writes a sewing blog and regularly posts Instagram photos of her many beautiful dresses.)

Have you made shoes for a doll in your family?  We'd love to hear about them!

Outfit made in Elephant Parade fabric by Cara Shanley.