"Limited Edition" American Girl Doll in a Box Costume

I worked at Walmart so I kept an eye out for an empty box about my 8 year old daughter’s size. I found the quintessential empty pillow box. When my husband I and I fit it on her we realized it was too wide and not long enough. We cut the box down the middle and fit it on her and marked the arm holes. We then had the dilemma of how she was going to get in and out of the box with out taping her in it. We were going to put stretchy fabric on the back and staple it to the box but we realized the staples might make the stretchy material run/snag. I came up with a cardboard hinge-back with Velcro fasteners to keep it shut.

I bought white duct tape for the borders/seams so that it would be pliable for the hinge back and secure the paper on the box. I glued the colored paper to the box first and them cover it with the duct tape. I cut out the stars and glued them on. I cut out the hole for her face and covered it with clear hard plastic (to resemble the real AG box). I got the plastic from an old Lalaloopsey doll box my daughter had saved.

We bought the red shirt, pants and shoes from local Goodwill. I had full intentions to enter her in the local costume contest and the day came and we all dressed up to go and when we got the place, there were no cars in the parking lot. I messed up the date! Needless to say my kids were disappointed.

We did get to Trick or treat at my daughter ‘s school and her costume was a big hit! Yes, the plastic cut out circle did steam up a bit and we had to take her out of the costume to go up the steps but everyone loved it!

Hopefully the costume will survive Halloween trick or treating tonight so that we can enter it next year locally (if I get the date right).

We had a great time making the costume.