Sew a Basic Wardrobe for 18" Boy Dolls!

A pair of doll shorts, jeans, and three shirts with the words, "Sew up an 18" boy doll wardrobe".

I did a quick search several months ago for boy doll clothes sewing patterns and was surprised at how little there were available! I determined then and there that I would add a collection of doll clothes patterns just 18” boy dolls to my growing pattern shop.

I got to work and I’m happy to introduce to you the Basic Wardrobe for 18” Boy Dolls! Obviously these clothes will work for girl dolls also, but I really had fun trying them all on my model, Gabe, the cutest boy doll from Our Generation, Target’s brand of 18” dolls.

You can purchase this pattern right now! See it here in my shop or on Etsy if you prefer.

These clothes will fit any brand of 18” doll, including American Girl, Our Generation, Disney ILY and more. The collection includes patterns and step by step instructions with photos for the pants, shorts, a tank top, and a knit shirt with long or short sleeves. Because the wardrobe pieces are basic, there are infinite ways to amp up the pattern to create so many different styles of clothes!

One of my favorite things to do when sewing doll clothes is to dig through our family’s giveaway bag and repurpose those old or outgrown clothes into doll clothes! This pattern really lends itself to that. I was able to find some t-shirts my daughter was giving away that had small words or logos that were perfect for Gabe’s shirts.

Three shirts for 18" dolls, a teal tank, and gray nasa t-shirt and a navy sweatshirt, on a dark gray background.

I used a pair of sweatshirt fleece shorts to make him a sweatshirt and I reused the legs of some jeans I recently cut into shorts to make him some jeans. It’s so cute to use the original jeans hem! Other great fabrics to use for the pans are khaki, flannel or fleece for pajama pants, swim trunks, or athletic pants. The pattern instructions include lots of ideas for getting the most use out of this pattern, from swim trunks to soccer shorts!

And 18" boy doll with blond hair and blue eyes, standing on carpet against a dark gray background, wearing jeans and a teal tank top.

The shirts and tank are meant to be made from knit fabrics, making them perfect for raiding the giveaway bag. Kids love it when you turn their outgrown clothes into clothes for their dolls! We’ve made doll clothes out of so many things over the years, including old swim suits! It would be cute to make a rash guard out of swim fabric using the long sleeve tee pattern!

And don’t worry if you’re new or afraid of sewing knits. The pattern notes include a list of tips to make it easy! And if you need even more help, read my thorough post of tips for sewing sewing doll clothes.

A gray doll t-shirt in the process of being made, on a gray gridded cutting mat.

I had a ton of fun making these patterns, as I always do when I get to play with dolls, haha! I hope you have fun with it too :)

What are you waiting for?? Get your pattern and get started!