A Very Tiny House in the Middle of the Woods (or Playroom)

Several months ago, I had a chance to combine two of my favorite hobbies--woodworking and making doll things for my granddaughters. While browsing Ana White's woodworking ideas for a different project, I happened to see plans for building a cabin hangout for 18 inch dolls. It seemed like a perfect joint present for two of my granddaughters who are sisters and have birthdays just a few weeks a part.

Here is a photo of the project from her site and a link:

https://www.ana-white.com/woodworking-projects/camp-hangout-18-or-american-girl-dolls

I already had some of the wood I needed, but my guess is that even if I had started from scratch, building the cabin itself would have cost less than $50. The current list price for a similar, plastic cabin at a retail store is $185. Accessories add to the cost but can also be done on a budget. More about that in a moment.

I followed her plans as outlined with one exception. Instead of painting some of the wood white, I chose to paint only the back wall (forest green) and then, after sanding, I coated the rest of the cabin with clear polyurethane. I like the look of the natural wood but wanted to protect it as well. Here is a picture before I added the roof and the back wall:

And here is the completed cabin.

The Ana White site also has plans for accessories, including a darling cot. I chose to go a different direction with things I already had. Instead of building a cot, I created a hammock out of the cover that came with a hammock I purchased for our back porch. It stretches across the cabin from the left back to the right front. I simply used cup hooks. When it's not in use, it hangs out of the way in the back corner:

Knowing that I might build this at some point, I purchased several cabin appropriate ornaments after Christmas last year. One of the funnest things I found was a small string of  battery operated fairy lights decorated with twigs and pine cones. I hung it along the eaves and secured the battery back with velcro strips on the back of the cabin. It is out of sight but easy to access to turn the lights on and off.

These lanterns are a little large scale wise, but I love them and used them anyway. I hung one on each side of the cabin with small hooks.

The gingham bear picture, tackle box, fishing tales sign, and checked backpack are all repurposed Christmas ornaments. I made the wooden shelf from wood scraps left over from the project.

Both the fishing pole, resting in the back corner, and the picnic basket were thrift store finds. (The picnic basket was my five year old granddaughter's absolute favorite part of the cabin.)

Happy Camping!

Bread Box to Roll-top Doll Desk

As you can see from this earlier post, my closet/doll townhouse is full. There isn't room for any more furniture:

 However, when I saw this breadbox at a thrift store, my first thought was, "This would make a perfect roll top desk for 18" dolls. I'll make it and then give it away."

I knew that the biggest challenge would be creating stable legs, So I began by building a small, sturdy shelf to serve as the back support as well as provide storage for books and school supplies. (I probably wouldn't have thought of that, but I have a small, vintage roll top desk that is constructed this way.) I used the height of the doll's kitchen table, which was 10" from the floor to the bottom of the table, as my guide for the height of the shelf and front legs. The width of the shelves was slightly less than the width of the bottom of the bread box. Using an inexpensive 1 x 3, I constructed this simple shelf and attached it to the bottom back of the bread box with wood glue and screws:

While I was at Lowes picking up the 1 x 3, I noticed some bannister posts on clearance for 54 cents and bought two of them for the front legs:

 

They were, of course, way too long, so I cut them to 10" and will save the rest for another project. Because the posts are a bit spindly, I knew they would need extra reinforcement to keep them from breaking off the desk, so I added a bracket to the back of each post:

I marked the spot for each post at both front corners of the desk (I just chose a spot that I thought would look good and made sure it was the same on both sides) drilled a hole, applied wood glue to the desk and the post, and then secured the post to the desk with a 2" screw. I had pre-drilled a pilot hole through the center of each post. I then drilled up from the bottom through the bracket hole and added a shorter screw so that it wouldn't pop up through the desk top. I filled all my screw holes with wood filler and then sanded them flush. The back shelf also needed some sanding.

To reinforce the "old time" feel of the piece, I decided to paint the desk with chalk paint (not to be confused with chalk board paint.) I went with black because I already had a dark chair that was a perfect accessory. (My granddaughter thinks black is a disappointing choice, so you may want to choose something cheerier.) Knowing that it wouldn't take much, I used a coupon and bought a small pot of chalk paint at Hobby Lobby. It did take three coats to cover the large word "bread" emblazoned on the front, but I still had enough. After the paint dried, I applied a thin coat of wax that I bought at Lowes:

Ready for school. . . .

