Craft a vintage tape recorder for those 1960s and 70s dolls!

        My Dad had a tape recorder similar to this one back in the 1970s. It had a small speaker, a place to insert a tape to record and play and seven buttons across the bottom. When each button was pressed the recorder would: record, rewind, fast forward, play, stop or eject the tape. The recorder also had a handle.

       To make our 18 inch doll tape recorder's cassette tapes, I purchased a set of cassette tape stickers online and layered these on cardboard cut-outs.

       To make the pretend tape recorder for a doll, read the directions below.

Supply List:

cassette tapes and pretend tape recorder

• tape cassette stickers
• plastic woven screen
• cardboard
• metal tape
• white school glue
• Mod Podge
• black and red paper
• black acrylic paint
• skewer

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Cut multiple layers of cardboard approximately 2'' x 3 3/4''. 
2. Glue and stack these together until the thickness of the tape recorder is approx. 1/2.''
3. Paste on a sticker of a tape cassette or draw one of these and position it in the center of the recorder.
4. Above the tape cassette, position a small speaker. Cut plastic weave in small square, glue this down. Cut a cardboard frame and paste this around the edges of the weave. Let dry.
5. Cut small rectangular buttons, seven of these and glue them along the narrow end of the recorder beneath the tape cassette. The last button should be red; it is the eject button.
6. Shape a handle using a skewer or toothpick sandwiched between cardboard and then paste this to the end of the recorder where the buttons are located.
7. Paint the recorder black.
8. Cut metal trim from tape and apply it to the recorder around the speaker and above the row of buttons.
9. Seal the finished tape player with Mod Podge.

The details on the black surfaces are easier to see under different lighting. 

Kids Figure Out Old Technology:

• The first encounter with a cassette tape
• A Short Film About Cassettes...