adajohn010: decoupage crafts

Showing posts with label decoupage crafts. Show all posts

Thursday, October 18, 2018

Turn A Bookcase Into a Changing Table

newblogger October 18, 2018 0 Comments

I discovered a doll sized bookcase at resale. It was a bit too wide and heavy for a fashion doll bookcase and too small for an American Girl Doll's bookcase. So, I decided to convert it into a changing table for our Barbie's nursery.

A bookcase for a doll may be transformed into a
very nice diaper changing table.

Supply List:

corrugated cardboard
toothpicks
acrylic paints
clear acrylic varnish
Mod Podge
tacky white glue
felt square
printed fabric
sandpaper (light weight)
typing paper
hot glue gun and hot glue
masking tape

Step-by-Step Directions:

Clean your resale item with soap and water and set it in the sunshine to dry thoroughly.
Lightly sand the surfaces so that the paint will adhere to the item.
I choose to paint my changing table with four colors: black, yellow, blue and green. These colors match flowers in the fabric print I selected for decoupage portion of the project. I first painted the top shelf yellow, then the middle shelf a turquoise blue, and the bottom shelf a hunter's green.
Then using a tiny brush, I painted the changing table's decorative trim black. You may find that you need to repeat these steps several times to get good coverage.
I used a ruler and typing paper to make patterns of the changing table sides and back pieces. Then I traced around these patterns on top of my fabric with a white piece of chalk.
Cut the pieces out of the fabric and hold them up to the parts of the furniture you wish to decoupage to see if these are the correct size and shape.
Brush on the Mod Podge and firmly press the fabric cuttings onto the sides and back of the changing table. Layer more Mod Podge on top of the fabric and then let the changing table dry overnight.
Now measure the length of the shelves and cut two pieces of corrugated cardboard to fit the length that measure approximately 1/2 inch wide.
Cut toothpicks down to half inch pieces. Make sure these are all the same length before assembling the railing for the top of the changing table.
Using a tacky glue, squeeze a dot of glue on the end of each cut toothpick and nestle these inside every other hole of the corrugated cardboard interior. Let the glue harden before fitting the second piece of cut cardboard on top of the railing. This is tedious work but simple once you get used to it.
Now let this small railing harden prior to painting it a color of your own choosing. I painted my railing bright yellow to match the top shelf.
Glue the dry railing into place using a hot glue gun.
Measure the inside of the top shelf to make a cardboard cut out for the changing pad.
Cover the top of this cardboard with a piece of felt of the same size. Glue the felt into place with a small amount of tacky glue.
Now lay this cardboard shelf on top of the decorative fabric and cut around the cardboard, leaving enough fabric to wrap it around the corners and a bit of the bottom. Secure the wrap with masking tape. (see photo below)
Hot glue the upholstered changing pad onto the top of the changing table.
Now you can fill the shelves with all kinds of items your Barbie's baby may need: diapers, wipes, toys, a bathtub etc...

Left, the safety railing made from toothpicks and corrugated cardboard and the changing pad/mattress.
Center, the finished table. Right, the backside of the changing table's pad. You can see the masking tape
used to secure the wrapped ends of the fabric prior to gluing the pad down to the top of the changing table.

Different views of my finished doll changing table. See the matching cradle for our Barbie's nursery.

More Diaper Changing Tables:

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Decoupage A Doll's Storage Trunk

newblogger October 11, 2018 0 Comments

Every little girl should own a doll trunk and at the very least, a few nice dolls with clothing to dress and redress
their dolls with. These kinds of toys promote opportunity for both dramatic play and creative sewing/craft projects.

Doll trunks may cost as much as 100 dollars
or as little as 5 dollars.

Two 11 1/2 inch dolls will fit comfortably inside this little wooden doll trunk. Soon I will fill it with handmade doll clothes and accessories. The drawer is for shoes, the rack for clothing and I will add a shelf for hats later.

Supply List:

a doll trunk to decoupage
Mod Podge
soft brush
decorative, acid free paper
wooden dowel
hot glue gun and hot glue
ruler or tape measure
sharp scissors

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Acquire a Doll trunk for this project. I picked this one up at resale for five dollars. It was in excellent condition but cried out for an update.
Make sure the surfaces of your doll trunk are clean and free of dust and dirt before beginning.
I decided to leave the slats of my trunk stained on the outside. So I measured and cut decorative paper to fit between these and applied Mod Podge to paste the paper down and then layered several coats of this glue on top of the paper to protect it. You will need to proceed slowly with this process in order to keep your work clean and free from tears. Let each side dry completely before covering the next.
Then I measured, cut and pasted the interior of the doll trunk with coordinating papers.
I did not have enough of my paper to cover all of this interior so I decided to use a third coordinating paper on the drawer.
The last step is to glue in a dowel rod for hanging clothing if one is not already in place. Measure the interior carefully, cut the dowel and then use a hot glue gun to position it between the two walls above the drawer. Leave a couple of inches at the top interior of the trunk above the dowel so that there is plenty of room for clothing, hangers etc... to fit in. I chose to be generous with this space because I intend to eventually add an additional shelf for hats.