(I wish I had taken a picture of the desk with the top open, but it's too late

--I have already given it away.)

"You Can Do This" Doll Bed for 18" Dolls

After seeing the "closet into dollhouse" conversion I did, a friend tagged me and posted this bed on Facebook:




Of course, I fell in love and immediately went to the site. It is a project person's dream! So many cute ideas, and she shares purchasing lists for materials needed, cutting guides, diagrams, and building instructions. (I'm so excited that Elin has bought a house so that I can build her all kinds of things she probably doesn't want or need.)

I had been piling up reasons to purchase a drop saw, and this cute bed tipped the balance. You could make it using a hand saw, but having this tool made it so much faster and easier:

If you are interested in making this bed, here is the link to her instructions:

http://ana-white.com/2010/11/doll-farmhouse-bed

Because I had wood scraps available, I used what I had--including pieces of molding that were left over from framing out my bathroom mirrors. I used them as the inset panels in the head and foot boards:

Some of my scrap pieces where pretty rough, even after sanding, and mine doesn't look nearly as "finished" as hers. We'll call it a "Rustic" Farmhouse Bed:

Sweet Dreams!

Easy Cape and Jacket for 18" Dolls

Just before Christmas I posted pictures of fun and simple doll clothes that you can make from mini Christmas tree skirts. I don't know whether anyone actually ran out and stocked up on tree skirts, but I thought I would post a "how-to" anyway because you can use the same techniques for creating jackets starting with a simple circle of fabric. I'll say more about that at the end.

For now, let's assume that you have a tree skirt. I'll show you two different looks, and you can decide which one you want to try. The first is a simple cape. This skirt measures about 12" inches in diameter and is white faux fur lined with polyester satin:

Place the skirt on your doll, inside out, with the skirt opening down the front and the velcro fastened. It will look very wing-like:

Now, carefully place a line of pins up each side to create the shape you want your cape to be. Round it slightly as you get to the neck line to help it mold across the shoulders:

Take it off the doll and adjust the pins as needed to make both sides look symmetrical. Starting at the bottom, stitch along the pin line, removing pins as you go. Be sure to back-stitch at both the beginning and end of your seam:

Trim the seam to within about 1/4" of the stitching and then run a zigzag stitch along the outside edge of the seam to prevent fraying:

Turn your new cape right side out and try it on. So easy and so elegant:

My second skirt is 13", sequin trimmed, velour, lined with polyester satin. I used it to make a fun jacket with a bit of bling. (If by any chance you purchased a larger size, I can post later how to make a knee length coat with matching hat. Let me know if you are interested.)

Once again, put the skirt on your doll, inside out, slit down the front, with the velcro fastened. This time, use your pins to make a triangle under each arm that will help you create a sleeve. Don't make your triangle too big; this will make your jacket and sleeve too tight. You can always go back and enlarge the triangle, but once you have cut it, you can't make it smaller. This is what mine looked like:

Now, stitch along the pin lines, pivoting at the top of the triangle, and back-stitching at the beginning and end of your seam:

Trim the seam to within about 1/4" of the stitching, and then run a zigzag stitch along the outside edge of the seam to prevent fraying. Clip into the tip of the triangle, making sure not to cut through the stitching. This will make the underarm lie flatter when you turn the jacket inside out. From tree skirt, to sparkling jacket:

If you would like to try one of these but don't have a tree skirt, you can use the same techniques using a circle you cut from some other fabric. This would be a great project for moms and daughters to do together because so little sewing is involved. I suggest using felt or another fabric that doesn't fray so that you won't have to worry about hemming the circle. (Hemming circles is no fun!) You can purchase furred felt that would make darling capes and jackets.

Cut your circle; 12 to 13 inches is a great size. Make a straight cut from the bottom of the circle to the circle's center. Cut a small circle in the center for your neckline. Then follow the directions above to make your own cape or jacket. You can embellish your creation by either sewing or gluing on jewels, flowers, lace, ribbon or whatever you choose.

