A 1/6 Scale Store to Make Life Size Ones Jealous!

Barbie shops. Often. Right? But where does she go? How does she come home loaded with new items? She goes to the store of my imagination, of course! I have put together a store box room to allow Barbie to shop to her hearts content. But it also serves a practical use. This store of mine holds my minis. Neat and orderly! Walk through the steps with me, and I will show you how I created this room. 

Do you watch My Froggy Stuff on YouTube? No? You are missing out! That lady is super talented. My husband says even crazy to some degree, as her builds are SOOOOO DETAILED! There are things she will build that I'm thinking... Nope. Not necessary. But I keep watching, because more times than not she makes something that I'm thrilled with. She has a ton of printables on her blog that you can find HERE. For this project, I used the Target wall background under the Shops and Stuff list. It will take you to her Google document list where you can print those out for free.

I glued those to foamboard that were cut to create a 3-sided room box. On the right-hand side, the wall isn't full. I'm considering a door option to go there. 

I used dimensions from My Froggy Stuff that were in one of her videos to create the free standing shelving unit. The platform is 3 1/4" wide by 8" long. The middle part is 5" wide by 9 3/4" tall. I think the base ones were about a 1/4"? I didn't write those down and mostly eyeballed it. The shelves I made just to fit.

Then I covered mine, because I haven't been able to get smooth cuts on my foamboard. If any of you know a trick to doing it smoothly, feel free to leave me a comment! I like that these can move around while offering extra shelving. I think they will also work well for photos. But they take me a really long time to make. Partially because of everything else I have to do during a day... The wall on the left-hand side has shelves that go from top to bottom, as well as all the way across.  

One thing I found is that some of my minis are a bit on the large size. As long as we aren't talking mega here, I was thinking it suits that family or economy size. Back when I was a kid, it was also called institutional size. How do I know this? Because I'm the oldest of 10 kids and we bought that size before places like Costco and Sam's Club were cool. But I'm not satisfied with calling these larger minis by those names. I'm thinking... Survival Solutions. A play on the prepper mind.  

My daughter has helped me with setting up this store. We found that attaching the minis to a clear plastic piece by using glue dots worked best. Once the layout was just right, I hot glued the strips to the shelf. This way, I can remove minis and move things around as needed. However, you can just glue them down too. Or if you have doubles sitting one in front the other, just glue the front one down and make the back one removable. Do it how it works best for you. 

The first set of moveable shelves are being used for the toy aisle. Don't mind the naked doll in the background. I asked my daughter to grab a doll for comparison in heights. That was the only one she could find apparently. *insert face palm here* 

Next, was the checkout counter. I just used foam board to create the open-sided box. That was then glued to the floor. I used various card stock and paper to make it look prettier. I had a small cash register piece that I painted and glued on as well. The card reader that we have came from a Mini Brands capsule. As you can see on the left side, I tacked the Mini Brands coolers to it with Glue Dots. This way, I can remove them if I want to later. They hold juices and sodas, like you would see near checkouts normally. 

For the rest, like that cooler you see in the back, I'll be leaving you with this video to see. I'll walk you through it and show you how it looks on a closer level. Hope you like it!

 

I still have not decided on a name, so if you have one in mind, leave me a comment below!

Giving the Barbie Closet Some Upgraded Looks!

I couldn't pass up this Goodwill find. It made me immediately think, What a perfect store starter! However, after looking it over and having a poll on Instagram, it seems more people wanted to see what kind of an upgraded closet I could come up with. So... I have all these little Mini Brands set aside to recreate a store in 1/6 scale when I find another one. I even have a Re-Ment set my husband got me on clearance recently. International section, perhaps?? But back to my closet. Let's see what we can create with this! 

The original is Barbiecore to the core! I'm not a fan of Barbie colors. I prefer something a little more realistic. First steps I took were to paint the outsides with a paint+primer blend. This adheres well to the plastic and was how I did things with the Jurassic Park jeep makeover.

I taped off what would be a window. I know it is pink, but I have no choice. I want something that resembles a window or glass door. Maybe one day I will get to swap that part out. For now, it stays and won't be covered with paint.

Front and back were painted with the grey I had on hand. Don't worry about the cardboard inserts. I have a plan for changing those later.

So here is the front. That marbled design is from a card stock page meant for scrap-booking. But I think it adds a pretty outside look. This was glued to a thin cardboard piece. On the other side of that cardboard is where I put my inside paper. This was printed and gives off that calm, almost Japanese-styled look I was wanting.

