Since I discovered an Instagram account with custom made Doctor Who American Girl dolls, I instantly got inspired, and wanted to get my Doctor Who Original Character – Piper Dominique – as a doll. When I went to research which Truly Me doll to get for her, I started to think about American Girl’s Create-Your-Own doll program that allows you to get a custom doll of your own design. Once I got into the program online and discovered I could get extra long red hair and gray eyes, I was sold. This is my review of the Create-Your-Own doll program.

Conception

American Girl have a wide selection of skin tones, head shapes, eye colors and shape, and hair types and shapes! For Piper, I selected light-to-medium skin with warm undertone. I had considered a lighter skin tone since Piper, hailing from England, she would be pale. However, I realized the lighter tone was more likely intended for a different ethnicity than Piper, who’s very Caucasian. Next, I selected the square head shape, which I believed just fit her look the best. There is an option available for freckles around the eyes and over the nose, but Piper doesn’t have freckles, so I didn’t get any. For Piper’s hair type, I chose long straight hair, and of course, red, because my girl is undoubtedly ginger! I decided not to style her hair since there was no selection for high pigtails, and saved myself some trouble later undoing someone else’s hard work. I was ecstatic to discover one of the eye colors available were gray, which is not only Piper’s eye color, but mine as well! There is also an option to go Heterochromic, and have your doll possess two different colors! That concludes the options regarding the physical appearance of the Create-Your-Own American Girl dolls.

Selecting Accessories

I was aware that since my doll was based on an Original Character I already chose a design for, no accessories or clothing set would be right for Piper. So I instead selected what would be the closest style Piper would realistically wear. Thus, Let’s Create! was the clothing set I chose, which consists of a pink, tied up headband, a white tiger print t-shirt, a fitness-like pink and gray jacket, black leggings, and tennis shoes, purple and gray, with a sparkly silver front, and white rims. Though Piper would not normally pick sparkly tennis shoes, those were the only accessory I decided to keep for her final look. I also purchased a pair of glasses, because her uncle has a thing with glasses, and she likes to copy him.

I chose the Let’s Create! accessory set, which included a white backpack with school-themed print, a rainbow frappuccino, a sketch book, a colorful pencil set, and two scrunchies.

Arrival

Piper took a little under a month to arrive, which was impressive since there is a warning listed that it could take up to six weeks. She came in a beautiful doll box, which was slightly bigger than a usual American Girl Doll box, more sturdy, and complete with a beautifully tied bow. The box included a message at the front, which you have the option to select different options. Because I was buying her for myself, I went with “Designed by: Hannah.”

The pair of glasses was in a separate package from the rest of the accessories, which came in a standard American Girl accessory box. It also came with an advertisement for their Design Your Own Doll Clothing line.

In summary, American Girl’s Create Your Own Dolls are pricey ($200; on the plus size, orders over $130~ receive free shipping), but very well made, and the quality in which they are shipped is just as good! They come with many customizable options, and a fair selection of clothing and accessories for your girl to enjoy!