Left, here you can see that I had to glue in a dowel for hanging the doll clothing. This is not unusual, many doll trunks are sold with only the bare essentials. For centuries, people altered doll trunks and even life-sized steamer trunks to accommodate their own needs and tastes. Center, doll trunks are sold with a small drawer located at the bottom of one half of the trunk. Right, this trunk has a clasp, but no lock.

Watch the FairyChic Emporium cover her steamer trunk
using a decoupage patchwork effect. Visit her YouTube
account for more creative ideas.

# 18 inch Doll Furnishings # decoupage crafts

Friday, September 14, 2018

Collage a Baby Swimming Pool for Your Dolls

newblogger September 14, 2018 0 Comments

First, apply the stickers to the inside walls of
the transparent container.

It's fun to make this simple craft with containers you can recycle from your own kitchen. Cover it with fishy stickers and just a bit of paint and your ready to have a splashing good time with your dolls.

Supply List:

a recycled food dish (plastic)
fish stickers
blue paint
Mod Podge
decorative paper (mine had printed tiles)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Clean the discarded, transparent food container with warm soap and water. Let it dry.
Adhere stickers on the inside of the container.
Apply Mod Podge to the inside of the container over the stickers. Let the glue dry between several applications.
Paint the outside of the container with blue paint and let this dry.
Decoupage clippings from a decorative sheet of paper on the exterior of the container if you want even more detail on the baby doll pool.
Layer Mod Podge on top of the outside walls as well.

Both Above and Below, you can see our Mary Kate doll baby sitting and having fun with the baby doll pool.

# crafts for a doll nursery # crafts for a doll pool or entertainment

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

Transform a Curio Cabinet for Barbie

newblogger September 12, 2018 0 Comments

The curio cabinet is a miniature duplicate of a much larger version that once hung in my girl's bedroom. This doll sized curio measures 8"x7" and will be a perfect place for our fashion doll's to display their porcelain collections in the future. I'm going to hang this cupboard in the bedroom of our doll's house but it would look just as nice in a dining room or kitchen if you's like to display your own somewhere else.

Our family doll's prefer a much less sombre decor, however. So I have decided to liven this curio cabinet up a bit with some paint and decorative scrap papers.

As you can see, I also need to replace a finial knob on the top of this little cabinet. I found a wooden bead inside my button collection that suited this purpose and painted it lavender after gluing it in place.

Left, Before this small curio cabinet was stained and it's formerly displayed miniatures.
Right, After it has been painted and papered to display Barbie's miniature porcelains in a lavender bedroom.

Supply List:

a doll size curio cabinet
lavender and white acrylic paints
lavender papers: figures, patterns and flowers
Mod Podge
sandpaper
tiny paint brush

Step-by-Step Instructions:

Dust and sand down the surfaces of the curio so that it may be easily painted and papered.
Paint the outside shelving lavender and the inside shelving behind the glass door white.
Measure and cut papers to fit neatly into the inside wall of the curio shelves. I used a purple and white chevron patterned paper for the outside shelf walls. Then I cut and pasted a water lily printed paper with the same color combination behind the shelves inside the cabinet.
After pasting these in place, I then applied a second coat of Mod Podge onto the paper surfaces for a durable finish.

More Interesting Curio Cabinets Displays:

# crafts for a doll bedroom # decoupage crafts

Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Decoupage A Llama Dresser

newblogger September 11, 2018 0 Comments

A recycled child jewelry box, saved from the dump.

Broken jewelry boxes make excellent doll furnishings when they have been upcycled with a bit of sandpaper, fabric and glue. I purchased this one from a local Goodwill for $3.00. Then I took a trip to a sewing shop down the street to select a fabric to use for both decoupage and sewing our doll's bedding. Repeating the prints and colors of the same items within your doll house rooms will help these spaces look professionally designed.

Supply List:

recycled child jewelry box
sandpaper
Mod Podge
coordinating paint, fabric and paper
beads for knobs
spray paint in the color of your choice
ruler and paper for making simple patterns
hot glue gun and glue

Step-by-Step Directions:

Scrub the jewelry box with soap and water.
Use sandpaper to smooth out the finishes and prep these for new applications.
Spray paint the new doll dresser in the color of your choice. Use plenty of newspapers or cardboard boxes to spray paint with so that the working surfaces don't get paint on them. It is best to spray paint outdoors so that you don't breath in so many fumes!
Measure carefully the sides and drawer fronts of each part of the former jewelry box that you intend to cover with fabric or paper.
Cut out the papers and fabric for the decoupage process.
Brush Mod Podge directly onto the surfaces that you have cut coordinating fabrics and papers for. Stick on the papers or fabrics, positioning these carefully.
Now Coat that applied layer of fabric and or paper with a finishing coat of more Mod Podge.
Hot glue small beads to the dresser drawers and swinging cupboard door if these need new handles.
After everything dries, your doll will have a lovely dresser to store her clothing in.