In order to get this to work, I did have to pry the white shelving units out. That was no easy task, by the way! And yes, the seams make it a little less how I envisioned. But for now, I'm going to roll with it.

So this is where it is was at after adding the new background pieces. One side was painted a darker grey. I ended up having to buy more paint and could only find a different shade. Then I salvaged the mirror from the original cardboard background, but decided it needed a nice frame before I added it to the new background.

Using cut popcicle sticks, I painted them white before adding a green glow-in-the-dark paint. Then I framed the mirror. After digging into my bits and bobs drawers, I found some wooden pieces that were included as spares to a Steampunk clock I had received a while back. After arranging, painting and gluing in, I think they add to the Japanese style. What do you think? As an added bonus, I like having it glow in the dark. Kinda like a portal.

I made the hair dryer from a broken headphone piece and some craft foam. Then I used a broken off piece from jewelry to make a hanging hook for it. Now Barbie can do her hair at the counter. But enough reading! Let me show you, in my video, the rest of what I did.

Well, there you have it! Barbie has a new dream closet that actually works well for storing things. What do you think? Is there something else you'd have added? Leave me a comment below and let me know! Another project is on the way.

It's the Little Things

My husband has learned that I have quite the affection for little things. Almost anything that can be used for 1/6 scale dolls catches my attention. And even his! He has helped me find things whenever we go out. From a tiny glass bottle at the local antique shop.

To the tiny books and passport at the Hobby Lobby. These, in particular, are often going on sale!

This Christmas tree was one such gift from him. We found it at a game store and I was just over the moon! It even plugs in to light up.

But it was lacking in decorations. Which is when I decided to create some nerdy ones myself. My first one was this tiny tophat that I made into an ornament. Again, these things go on sale often at the craft store!

Then someone traded me some beads that I strung around the tree. I have been watching for things I could add and it is slowly coming together.

At the antique shop, they had these bags of mini decor, as they called them, that were half off. There were even books and music score pages elegantly made.

My daughter got one of the bags that had little porcelain dishes. One of them was from France, 3 pieces from Germany. One of mine was from Mexico! It was as though our dolls had taken trips.  

This is how I come up with scenes like this one! I decided to build a nerdy kids playroom.

I added Squishmallows as stuffed toys. The books you see 'floating' are in clear razor covers that are now as shelves. The rug was made from a furry vest.

I was inspired to make this toybox/bench because of the Rainbow High fashion pack box. I used that as a drawer. Made the pillow cushion. And the back board is covered in paper and decorated with the tops of cupcake toppers from a super hero theme.

The Star Wars pictures came from a calendar we had. Also from packaging. I wanted it to look like posters covering the whole wall. That mini shelf came from the Mini Brands Books capsule. I'll add more kid books to it from my collection later. The Minecraft sword was one I 3D printed.

I had these little dinosaurs my daughter didn't want. A unicorn 'doll' toy and a Doorable princess as a doll too. I just need to add the baby themed items. You can sorta see the Mini Brands Baby bouncer in the corner of the above photo. But I also have a Grogu bassinet I had 3D printed too. That way the babies aren't left out of the fun! 

What are you creating?? Leave me a comment. I'd love to hear about it!

From Barbie Jeep to Jurassic Park Jeep!

My daughter had asked us to take her to the local Goodwill. We originally planned to look for just a couple things she has had on her list: a black skirt and some taller boots. Found the thigh high boots! Funny enough, she and I can now share boots... Any who... 

But true to my nature, I didn't just glance at the shoe racks. I did my normal circuit. Especially since they moved and rearranged things around the store. We found two made-to-move barbie dolls. One of them is a specialty tennis player. My youngest was thrilled. She has been wanting more dolls that have more articulation to them! But then something else caught our eye... A Barbie Jeep! 

An idea is born...

 

I have been contemplating wanting some kind of vehicle that my own dolls could use in photo ops where it looks like they were traveling. But a Jeep? Not my first choice. Until my husband spoke that is. He said something along the lines of, "Looks like it could be one of the Jurassic Park ones." Ever have that feeling of a light bulb going off?? I did! 

But as I grabbed the Jeep, I was thinking, this thing is NASTY! It was cover in greasy-looking something and had fur all up in the crevices. I was thinking this might be more work than I wanted to put into it.

However, my daughter insisted that she would help. A little hard work should pay off, so why not try! On top of all these thoughts, there was also the fact that we saw one of the newer Barbie jeeps in Walmart. They aren't nearly so cool. This one is only missing the tailgate and the side mirrors. I found this jeep on eBay for $15.99. We paid less than the $3.99 it was originally priced thanks to a coupon I had.  