Adorable Coats, Jackets and Skirts for 18 Inch Dolls Made From Mini-Christmas Tree Skirts

For all you American Girl and other 18" doll fans (and moms of fans) out there, here is something to keep your eyes out for as you do your post-Christmas shopping. Several Christmases ago, my sister and I realized that mini-tree skirts can be easily converted into a variety of darling doll clothes. I won't take time in this blog to give you the how-to instructions. I'm just going to post some pictures so that if you are interested in making some of your own during the coming year, you can pick up a variety of skirts at clearance prices. They are available at Hobby Lobby and other craft stores and in the holiday sections of other stores as well.

So here are a few things we have made in the past to give you some inspiration and to help you know what to look for:

My sister turned a simple red felt tree skirt into this Bavarian style jacket simply by creating sleeves (I can post about how to do this later) and adding trim to the front edges.

Using a similar technique with a slightly larger tree skirt, I made this faux fur jacket. I was able to create a matching hat by salvaging the scraps I cut off to shorten the sleeves. The skirt came with the buttons already in place, and in most cases, they come with velcro that makes fastening in front easy.

Many of the tree skirts have sports themes. The top jacket is obviously football. The white and red one was a baseball that I transformed into a more formal look by simply adding a couple of 

red felt flowers.

Soft fur tree skirts make lovely capes and jackets for party dresses. See the tutorial here!

A larger size mini-tree skirt can be transformed into a darling winter coat. Again, extra fabric that we gained from shortening the sleeves made it possible to create the matching hat, purse 

and trim for the boots.

And finally, we turned appliqued tree skirts into whimsical ice skating skirts.

So, if these look like something you might like to make in the coming months, pick up a few tree skirts during your after Christmas shopping, and I will post tutorials about how to turn them into clothes for your dolls.

Happy New Year!

Pencil Skirt for 18" Dolls 101

One of the wonderful things about dolls is the way that they can bring mothers and daughters, grandmothers and granddaughters--females of all ages--together. This little tutorial can help with that in a couple of ways. On one hand, this is something easy that you can make for a little girl you love for Christmas--or "just because." If you are feeling even more adventuresome, it is something that you can make with your daughter. All you need is a small piece of fabric and about a foot of 1/4" elastic. It is that easy!

First, choose your material. You will need a piece that is 6 by 14 inches. I have gobs of fabric, so finding a scrap that size is never a problem. But even if you aren't a fabric junkie like I am, chances are you have a piece that big lying around your house--in an old skirt you never wear, in the leg of a pair of jeans your husband needs to throw out, or in the back of an old shirt. (If you haven't done much sewing, I would avoid using knits--like t-shirt material--because stretchy is harder to work with.) I used a scrap of black corduroy; denim is another great option because it goes with everything.

Start by folding in 1/4" of fabric to the wrong side of both long edges and zigzagging it in place to create a neat edge:

Choose one of the long edges, fold it over again, and stitch along the inside finished edge to create a hem. Be sure to back-stitch at both ends to keep the threads from pulling loose.

Fold the top of the other long edge over 1/2" to create a waistband casing for your elastic. Stitch it in place with a straight stitch along the inside edge. Be sure to back-stitch at both ends to keep the threads from pulling loose.

Cut a piece of 1/4" elastic 10 1/2" long. Pin a safety pin to one end of the elastic making sure that it is secure. Insert the pin end of the elastic into the waist-band casing and start pushing it along the casing toward the open end.

When you reach the point that your elastic is about to disappear, stop long enough to stitch across the end so that it won't pull through.

Finish feeding the elastic through the casing, unpin the safety pin--holding onto the elastic so that it doesn't slip back into the casing--and then stitch that end of the elastic in place. (Because the elastic is shorter than the width of the skirt, it will gather the skirt top as you feed it through the casing and sew it in place to create a stretchy waistband that will make it easy to put on and take off the skirt.)

Fold the skirt in half with right sides together, matching raw edges. Stitch a 1/4" seam from the top of the skirt to the bottom making sure to back-stitch both at the beginning and the end. (To help your skirt last longer, zigzag the seam edges to keep them from fraying.)

Turn your brand new skirt inside out--and try it on!