Dollhouse Renovations - Museum Style Part 2

My mom had this idea that I should make a doll-sized museum or art gallery. She had sent all these amazing things that would work well in one, too. Things that I can hang on walls. Things that will work as sculptures.

I had some inspiration on Pinterest to use as well. At first, I was trying to figure out how to make this using just cardboard and foamboard pieces. But then I thought that might not be strong enough to handle things hanging on the walls. Then came the revelation from My Froggy Stuff that Five Below had a dollhouse for $25!

It is a simple design that is meant to go with the Glam Squad doll line that Five Below has. But the more I thought about it, the more I knew it would be perfect! So when we got back from our trip, my husband and I checked our local store and grabbed one. I had even thought I getting a second one for another project...

First thing I knew I needed to do was get the walls prepped to be covered. I thought if I sanded just a little off that I could easily paint over it. But that didn't work as well as I had hoped.

So the second wall I tried, I sanded even more thoroughly. My son even helped me with that. For the back wall, I thought I could just peel off the sticker since it wasn't lined up quite right. However, that didn't work either. 

So this is where I got it to so far... I'm working on the next portion and making a video as sickness and pain has kept me from working more than a piece or two at a time. But what do you think so far? Am I getting there? Until next time!

The Ice Queen and Her Lair

What happens when your daughters no longer want a blue haired Rainbow High doll? For me, I see Ice Queen in the making! 

It started with a box actually. A shoebox. And an Elsa doll who needed her ice castle. So I started renovating it. But then Elsa changed her mind and moved into the mansion with the rest of the dolls. Yes, my daughter is quick to change her mind. So things get redesigned pretty often. It seemed like such a waste to just toss the box though. So I gave it some more love and way more details! 

Next came the doll. My girls weren't as excited about Rainbow High as they were about the made-to-move Barbie or Monster High dolls. Big heads or something like that. I love their jointed bodies and soft, vibrant hair though. I have a couple set aside for future projects. This one just screamed for a bit of a makeover in a cold way.  

I had thought about repainting her face, but then decided against it. I'm not as proficient with that type of project and she was just too pretty to do that with. So I swapped out her outfit. I trimmed her hair. 3D printed a crown that is jeweled with beads. And gave her some handmade bling.  

The box windows are from My Froggy Stuff printables. I printed out a marble pattern for the floor and part of the walls. Tried to make it look like her castle leads to the sparkling snow-covered world outside. Used an empty perfume bottle with fake plant pieces to give her frozen world some greenery.

The chandelier actually glows in the dark too, thanks to glow-in-the-dark filament from a printed piece. 

One Little Thing

Time sure has sped up. Another year is drawing to a close. I sit here wondering where the time has gone. Contemplate the little accomplishments that have passed by. And feel blessed by each one. I have been trying to work on a single project at a time. To try to catch up on my back log. I fit these in between the times I spend on maintaining my family's needs. One of the most recent ones, was a picture frame. 

This wasn't meant to be a frame (that I know of). This bamboo thing was given to me as part of a trade I made. He counted it as junk he didn't need. But I saw a treasure in the making. After cleaning it up, I didn't quite have an idea formed though. So it sat in the crafting bin. Then I saw a new purpose to give it. A picture frame! I tacked the photo in, using semi-permanent glue dots. Well, why write it out when I can just explain it in a video? Enjoy! 

 Remember, it is the little things. Giving us joy. Purpose. A sense of accomplishment. I don't have to spend hours working on something to feel like I'm doing something worthwhile. So take a moment to appreciate a small accomplishment you have too. 

Mini Brands Create!

My mom sent me 2 of these Mini Brands Create capsules. Let's see what we are making and how it might be used in the doll world! 

This first one turned out to be a lovely Strawberry Cake. 

I was able to put it together easily and the smell from the resin wasn't nearly as overwhelming as the one I had gotten in the Chocolate Cherry Cake one.

However, this one did not come with a UV light, so I'm not sure if that is a random thing? Also, there were defects on the cake stand.

I thought it was beautiful though and loved adding it to my Leia's Sweet Buns shop. What do you think? It adds more elegance to the confection array I have going on in here. 

