| Now your Barbie and Ken dolls can perform and | | | | these before you begin will help speed up the |
| compete with pride as they showcase hand made | | | | creative process and allow you to use your time |
| ballroom dance costumes designed especially for | | | | more efficiently. |
| them. Barbie can glide with style in her gorgeous | | | | 3. Think about the quality or type of fabrics, as well |
| gowns and feather boas while she dances the | | | | as the color. For the tango costume, I picked red and |
| foxtrot or waltz with her handsome partner, Ken. He | | | | black fabrics in a variety of textures. Velour, nylon, |
| can be dressed in a coordinating costume made to | | | | and lycra are all great choices because they sew up |
| knock the socks off any panel of judges. Or, you | | | | easily, and they don't shred on the edges like many |
| can design Latin costumes with red roses and black | | | | other fabrics. In addition, they have excellent stretch |
| flashy fabrics chosen to strike a fire, burn up the | | | | factors. Costumes made with these materials are |
| dance floor, and intimidate the other competitors as | | | | flexible and fit the dolls well. |
| Barbie and Ken execute advanced tango, rumba or | | | | 4. Be prepared to modify your patterns. It will be |
| mambo routines. | | | | most convenient if you can find a pattern that |
| And, don't forget the fun you can have with fringe | | | | matches the style you have in mind. But for me, that |
| and other embellishments as you design jive and | | | | rarely happens and I usually adjust the pattern to get |
| swing dance costumes to highlight their tricky steps. | | | | what I am looking for. To do this, I purchase |
| The possibilities are endless! Being able to design and | | | | inexpensive muslin and experiment until I get the fit |
| sew your own ballroom dance costumes for Barbie | | | | just right. Then I use paper to draw the final pattern |
| and Ken will allow you to create anything you want, | | | | so that I can use it again in the future. |
| and here are some tips on how to do it: | | | | 5. Have fun with embellishments! How often do you |
| 1. Start with standard Barbie and Ken doll clothes | | | | get to use sequins, glamorous trims, colorful fringe, |
| patterns. You can purchase these in most fabric | | | | fluffy feathers, or bright, flashy fabrics that glow in |
| stores and on internet craft sites. Watch for pattern | | | | the dark? Let imagination be your guide, and have |
| sales, and you might save some money. You | | | | fun as you make your selections. |
| probably won't find actual ballroom dance doll | | | | 6. Remember that there is no right or wrong way to |
| patterns, but you can select some suitable for | | | | create your own Barbie and Ken ballroom costumes |
| dresses, suits, or anything that you think will work | | | | as long as you are happy with the final product. Your |
| with your costume ideas. | | | | unique designs will be the envy of many doll and |
| 2. Decide on the style or theme of your costume. | | | | dance enthusiasts. Don't be afraid to experiment with |
| For example, when I decided to create a tango | | | | colors and textures. Sometimes accidents happen |
| costume, I knew that I wanted Ken to have pants | | | | along the way, and the unexpected style may |
| with a long sleeve shirt and a coordinating sash. As | | | | actually be better than the original one. Good luck, |
| for Barbie, I wanted her to have a long dress with | | | | enjoy, and let the dance begin! |
| ruffles on the sleeves. Knowing a few specifics like | | | | |