Cabbage Patch Kids

The assignment for the design team was to create a layout inspired by pop culture from the decade we were born. This is relatively difficult because I do not remember the 70's. However, as I was researching Pop Culture from the 70's, I ran across a familiar name- Xavier Roberts. In 1978, Xavier Roberts created "Little People" who would later be known as Cabbage Patch Kids. 

"During the 1983 Christmas season, parents in the United States frantically searched everywhere for the coveted Cabbage Patch Kids dolls. While many stores had extremely long waiting lists, others had a first-come first-serve policy, which led to shocking, vicious fights between potential buyers. By the end of the year, approximately three million Cabbage Patch Kids dolls had been "adopted" (Ask.com).

I remember how much I wanted a Cabbage Patch Kid and that feeling is what inspired my layout. I used the white grid paper that can be found at snapncrop.com for this page. Although the black paper also looked nice, the white paper helped the old photo to appear a bit less yellow (although it is still a terrible photo).

I used a photo from the day my younger sister and I received our first Cabbage Patch Kids (Krissy & Luanna) in the top left, a brief history of Cabbage Patch Kids in the upper right, two stories that I remember about our CPKs in the bottom left, and a current photo of me with my first CPK  (also the naked boy cabbage Patch Doll I share in my story) in the bottom right position. My oldest daughter was kind enough to take the photo. She did hesitate and remind me that she was photographing me outside with a doll and the neighbors could see. :)

To be 16 again...

Here is a copy of my stories:

What I remember about Cabbage Patch Kids:

I remember the day I received my first Cabbage Patch Kid. It was Jami’s birthday and although I remember feeling excited Jami got one for her birthday, I still wanted one of my own. My mom came out and gave me a shoe box sized gift. (It was the wrong shape for a Cabbage Patch Kid). I was so happy to open it and find Luanna Franny, my own CPK. She was perfect; that is, except for the burnt biscuit in her diaper. Thanks mom! The picture above is from that very day… With Jami, her CPK Krissy, Luanna, and me.

          The other story about a CPK is one that I am not proud to tell: One day, my brother found a naked boy CPK abandoned in his car. Anyway, my brother gave the CPK to Jami. At this point, I was very jealous that Jami had more. So… I asked her for it, then begged her for it… then cried for it (yes, cried). Jami finally felt bad for me and gave it to me. I took it, stopped crying and walked off. It was mine!!!

Don't Judge me... I was just a kid. :)

Here also is a copy of the brief history that I put on my page:

The History of Cabbage Patch Kids began with the birth of the Cabbage Patch dolls in the mid 1970's when Xavier Roberts, an American art student used "needle molding" fabric sculpture techniques and quilting skills acquired from his mother to create the first "little people" dolls. His concept was especially unique in that he also developed the marketing ploy of 'adopting' the little dolls and included adoption certificates in their packaging.

By 1982, Xavier's phenomenal success evolved into a long term licensing agreement with a major toy manufacturer, during which those 'little people' became "Cabbage Patch Kids".  The end of 1983 saw 3 million of these dolls sold and still a demand for more!  They were featured on the cover of Newsweek and considered to be the most successful new doll in the American toy industry's history, a success that continues to this day.