In capsule number 2 we have... 

The tropical fruit parfait! I decided to modify this build according to how I would want to make a parfait. So I did not use the chocolate sprinkles pieces. Sadly, the cake pieces aren't as visible as I would have wanted them to be. But I think I might try to make another version with air dry clay. I plan to make more fruit pieces and cake pieces to fill the containers so that I can put them into the store I built.  

Make it Mini - Having Fun in the Miniverse!

Sometimes you just want a moment to make something fun. In miniature. Or maybe that is just me. It brings me joy and helps me when I'm stressed out. Then they are fun for photos with the dolls! I tried some of the Make it Mini Lifestyle capsules for the first time. The first one... well, it didn't go according to the instructions. But it did turn out rather cute. And my daughter loved it! 

I took a video of this first one to show the process of making the little calico cat teapot. Instead of an hour or less... we had about 3 days for the whole thing? But it was different! 

Now, let's check out the second capsule, shall we?  I showed it partially in the end of the video, but this teapot came out quite beautifully and will look lovely with the doll tea party scenes. 

It fits really well with the doll too! I love it. The little silver tray adds to the elegance of it all as well. 

Teeny Tinies - Bazooka Themed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, I have showed you the Smarties and Dum Dums versions of Teeny Tinies Candy Shop. Now, let's see how well the Bazooka variety fits with our 1/6 scale world, shall we? You can check your local Five Below to see if they still sell these near you. I think they have been sold out in ours to make room for new products. 

Still not a huge fan of the shelf, but one of my followers had given me advice on making the backing stay in place. So I think I will give it a try and move things around soon. She also had a great idea for making a stand for the lollipops.

A little bit of foam makes a great way to display the tiny lollipops! Thanks to my reader/watcher Robin for the idea. This will be on display in the shop with the others. 
In the meantime, I will happily have Grandma carry around some candy! 

Dreaming of Vacations

I really hope we get to take a vacation next year. To get away and see some sights. We had talked about doing weekend trips around Texas, but that has not been happening. So instead, I dream on! Part of that includes making doll-sized travel accessories. And this time, it is the luggage set. 

I had picked up 2 of these tiny rolling luggage cases that were actually Barbie activity sets. They were on clearance and looked like the perfect thing to doll up (get it, doll up?) for those future trips we may try to take. 

I highly suggest using the spray paint + primer to make it easier to paint the plastic. From there, decorating it is however you might want it to be. They do roll and they can be too tall. However, just don't raise the handle up all the way. I decided to go with rub-on transfers. You can see that in this video I made. What are your thoughts?  

He's There! The Phantom of the Opera!

Okay guys, I am a HUGE Phantom of the Opera fan. I've read the book. I even read the fan fiction short story of an alternate ending (definitely a better one than the original). I've seen multiple movie versions (including a truly gruesome horror flick...) AND my dad once took my mom and I see to see a theater version. I even cosplayed as a Lady Phantom once. Planning on doing it again! I also did a Steampunk Lady Phantom. But you know what I'm even more proud of?

My mom and I created the OOAK (One Of A Kind) doll versions way back when. While the Christine doll disappeared, I do have the lacy dressing gown outfit that my mom made for me. I love these so much. Which is why, when I was moving my dolls to my crafting shed, I decided to make a dedicated space just for them.

I had imagined shelf box that would be absolutely perfect. I wanted to have the Phantom reaching through the mirror to draw Christine towards him. So buckle up and let's dive into my latest craft! 

First off, we needed a frame. I found my large frame at the local thrift store. It has a great hardware piece on the back to make hanging it easy and sturdy. 

Next thing I had to do was get more foam board. I grabbed mine at Dollar Tree. $1.25 gives me plenty to work with on this project. 

I measured and wrote out some notes for what I wanted to do in this project. Then I started cutting the foam board to create the scene. I will say that foam board and I are not very good friends. I have a difficult time making this work and it never cuts smooth. If you know any tricks, leave them in the comments below so I can try to get better! 