Let the work begin!

First task we had, which my daughter began before I even knew it, was to start cleaning it. We took an old cleaning toothbrush, some cleaner spray and warm water to scrub and rinse out the gunk. The animal fur was the worst for me. But it all cleaned out pretty easily. Much more so than I had originally thought it would.  

Next step was to take the parts - apart! I needed everything as singular as possible to make it easier for cleaning more in depth as well as for the painting process. 

Who knew there were so many parts to these toys?! While my husband was outside working on electrical upgrades to our home, I was taking each part and giving it the primer coat. This was primer+white paint that my husband got me. Then I had to keep checking what part should be which color. I decided the undercarriage did not need my focus. I left it white and merely covered that with a clear sealing coat at least.  

Having a breakdown moment...

This project was not smooth sailing all the way through. Why would it be? But the moment when my worst fear was manifested was when I really wanted to scream. The paint and primer - 2 layers! - came off with the tape!!! I had used masking tape to make the clean lines to paint on the red bits. But it peeled off they base coat.

I really questioned whether it was worth continuing. But then I remembered how much work I had already put into this thing. And by golly, I was going to see it through! 

So, be warned. Using masking tape on the primer+paint layers can still result in peeling paint.

Getting the decals

Once the paint was redone to my satisfaction, the pieces put back together, and the back cut to make it open for them to stand up...

I went about adding logo and jeep labels. I found some helpful websites, and with a little resizing, was able to make the decals just right. I printed, glued and clear coated a seal over them. So check out these websites for the pictures to print. 

This one is super in-depth, showing where to put everything - 

https://www.jpmotorpool.com/reference/jeep/jeep_guide.php 

This one had multiple pieces in one picture that can be saved for printing - 

https://www.topgear.com/car-news/movies/hold-your-butts-jeep-launches-jurassic-park-graphics-pack

Remembering it won't be a perfect replica...

So... My Jeep is not a perfect match. It didn't have doors in its design. I'm missing the side mirrors. Etc. Etc! Et cetera! This is why I took some creative liberties with it and put things in other areas. Overall, I think you can see what I was aiming for. That, to me, was enough. 

What Have I Been Doing Lately?

Not writing, as you can tell. I've had projects lining 2 crafting tables. I've had a friend to help with editing. And cleaning up the clutter around the house. But I don't regret not blogging so much. These projects have been filling my time meaningfully. I feel accomplished when I get another one done. Take this one for instance....

My daughters wanted to have characters from the older Batman movies. The two with Michael Keaton. Then those two from the 90's. They learned about Cat Woman and Poison Ivy. So it didn't take long for the request to make a Poison Ivy dress came about. I have to say that for my first time making something like this with the sewing machine, it came out pretty nice. Now I want to attempt to make another for my own doll...

I've learned to make doll capes too. They wanted their own OOAK Attack on Titan dolls to be dressed like the Scouts. 

Not everything was doll related, however. I did finally create this marble art that hangs under our back porch. The kids had gotten a ton of marbles from a friend. They used the ones that would work with a marble run and the rest ended up in my room somehow. So I got to thinking... How could I use them?? Ta-da! This is what came from such a question. I used a round wooden charcuterie board, painted black. Wire for crafting, I suggest 16-18 gauge if you are making something for outdoors that has to withstand winds. I used old necklace chains from broken necklaces to hang them down.

It came out so well, that one of my sons even asked me to make him a pendant to wear as a necklace in the same style of the wrapped marbles for this project! Then he wanted to give some to friends and wanted some for the upcoming fundraiser. So, I made more. It was fun and has given me the know-how on making other projects! 

I promise more blogging will happen. Just not so frequently while projects are getting done! But I will share some of the better ones with you. 

From Amazing Hair to Video Game Character - Barbie Doll Transformation!

My youngest has been learning to play Left 4 Dead 2 (L4D2). She plays with her siblings and with her Dad as often as she can. This is the kid who fell in love with the Jurassic World, and then Jurassic Park movies. Who thought Disney princess movies were scary. Yep, she loves zombie movies and games. This is my kid! But don't worry, she has her girly side too. She still plays with Barbies with her older sister. What I've started noticing, however, is that her Barbie dolls are pretty much all characters from a movie or game she is currently in love with.

