Barbie. The doll that has stood the test of time. What girl doesn't like a barbie. Now there is a huge range of barbies and an even bigger range of barbie accessories. So it can actually get quite expensive outfitting your barbie. Have you considered making clothes for your barbie? Well you should. This hub has the steps on how to make some barbie clothes.

1. Borrow a beginner's sewing book from your library or take a few introductory classes if you don't have any previous sewing experience. Barbie clothes are small and often intricate, and can be a hard project for beginning sewers to tackle. Apart from sewing experience, you will also need a sewing machine, an iron, a basic sewing kit and a pair of scissors.

2. Visit your local fabric store. Here, you need to purchase a Barbie clothes pattern. In the pattern books (these are usually located next to the pattern drawers), doll clothes are listed under 'Crafts'. Since 'Barbie' is a licensed brand that pattern manufacturers cannot use, you will need to look for '11 1/2 in. doll clothes' or 'fashion doll clothes'. As soon as you find the Barbie patterns, select one that you like and retrieve it from the appropriate drawer.

3. Find out what kind of fabrics you need to purchase by reading the list on your own pattern envelope. On the back of the pattern envelope, near the top, is a list of suggested fabrics. There is also a list of what notions to buy. Make sure that you can get these before you begin your project. For most Barbie garments, 1/4 yd. (or meter) is more than enough. This is a benefit of making tiny clothes; you can buy expensive, nice fabric without breaking the bank. Natural fibers are a good choice for most Barbie clothes.

Fabrics Look for garments at second-hand clothing shops made out of neat fabric. Most adult size garments (especially men's shirts) can be made into multiple Barbie outfits. Look for cotton dress shirts, twill skirts, and dresses made of thin denim. The shirt in the 'Pinned Pieces' thumbnail is cut from a men's shirt sleeve (a pink plaid summer shirt). Thin fabrics with nice body, minimal fraying, and little stretchiness work best, such as cotton, thin corduroy, and linen.

4. Cut out your garments. Find the pattern pieces that correspond to your 'view', cut them out, and pin them to your fabric (following the straight grain; see 'pattern layouts' in the pattern instructions for more information), and cut. Assemble the cut pieces in stacks, a separate stack for each individual garment. Find the instructions for your outfit. Now you're ready to sew!

5. Sew with a new 'universal' needle and matching polyester thread. Follow the instructions carefully and make sure that your seams and darts are uniform. Tiny facings can be hard to work with; the jacket and dress bodice above, which were supposed to be faced, have instead been lined. However, unless you're an advanced sewer, it will be easiest for you to just follow the directions included with the pattern. Press the garment after each step. This will aid greatly in creating professional-looking garments. If you wish to finish the seams, pinking shears or a machine zig-zag stitch work best. Sergers are too large and difficult to control for Barbie clothes.

6. Use your imagination to create a unique Barbie garment! Add 1/4" and 1/8" wide trims, such as ribbon and and lace, tiny buttons, rhinestones, or whatever you like. To attach rhinestones, use Aleene's OK to Wash glue. It holds securely and it's completely washable.

7. Choose appropriate closures. 1/4 in. metal snaps usually work best. In most sewing books, you can find a tutorial on how to attach these securely. Velcro is also a viable option, especially if the clothes you are making are for a young child. Iron-on velcro is easiest to attach and it doesn't damage your sewing machine, as regular velcro can.

8. Dress your Barbie in her new outfit! Decide what you like and dislike about it and apply what you've learned to your next Barbie outfit. If you're dissatisfied with the result, remember, 'practice makes perfect', especially when sewing. Find a sewing mentor who can answer your questions and help you with problems.