We’ve put together the ultimate resource guide for the 8-inch American Girl® baby doll. This doll was released as part of the Truly Me line, in an accessory set called Caring for Baby™ Set. Since its release, this mini baby doll has won the hearts of many American Girl® fans and has recently been rebranded Little Bitty Baby. We’ll be giving you an overview of the doll’s features, a comparison to other similar dolls, as well as some project ideas.
About the American Girl® Caring for Baby Set
[Image and description from the American Girl website] Along with the 8-inch baby doll, the Caring for Baby Set comes with a lot of fun accessories. The baby comes dressed in a top, footed pants, and a bow headband. For mealtime, the set includes a high chair, bib, bowl with food, spoon, and a bottle. For changing time, you’ll find two diapers, a wipe case, and a changing mat. There is currently just one version of the set available, which includes a light skinned baby with dark brown hair and brown eyes. The set was released in spring 2021, and as of September 2021 is still available at American Girl®. In 2024, they released a new collection of Little Bitty Baby items and dolls.
American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll Features
- Vinyl head and body
- Rotating arms, legs, and head
- Painted face, eyes, and hair
- Similar face and limb molds to the 15-inch American Girl® Bitty Baby® Dolls
American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll Compared to Other Dolls
Perfectly Cute 8" My Lil' Baby Doll (sold at Target)
My Sweet Love Mini Soft Baby Doll (sold at Walmart)
Madame Alexander Little Cuties Baby Doll (Sold at Amazon)
There are a few similarly sized baby dolls currently available on the market. The biggest differences between the American Girl® 8-inch baby and these alternatives are the facial features and the body material. The American Girl® 8-inch baby is the only one with a poseable vinyl body. This is also a unique feature compared to other mini baby dolls that American Girl® has previously produced, such as Baby Polly (part of Felicity’s collection) and the Baby and Stroller Set available from 2005-2007, which both had cloth bodies. While the vinyl body makes the doll less cuddly, it allows for lots of adorable posing alongside 18-inch dolls!
Post update (Thanks Teena!) Target sells an all-vinyl version of the 8" baby in a boxed set with a tub and hooded bath towel for $15, in addition to the cloth-body versions that are $4. Perfectly Cute 8" Baby Doll
Another doll worth comparing to the American Girl® 8-inch baby is the Disney nuiMOs©. While these plush character dolls are not comparable to the baby dolls themselves, it turns out that the collection of nuiMOs© outfits can fit the American Girl® 8-inch baby fairly well.
The Ultimate Pattern Collection for American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll
The Pixie Faire Pattern Collection is always growing, and new patterns for the American Girl® 8-inch Baby Doll are currently in the works!
Since the 8-inch baby is around half the height of the 15-inch Bitty Baby®, we have a trick for converting accessory patterns that are designed for the 15-inch Bitty Baby® into a nice size for the 8-inch baby! When printing the pattern, simply select 50% scaling. For instance, the My Baby Sitter 15" Baby Doll Accessory pattern scaled down to 50% for printing works great for the 8-inch baby! Just remember to rescale the 1/4" seam allowance to the appropriate width after printing the pattern at 50% since it will be scaled down to a narrower width.
Another accessory pattern to try for your 8-inch baby is the My Sunshine Dolls Baby Carrier Pattern. The infant carrier in this pattern also fits the 8-inch baby doll, and can be worn by an 18-inch doll!
For clothing patterns, the 50% scaling trick doesn’t produce the perfect fit, so keep an eye out for more patterns designed for the 8-inch baby coming soon.
We tested the 123 Mulberry St Basic Playsuit scaled at 50%, and compared it to a redesigned version adapted to fit the 8-inch baby more precisely. The Basic Playsuit pattern designed specifically for the 8-inch baby has a much better fit!
We have a growing collection of patterns designed specifically for the 8-inch baby doll. Be sure to take a peek at the full collection of Patterns Designed to fit the 8-inch Baby Doll today!
We’d love to hear from you. Please leave a comment and tell us: What is baby accessory or clothing item should we make a pattern for?
(This post and giveaway are not endorsed or affiliated with Mattel® or American Girl®, no endorsement implied.)
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Charlotte
September 24, 2021
Vintage inspired baby clothes, swimwear, or Halloween costumes