Transform doll crates for a doll sized farmer's market...

       To make our crates look full without spending too much money on clay, we have crafted "display lids" for our corn and peas. In addition to these lids, loose peas are piled on top of the bushel lid so that the dolls may take some home with them during play. Like wise, we also made loose cobs to arrange on top of the large display lid made for our crate of corn.

Finished corn on the cob crate lid, from the side and overhead photos.

Finished bushel of peas toy.
Make a pea-pod patch craft.

Supply List:

• white school glue
• corrugated cardboard
• masking tape
• Sculpey oven bake clay
• vegetable mold
• acrylic paints
• ribbon
• brown paper bag
• wooden craft sticks
• I used an AMACO vegetable mold for this craft
  

More links to corn and peas:

• The corn lullaby, paper-cut chain template and more...
• The corn husk dolly
• peas in our miniature vegetable salads
• How to make single servings of doll foods...

Left a new lid is made for the bushel container. I have chosen to mold peas for this one. Center, here
you can see the crates and bushels with new lids having sculpted parts. Right, the new lid for our doll
 crate displays half cobs pasted to it's top. See also the positioning of the ribbons on either end of
these new lids, so that they may easily be lifted off the crates and loose clay veggies stored inside.

 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a cardboard shelf, to fit just inside the crate's opening. 
2. Cut from the cardboard or wooden craft sticks a narrow bracket to adhere with glue and tape 1/2inch from the opening of your selected crate. The bushel's bracket was made from a cardboard tube.
3. Now fit the shelves into the crate and bushel containers. You may need to trim the new cardboard shelves a little in order to do this. The shelves should balance on top of the brackets neat and snug, allowing for there to be room for storage beneath it. 
4. Finish the interior of the crate using layers of paper and glue, a decoupage method. After this dries you will use it to store individual pieces that are represented on the top of the crates 'display lid.' 
5. Cover the shelves with masking tape. (both sides)
6. Glue small loops of the ribbon to opposite sides of new shelves and reinforce with tape. It is necessary to include these at either side of the shelves so that these may be easily removed to access the inside of each crate and bushel.
7. Decoupage the underside of the new shelves.
8. Now mold enough peas and corn cobs to cover the shelves. 
9. Bake these molded vegetables.
10. Glue the pieces to the top of the new shelves. These shelves will make your crates and bushels appear full.
11. Paint the lids to look just like real corn cobs and peas.
12. Now mold extra vegetables and paint these to pile on top of the shelves. These are the loose veggies that your dolls may pay for and carry home. 
13. While your market is stored away, put the loose veggies in small bags and store these inside the crate and/or bushel.

Left, bushel basket being lined with layers of brown paper. This will strengthen the container. Right,
 see here I have molded the loose peas in green clay in order to show how these are simply piled on
 top of the lid to make the bushel appear fuller than it is.

Left, see the corn on the cob loose parts stacked on top of the lid so that the dolls may pretend to
 purchase them and carry these home. Right, more of the same.