Want a Doll house for your doll? Take a look at what Skylar and her Mom made!

I recently came across this amazing post in a blog I follow called http://americangirlsky.blogspot.com/ 

Skyler and her mother Tiffany built this amazing doll house together. As you can see this doll house is one of the best storage and doll play structures I have ever seen. I asked Skyler and her Mom about their project and they agreed to let me do an interview and share their answers and photo's with you.

I started out by asking what motivated Tiffany to create this doll house for Skyler? She says the reason she designed this doll house was Skyler needed more doll storage and play space so she designed the doll house for function as much as fun.

I wondered how much it would cost to create such a great storage unit/doll house and was pleased to find out that including paint the entire project cost $105.00. I also wondered how long it took to build. Tiffany says she and Skyler worked on the doll house together and built it in about 3 hours.

Skyler tells me that the unit is designed and built in such a way that they could easily add additions to the "house" as needed and that the doll house is in her room.

I also wondered how big the doll house was and if Skyler herself could reach to the top shelf to put away her American girl doll pets. She tells me she needs a small stool but can reach most of it easily.

I wanted to know if each of her dolls had her own room and she tells me that most of her dolls share a room (some of them three to a room) but her favorite room  in her doll house is her room for her dolls

 Kanani and Reagan.
I also wanted to know how Skyler got started with her doll collection and she tells me it was when she visited a friend who had them and she fell in love with them and when she went home and went on line to www.americangirl.com and fell in love with the doll Kit, she and her mom planned a trip to the Mall of America where she picked up Kit and brought her home. Since then Skyler has collected 12 American girl dolls and she features them regularly on her blog. Skyler started her blog in January of 2010 and does a great job with posts and photos of her dolls. I highly recommend her blog to any American Girl doll lover and hope that she continues to blog about her dolls and her life for many years to come.

I would like to thank Skyler and her Mom Tiffany for allowing me to interview them and share with you this fantastic project. I asked them if they had any advice for my readers who may want to build one for themselves and this is the advice they gave me.
They wanted me to let you know that it was  "fun to make together , and that when you are done making it you will really enjoy it. Also you need thicker wood for the side walls."
These are great tips and I look forward to hearing from any of you who who are inspired to make your own doll houses. Check out Skylar's blog at http://americangirlsky.blogspot.com/
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Need a Chair? Got Milk? Get a Milk Carton Chair!

 

I have been wanting to figure out how to make chairs for a while now and I finally am thrilled with the idea I came up with. I am so happy to share it with you. 

I used a 2 liter (remember I am in Canada) milk carton box and turned it into this great doll sized chair and you can too!

I am more of a visual person so there are more photos which I think is easier to follow.

 

 And finally you have a Chair. Now you can cover the entire thing in Duct tape or peel and stick shelf paper

Or you can sew a slip cover for the chair as I did

The back of the chair will recline slightly with the doll in the chair and that is what you need it to do so do not be surprised if this happens to you.

I have paired the chair with the "table" I got a Michael's the craft store, a stool they had for $3.99 in the you paint it wood section.

I am so happy with how this turned out and I hope you will be too!

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com 

Make a Fanastic Fabric couch for your dolls!

 

I recently received a great pattern from Denise at  http://www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbydeevee

the pattern was for a fabric couch, pillows, two ottomans and a rug. This pattern is perfect for any 18 inch doll and really very easy to make. I highly recommend this pattern which is a great buy at $3.75 US. The best part is that it is a PDF pattern and you print it yourself. 

I purchased the additional supplies needed a piece of foam core board at Michael's the craft store for only $2.99, two bags of fiberfill for $3.99 each and used material I had on hand to create a couch my dolls just love.

This couch makes a great addition to any doll room and can easily sit three dolls. You can make as many pillows as you would like and couches for that matter.

I know it is more then 6 months to the Holiday gift giving season and what a great pattern to purchase and work on for the doll lover on your list, maybe your daughter, granddaughter, your niece, or a friend.

I would recommend this pattern highly to anyone who knows how to sew a straight-ish line on a sewing machine.

Start to finish the entire project took less then two hours, 20 minutes of which was printing and taping the pattern pieces together.

I also had a few questions for Denise about her store and asked her how she got started with Etsy. It turns out she had been creating for her nieces over the years and her neighbor told her about Etsy and she is thrilled with the creative things that people make and sell. Denise noticed a lack of furniture patterns available and created the pattern I used above. 

I would like to thank Denise for the opportunity to share this interview with you and for filling this pattern void! 

Please visit Denise's store at http://www.etsy.com/shop/creationsbydeevee

purchase your pattern today and get started! 

As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

An interview with Teresa from the Etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo

I recently interviewed Teresa from  http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo 

about the amazing doll food items she has in her shop. Her food items are so realistic and her shop inspired me to try to make my own doll food months ago. I was thrilled that she agreed to answer a few questions for me and I wanted to share them with you. Here are the questions I emailed her and her answers. I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did. I also invite you to check out her store on Etsy.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo

 Here are the questions I asked her along with photos from her store of her amazing food creations .

Your store is my favorite for doll sized food on Etsy. I love the attention to detail and realistic quality your products have. When did you start making doll food.

A: I started about 3 years ago.  My girls and I wanted foods for our dolls, so I bought some clay and really just started playing around.  I found it incredibly fun and then along the way it became a sort of personal challenge to make things look as realistic as I could.  What materials do you prefer to use?   A:Everything I make is made primarily with just polymer clay.  I use pastel chalks, oil and acrylic paints as well on some items.