Gluing comes next. I started with the hidden room walls, floor and ceiling. As I mention in my video, it did not come out smooth, so I covered the dressing room facing pieces in a Fleur-de-lis wallpaper pattern. It was the closest pattern I could find that I liked. Her dressing room was pink. Most rooms back them were also gilded. But I'm not usually big on things like that, so we are taking some creative liberty here and making it a.... calmer toned room. I don't have to worry much about the hidden room pieces. However, I at least wanted to cover the sides with paper so that you can't see the raw edges. 

You can follow my progress a little quicker in these videos I put together. Easier than reading the steps. However, I'm not the best for videos and I also don't have a dedicated space yet. So be warned!

What do you think? Did I pull off the right look? Let me know in the comments below! I have another project coming soon. And this time I will try to do better with the videos.

Doll Display Shelf - Fantasy Style!

Okay, I've been watching My Froggy Stuff again. This time, she had the brilliant idea to create a doll shelf to display a couple dolls by using a frame. You can check out her video HERE. So.... I decided to make one of my own.

And I have to admit, I think it came out beautifully! I see myself making another one. Though I would tweak it some more. Like make the railing taller, for instance. And give it a different theme. You get the point though. So let us take a walk through the steps, then watch a video where I show you my design elements!

Decide a theme

I chose something medieval. Fantasy style. Because why not?

I had thought about a Fallout version, with a vault door, but I was having trouble coming up with the right design. Maybe next time.

I think this weird frame got a great new life. What about you? I'll stop talking and show you now. Enjoy!

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!

The Time Has Come!

About a year and a half ago, we built what we affectionately called the Tiny House. Its first purpose was temporarily house my mother and sister-in-law while they searched for their happy place, or forever home. After they did, it became a temporary home for another woman we knew. Then she found her forever home too. Now, we stand here looking at the progress we have slowly made. We also see all the incredible potential it holds!

Time to make this Tiny House my She Shed!

Now, don't get me wrong. It won't just be for my things. But that is the main goal. My crafting and cosplay-making supplies will move out there. So will the girls' dollhouse stuff. And then part of it will house the solar power system my husband is working on installing. I'm so excited about it all! First things first, though. I want you to see what we are currently working with. This also gives you a glimpse inside, something I didn't get to show you when we finished originally. 

I've already finished fixing those lines in the walls. Turns out, skipping the taping and mudding process is NOT the way to go. So take it from me, do it right the first time. 

I decided to start in the closet. But... the red paint we had gotten before had gone bad. Bummer!

I ended up having to toss it. So what to do? Hmm... get creative! I pulled out some gold spray paint and thought I would make it look like an antiqued map.

I mean my whole theme in here was supposed to be Steampunk. So I thought I would just wing it. I don't have the money to be buying supplies. Which means I need to use what I have on hand. What is that saying again... 'Necessity is the mother of invention'. With this in mind, I gave it some slight naming and my poor excuse for drawing to make it look slightly like a map... A very old one.

My kids gave me some ideas on locations to add as we went along. With more names slowly adding as I go. Once I had finished that, the cosplay closet is open for costume designing!

I think I will add some shelves with storage bins to really organize it. I know it isn't truly 'finished', but it is enough for now. Eventually, my husband will install the baseboards. And maybe some carpet for me.

I was sent this mirror for a review. This will be our cosplay mirror where we can try things on and create the costumes of our dreams! It is a gym wall mirror that we enjoyed hanging up. Simple, yet highly useful.  

We have painted! 3/4 sides are now ready to be worked on as far as bringing in shelves and adding to the layout. We got this paint on clearance and I plan to go back for more to finish the last wall. 

Next on the agenda was putting together a shelf my husband bought me to put some of my books out here. Trying to clear up space inside the house for the kids' book collections. However, after my son and I put this one together, we came to realize it is SOOOO cheaply made. I don't know that it will be holding books after all.

Even two of the parts broke while we were installing them. So you have been warned if you were looking at acquiring this particular one. 

I also have to move the metal shelves around and bring out the doll rooms and dollhouse. But it is coming along! Can't wait to show you when we finish doing that.