It’s that magical time of the year again, and guess what’s topping the wish lists of mini Taylor Swift fans? You guessed it – a Taylor Swift doll!
As a Swiftie myself and a mom to a six-year-old who’s equally enchanted by Taylor’s tunes (seriously, our car rides are basically mini concerts), I stumbled upon something that’s just too fabulous not to share.
We came across these DIY Taylor Swift dolls, a trend so cute and creative, it’s got our hearts skipping a beat. And who do we have to thank for this genius idea? The incredibly talented Jessica Giamartino from the Taylor Swift’s Vault on Facebook. Jessica kindly allowed me to share her images and creation with you all.
My little girl and I, along with her friends, had a blast at the Eras show in the cinema, handing out friendship bracelets, dancing and singing along to our favorite songs – That’s the spirit Jessica captured in her DIY creation. The little friendship bracelets on the doll are a beautiful touch.
And here’s a thought – what if we made a Taylor Swift doll for each era? Imagine having a little Taylor from the ‘Fearless’ era right next to a baddie Taylor doll in her Rep era?! A Swiftie dream come true, right?
This is not only for kids, there are many grown Swifties who would love to create such a collection too – and if you’re feeling creative, I say go for it!
DIY Process For the Taylor Swift Doll
Jessica’s process was a perfect blend of creativity and nostalgia. She started with an Ariel doll from Target and transformed it into a mini Taylor Swift.
Snipping the bangs, adding the signature red lips, and crafting a stylish outfit and friendship bracelets – she poured her Swiftie soul into this project.
Even the doll’s shoes have a story, coming straight from Jessica’s childhood collection of American Girl Doll clothes.
I’ve been a Swiftie since Debut and now my four year old is obsessed too! She knows pretty much all of the songs and even which album they’re on, and she’s always singing Taylor Swift songs and putting on concerts for us.
So of course I had to jump on this trend for my daughter for Christmas!
It’s the Ariel doll from Target, then I cut her bangs, painted her lips red, made her shirt and friendship bracelets, and fixed up the box
– Jessica Giamartino, Taylor Swift’s Vault on Facebook
To paint the lips, Jessica said “I used basic acrylic paint and then painted over with modge podge to seal it.”
As for cutting the bangs, that’s going to be the tricky part for sure but Jessica shared a picture of how she parted the hair, which may help.
Which Doll to Use for Taylor Swift DIY Doll?
The first step is selecting the right doll. You want to find a versatile 18-inch doll with features that can be easily customized, allowing each era’s unique style to shine through in your miniature Taylor Swift transformations.
Keep in mind, the right doll serves as the perfect canvas for your artistic expression and Swiftie tribute!
Jessica used the blonde Ariel doll (no, we don’t know why Ariel is blonde either… but it works!) from the Disney ILY 4ever range. This doll actually comes with a microphone which is great, as you won’t need to source from elsewhere.
If you cannot find this exact doll, you could switch it out for an alternative. As we know, Taylor has blonde hair and blue eyes so you’re looking for a doll with these features to make your life easier.
The Argos Designafriend range has a blonde hair and blue eyes doll named Emmie which is an option for those in the UK. The American Girl brand also has dolls that will fit this specification.
I found this one with blonde curly hair that looks perfect for Taylor’s earlier eras.
When it comes to Disney dolls, you’re going to want to avoid Rapunzel as she normally has green eyes, which isn’t accurate. Aurora’s hair tends to be more of a strawberry blonde, so that’s also a no.
Elsa and Cinderella are the Disney princesses which normally have blonde hair and blue eyes, so these may be contenders for your doll Taylor Swift make over.
Clothes and Accessories for DIY Taylor Swift Doll
For those wondering where to get all the accessories and clothes for your Taylor Swift doll, this is what Jessica had to say….
I bought the plain white tshirt, pants, and glasses from Designs4Dolls on Etsy, then made the shirt with HTV, and I just happened to have the shoes in a box of American Girl Doll clothes I had from when I was a kid, thank goodness my mom saved all of that!
Jessica Giamartino, Taylor Swift’s Vault on Facebook
Someone also found these hats on Amazon which will work perfectly for this Red themed look for your Taylor doll.
When you’re searching for clothes, if you are working with this size and style of doll then 18 inch doll clothes are what you’ll be looking for. You never know, you may find some different outfits that work for all of the eras, and then you can build up your whole collection of Taylor eras dolls for your mini swiftie (or yourself… no judgement here!)
How to Make the Box for your DIY Taylor Swift Doll
One of the best options for presenting your DIY Taylor doll is to use the box it came in, since it’ll be just the right size. But of course, you want it to look on theme.
Jessica printed out the eras pictures on regular paper and covered the box. The end result looks great!
More Ideas to Customise your Taylor Swift Doll
Some swifties in the Vault group had a couple more suggestions for customising the doll. You could even paint her nails in all the colours of the eras tour, and add cat eye eye liner to the face if you feel confident to paint that on.
There were also suggestions to paint a 13 on the dolls hand, or you may be able to find temporary tattoos of that which you could apply.
And if you want to make a set of 10 Taylor Swift eras dolls then here are a few clothing ideas for all of the eras….
- Taylor Swift (Debut Era): A cute country-style sundress paired with cowboy boots. Add teal butterfly hair accessories
- Fearless Era: A sparkly gold dress with boots. If you can get a guitar for your doll go for it!
- Speak Now Era: A beautiful purple dress
- Red Era: As shown on Jessica’s doll.
- 1989 Era: A stylish high-waisted skirt paired with a crop top, capturing the retro and chic vibe of the “1989” album. Add a pair of classic sunglasses to complete the look.
- Reputation Era: A black body suit, or a black jacket and leggings, anything with a snake. This edgier look reflects the bold and fierce style of the “Reputation” era.
- Lover Era: A pastel-colored (preferably pink or blue) sequined dress or a rainbow-colored outfit, for the romantic themes of the “Lover” album. Draw a glitter heart around the eye
- Folklore Era: An oversized cardigan with a bohemian-style maxi skirt or maxi dress. This outfit captures the cozy, introspective, and story-telling essence of the “Folklore” album.
- Evermore Era: A flannel shirt paired with a pair of simple trousers or jeans, reflecting the continuation of the cottagecore aesthetic from “Folklore” but with a distinctive evermore vibe. Be sure to braid your dolls hair for these two.
- Midnights Era: Navy blue, sparkly, go with lots of diamonds and jewels for the bejewelled vibe.
These outfits are simple enough to be sourced or handmade for 18-inch dolls and can be a great way for fans to connect with each of Taylor Swift’s unique music eras.
So, for those of us looking for that perfect, unique gift for our mini Taylor fans this Christmas, why not take a page out of Jessica’s book and make your own doll.
Let’s spread the joy and magic of Taylor Swift’s music through these adorable DIY dolls. Who knows, maybe your little Swiftie will be inspired to put on their own concert at home – complete with a mini Taylor by their side! 🌈🎶
More Taylor Swift
Want more Taylor Swift content? We have some over on our other site On Your Journey
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- Taylor Swift inspired tattoos
- Taylor Swift Zodiac and personality type
Anna Marikar, mum of four and seasoned blogger, has spent over a decade sharing her parenting journey and passion for kid-friendly crafts and free printables.
Her easy-to-follow craft ideas and practical parenting advice have transformed In The Playroom into a cherished resource for parents.
I’ve just shown my eldest this and she loves it. She is a big Swiftie fan! What a fun idea! I saw a big doll in B&M yesterday which would be perfect for this.