18 inch dolls are the same size as American Girl dolls and roughly the same size as Build a Bears and some other dolls as well. Many parents prefer to buy their children 18 inch dolls rather than American Girl Dolls because they are cheaper. You can find these dolls online, at Target, or at some specialty dolls stores. The off brand dolls are really quite nice, except the hair tends to get a little more ratty than the real thing. American Girl dolls are generally made better, but the other 18 inch dolls can serve their purpose well and easily become fast friends with their little girl owners.
Now that you have your 18 inch doll, where can you find affordable clothes for it? You can buy doll clothes on American Girl's website, but you can pay more for an outfit than you paid for the doll itself. Then add on tax and shipping and your budget is blown with one outfit. This can be frustrating and not so fun for little girls who have a nice doll and not very many clothes and accessories to play with.
There are other options out there for cheaper doll clothes. There are patterns that you can find to make your own. If you can sew, this is a really great option because you can generally use scraps of fabric that you already have or buy small amounts of nice fabric for them.
If you don't sew, ebay is a great place to find inexpensive used 18 inch doll clothes. You can find anything from skirts, to hats, to glasses, to fancy dresses and princesses dresses and accessories. The are other auction sites, used clothing stores, consignment stores, or local classified's sites where you can find doll dresses at a discount. It's worth looking if you have a tight budget.
If you prefer to buy new doll clothes, Little Adventures company has a line of beautiful dresses for dolls that any little girl would go crazy over! Best of all, they are extremely affordable and only cost about $16 a piece. Many online retailers offer free shipping and special discounts as well. This is a great way to not break the bank when buying doll clothes for your little girl.
Another fun thing you can try is to find girls princess dresses that match the dolls. Nothing is more fun to little girls than being able to match her doll and to play endless games together as if they are sisters or best friends.
Many children will ask to sleep with their 18 inch doll. This is normal and healthy and can definitely be allowed. It is kind of fun to find some pajamas for the doll and possibly matching ones for your child. Slumber parties are always so much fun and allow for creative play.
From Cinderella doll dresses to Sleeping Beauty dresses, your child will love her 18 inch doll with clothing and accessories. It doesn't matter to her how much it cost, it will be a trusted friend for years to come! You can find great deals if you take them time to look.
Shelby is the mother of 2 girls and 1 boy and lives in Orem, Utah. She also runs a home-based business called My Cute Dressups at http://www.mycutedressups.com that sells Princess dress up clothes and other fun pretend play items for kids, toddlers, and even teenagers and adult princess costumes. She also has an eBay store and a local store run by the same name. She has seen a noticeable difference in her kids after encouraging dress up play.