When you make each item do you make a few of each at a time or create only one at a time? A:   I always make multiples of items I have in my shop.  Somethings I make dozens of at one time, while other things I only make a few of.  Even when I do a custom order I make at least two or three of them- one for me to keep for our dolls- and also to have as a reference in case I need to reproduce it.
How long do you spend creating each piece and how much time to you spend creating each day?  A: Really does depend.  Somethings only take a couple of  minutes, while others can take up to 45 minutes.    I have a goal set for each day-  of things I want to accomplish- so that means I could be working two hours or 8 hours. 
What items have been your best sellers? A: During the holidays the Gingerbread Cookies were my best seller- hands down.  With summer approaching, items like my popsicles, lollipops and hotdogs have been strong.   
What is your favorite item to make? A:   I have to admit that I like making things that I have never attempted to make before.  Especially when I get a custom order for a unique item.  I do of course have limitations- there are just some things that don't replicate well in the scale I work in.
What is your inspiration for the items you make? A: Most of the items are usually foods my girls have asked for.  That's how I started out.  A lot of the items in my shop were born from custom order requests. 

 How many American girl dolls or 18 inch dolls live at your house? A: There are nine- we have both historical girls and modern.  The focus in my shop has mainly been food for modern dolls- but I aim to start including foods that would be suitable for other time periods.

 Do you have any advice for my readers who may be wanting to start out making their own doll food?  A:Buy yourself some clay and just start playing around with it.   Don't be afraid to mess up and make mistakes.  It's a cliche, but it really is the only way to learn.  

I personally think your prices are fantastic for the quality you offer how do you keep up with the demand?  A: Because I make many multiples of things at one time I am able to keep my prices down and fair.
     
Have you ever tried to make a food item that did not turn out and if so what was it?  A:Oh yes, of course!  Many times my first attempts at things go awry, even now- if it's something I have never made. But that's part of the fun. 

 Can our readers or their parents request specialty items from you? A:  Absolutely.  I am constantly getting special requests for items.  It's about half of my business.

 Your Popsicle, Pizza and Ice Cream cones are some of my favorite items in your shop which of these items are the best seller?  A:The popsicles are definitely the best sellers.  I have to say that I am a bit partial to the ice cream cones personally. 

Do you make Doll clothes?   I do.  And to be honest designing and sewing for the dolls is as big of a passion as making the food.  I just never seem to find the time these days, my shop orders keep me pretty busy- along with my two real life girls.

 You must have the best doll tea parties on the planet! Do your girls still love to play with their dolls or are they more of a keep sake now?  My girls are 10 and almost 7- so they are still into their dolls.  The 10 yr old has moved away from them a bit over the last year- but will do their hair or dress them occasionally.  The foods have always been the items that get the most play time in our house- besides the dolls themselves of course.  We've played countless hours of lemonade stand, tea party, restaurant, ice cream shop,  pizza place, beach stand, holiday gala- the list is endless.  Sort of like real life- there is always some kind of food involved!
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com
For more information or to request a special item from Teresa visit her Etsy shop at http://www.etsy.com/shop/pippaloo

A party store Gem and great find Great doll Sushi !

I was thrilled to discover these sushi style erasers at my  local party store that just opened called Party Packagers. You get a package of four doll sized sushi creations for only $1.99. These are the perfect size for 18 inch dolls.

To create a Japanese style meal in minutes these erasers are perfect! The attention to detail is also fantastic when you open the package.

To help enhance the meal for your doll, Asian style sauce dishes make great dinner ware for dolls. If you do not have Asian style plates in your own kitchen you can find them very easily in Walmart or keep your eyes open at second hand stores and  yard sales. I found a few Asian style dishes that are perfect for 18 inch dolls starting at .63 cents.

If you have no access to the items shown above but would like to create your own Sushi, you can use Polymer oven bake clay or fun foam in the same colors to create a great Asian inspired meal for your dolls.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Another great doll clothes storage idea that doubles as doll play dress shop!

Today's blog post is again inspired by and idea that NikiG gave me. She used a towel stand that she got at good will to create a great doll clothes display and storage idea for her buisness. I was thrilled when I found this towel rack for 50 cents at a yard sale and love how it holds the new hangers I have been making along with the dresses for my Etsy shop.

How I found it at the yard sale. But wait look what it does.

Which means I can ....

Add clothes and hangers to create....

The perfect doll store clothes rack! Happy Shopping girls!
The above outfits can be purchased through my etsy shop http://www.etsy.com/shop/Karenmomofthree or email me and we can set something up.
As with all my posts I would love to hear from you so please leave a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com

Make a beautiful ball gown for your doll with basic sewing knowledge!

I am so excited to share this with you. For todays post I have transformed a baby dress sized 6-9 months into a beautiful ball gown for dolls. This dress I got at a yard sale for $1. From start to finish this dress took me 10 minutes! I am a craft sewer with very basic knowledge. I like things that are done fast and this is almost a record.
Fist put the dress on the doll and eye how it is going to fit when you have finished sewing

Next turn the dress inside out and put it back on your doll pin it all the way around. Start at the shoulder seams.

Continue down the sides of the dress and repeat on the other side.

Next stand your doll up and make sure it looks right.

 

Carefully remove the dress from your doll and go to the sewing machine, sewing on the outside of the pin line you have just made. 

When you are finished,  put the dress back on your doll and pat your self on the back and admire the amazing ball gown you have just created for your doll!

This has been my favorite post to bring you to date and as it is June I recommend hitting the yard sales, consignment or thrift store and picking up a few to practice on, then sew a bunch for your friends, daughters granddaughters or nieces for Christmas or the next holiday you celebrate!

As with all my posts and especially this one I would love to hear back from you so please leave me a comment here or email me at karenmowen@gmail.com