So... Rochelle and Ellis from L4D2 are her absolute favorite characters! She loves how Ellis talks, usually rambling in that southern hick accent about some memory he has of pre-zombie life. And Rochelle is the sweetheart healer that looks after the team. She found clothes among her doll collection and turned one of the guys into Ellis. I was so proud of her! But! She didn't have a doll that could be Rochelle. That is where Mama comes to the rescue. I started to look for a doll that could have potential in being her Rochelle. Since it is an intense zombie game, the characters are pretty simple. Rochelle wears a pink tee shirt and jeans, clunky boots and hair is up tight to be outta the way from the reaching dead hands. But I did have one specification that had to be met. She had to have at least one hand bent at the elbow if she couldn't be fully articulated. Rochelle needs this bent arm to better carry her weapons that she uses to fight the hordes. Personally, I prefer the Made to Move dolls. They are just hard to find and SO expensive.

But don't despair! I found this Barbie Amazing Hair doll at our local Walmart on clearance for $9. Quite the deal! I've wanted the accessories for my own dolls for a while. And the fact that she met my requirements to be turned into a Rochelle for the Megabits, made it even better. 

Now for the transformation!

I could show you all the cool things in this set, but I'm sure if you know dolls, you know this set. So let's skip that part and just dive into the doll itself. I hate the hair on this doll! No, seriously. Why did anyone think that tinsel in the hair is cool? It is annoying! So that had to change. Rochelle has these braids (?) that are pulled back into a tight... bun? No... not quite.

I'll let you describe it and just show you what she looks like. This is one tough cookie! I prefer to play her when I play too. Though there is one thing that bothers me about her. Zombie apocalypse and you were those huge hoop earrings?!  Um... Hello?! That would be extremely painful if they get grabbed, don't you think? Besides, the idea is that you don't want more things they can grab onto. But that is just my opinion. I suppose some ladies still wanna hang onto the bling and fabulous even after the world has come to an end as they knew it. 

Enough of my rant on her looks. Let's make this doll look just like her, shall we??

Starting From the Top

I had to cut the dolls hair, pull off the head and the pull out the remainder of hair from the very roots.

Rochelle is not a rainbow-haired kind of gal. So I had to get her down to bald and give her all new hair. From yarn! As you can see in these photos, I also needed to wipe the sparkles from under her eyes. I use 100% acetone nail polish remover on a Q-tip. Then I painted the head where the hair would go, black. This way, even if it shows through, it wouldn't be too noticeable. Something I forgot - you should add a clear coat to seal it. Otherwise you risk the paint rubbing off. Granted, only if you think the hair won't cover it well enough. 

If you can get a re-rooting tool for putting the doll hair in, that would be a great idea. I didn't get one in time. So... I improvised with some floral wire. It was an incredibly difficult task that took long enough to stiffen my neck and give me a headache. But I managed to make a solid line down the middle of her head at least.

Once I had the yarn through the holes, I knotted the end and pulled it taut. From there you trim to the desired length. And, lastly, you have to undo each strand of yarn.

Time consuming, but totally worth the end result and even the reactions of my little one! I then used a clear rubber band from doll packaging to give her hair a pony tail. Afterwards, trim to the right length. Ending up with a look like this!

What to Wear?

Her clothes are a lot simpler. A pink shirt and some dark, maybe black, jeans finished off with some boots. The accessories are something I will have to put a little more effort into, but even with that I'm feeling like it won't be too much trouble. 

I found this top at the local antique shop we frequent. They have a new booth that has baggies of sorted outfits. I knew this was the perfect shirt as soon as I saw it! 

My daughter had some blue jeans to use. I had this Barbie bracelet that just needed a silver paint job to look like her bangles. My youngest told me she didn't like Rochelle's earrings (she hates hoop earrings), so we won't be adding in that detail. 

I noticed that she had a big bruise on her arm. Not like you get into a fight without a single mark, you know? So I gave the doll one too! 

I painted her silver bangles and painted her a shiny pair of boots. I even made her a thin belt!

What will she fight with??

In the game, there are various weapons you can grab to take out the hordes as they come. I decided to give her a couple.

The fire ax is a great melee weapon. And then there is the MP5 which my husband suggested as he thought that was a favorite gun. I found some I could 3D print for her.

Afterwards, I gave them a paint job! I didn't go all out on the paint job. As my husband reminded me, the girls are bit rough on their dolls and accessories. But I did add in some black paint and then a clear coat to make it shiny. It became Ellis' gun. 

What do you think? Leave me a comment below and let me know! I can't wait to get started on the next doll transformation.