I chose to decoupage my doll's dresser with blue llama fabric and plaid paper.
I used a orange spray paint to contrast with the blue fabrics and paper.

This feisty llama is a "watchdog" for a Missouri farmer. My great grandfather actually had a few of these on his farm back in 1910! He also had an ostrich and prize winning burros that he took to the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904. Visit the website celebrating St. Louis past and present surrounding the World's Fair history and people.

More About Upcycling Boxes:

# crafts for a doll bedroom # decoupage crafts

Tuesday, June 12, 2018

How to Upcycle a Child's Suitcase

newblogger June 12, 2018 0 Comments

I painted one half of my child sized suitcase with blackboard chalk paint. Then I decorated this side using liquid
chalkboard paints. The doll drawings may be found on this page of my blog if you would like to draw them on
your version of the craft. Also there is an older post describing the "chalk transfer method" that I used to
design the top half of this chalkboard painted luggage here. The text above on the suitcase reads,
"Home is where your friends are!"

I decided to combine two distinct craft projects into one in order to save money on supplies. Namely the suitcase, because these are getting a bit expensive to acquire from resale outlets. The lower half of my suitcase has been decoupaged with vintage sailor fabric and the upper half with chalkboard paint.

This little upcycled suitcase is home to many doll house dolls.

Supply List:

chalkboard spray paint (black)
white school chalk
liquid chalk pens
Mod Podge
large soft brush
scissors
butcher paper
vintage fabric (your choice)
ruler

Step-by-Step Directions: Part 1. The Decoupaged Suitcase Surface

Before you begin, clean the outside of your suitcase with a moist bleach towelette and set it in the bright sunlight. This will kill mold and bacteria.
Gently sand down the flat surfaces of the luggage so that glue and paint will bond to it with ease.
I decoupaged the bottom half of my little suitcase first, for obvious reasons. I wanted the more durable alteration to be on the half that would receive the most neglect and would not be put on display as often.
You will need a paper pattern to lay on top of your vintage fabric. Allow a slight 1/8th seam allowance after tracing around the pattern on the wrong side of your fabric. This extra fabric will get tucked between the piping and the bottom side of the suitcase after you apply the Mod Podge.
To make the pattern from the actual suitcase top, lay butcher paper across the flat side of the luggage and push with your finger tips around the inside circumference of the suitcase piping. This will leave a obvious crease in the paper that you can cut on top of directly with a pair of scissors. (see photo below)
Brush the clean, sanded surface with a generous amount of Mod Podge. Use a large paint brush to do so with speed.
Now, carefully line up the fabric and press it evenly on top of the glue, working the creases out with a long ruler and your finger tips.
Brush on a second thick layer of Mod Podge to the top of my fabric in order to seal the surface thoroughly. Let the luggage stand and dry thoroughly before moving on to the second half of this craft project.

Cover the outside of a suitcase with decorative fabric.

More Altered Suitcases for Children:

Creating a Suitcase Dresser: A Tutorial
A Kid's Play Suitcase by Tara Dennis
Oh my: a birthday in a suitcase

Left, make a pattern from the actual suitcase top by laying butcher paper across the top and pushing with your finger
tips around the inside circumference of the suitcase piping. Right, You can see that I have added a thick layer of Mod Podge.

This suitcase has two sides, on the left is the chalkboard painted side and on the right is the fabric decoupage side.

Above are photos of the drawing done with a liquid chalkboard marker on my child sized suitcase.

Step-by-Step Directions: Part 2. The Chalkboard Painted Surface

Like the decoupaged surface, the spray painted surface needs light sanding in order for the paint to adhere properly.
Cover all of the surfaces that are not to be painted with masking tape and newsprint.
Lay the suitcase face up and closed in the center of a large cardboard box. This will protect your environment from floating paint.
Spray the chalkboard paint in even, thin coats. Repeat this after allowing each application to dry, approximately 25 minutes between coats in the sunshine, outdoors. I painted my suitcase top with at least four layers of paint.
Let the project dry thoroughly over night.
Now the chalkboard surface is ready for drawing with liquid chalk pens! Liquid chalk may be wiped down with a moist cloth.
To save work that you like, you can apply a couple of coats of spray fixative.

Homes For Dolls Inside Vintage Luggage:

The dolls that live & travel inside the suitcase thus far...