Craft A Jungle Inspired Nursery for Dolls

Fashionista doll by Mattel admires her newborn baby wrapped in fancy bonnet and blanket.
The baby's nursery is decorated in an animal theme; monkeys, parrots, crocodiles,
elephants and hippos watch over the doll lucky enough to have this charming bedroom! 

 Children can find the trifold cardboard
displays at dollar stores. I can
 usually cut those I find in the market
 place in half to make two rooms
 large enough for standard sized dolls.

       The animals that live in the jungle and swamps are depicted on the wall paper of this yellow nursery along with plaid and text papers on the remaining panels. The furnishings combine both white painted surfaces with warm oak stained paneling. The stained chair rail and paneling are typical of a nursery or bedroom from 1980s while the jungle theme was considered 'gender neutral' back in the day. That is, if you didn't know whether your baby was a boy or girl, the animal theme would be an excellent choice for both boys and girls to appreciate.

       Personally, I have always loved a buttery yellow or earthy greens in bedroom decor. In fact, both myself and my own children lived, played and slept the first few years of life in cheerful yellow nurseries.

       The following crafts will take an adult working along with a child or on their own, approximately a week to complete. Take an hour or two each day to complete the pieces of furniture. Group together the tinier accessory crafts all in one day after collecting and cleaning the recycled materials. The trifold should take no more than an hour to cover with decorative papers depending upon the design you choose.

       The sample baby shown here is made by Mattel for Barbie dolls. These are often sold in dollar stores today and that is where I purchased my own from. 

       Here you can see that I chose to paper the walls of this trifold using coordinated
yellow papers and faux wooden printed paper. The mixing of plaids with figurative
designs was very popular in the 1980s too.

Left, later I added a framed print made from scrapbook paper in this design set.
Right, I framed a printed wax resist fabric that reminded me of light and colors
peeping through tree branches. This natural looking view
from the nursery window looks peaceful.

       To make a typical American type nursery for your doll you will need a crib, a changing table, a hamper to diapers, a hamper for dirty clothing and some kind of shelving for toys and such. These are the basic necessities needed.
       The crib where your doll's baby will sleep is central to this sample nursery room. Both the mattress and bedding are also needed in order to finish the crib. This particular crib mattress is cut from left over foam that I had on hand but you may choose to stuff a small mattress using batting or cotton depending upon the craft supply you have tucked away in your sewing stash.

Left and Right, coffee stirring sticks are glued inside of the corrugated cardboard grooves.
 Then the openings are covered with masking tape to make the structure appear seamless.

Photograph of the crib in process as seen from
underneath. Jumbo tongue depressors act
as feet for the crib.

Craft Supply Needed for All Three Furniture Projects:

• jumbo tongue depressors
• corrugated cardboard scraps
• thin wooden stirring sticks
• decorative baby themed paper (optional)
• faux wooden paper
• white school glue
• foam for the mattress
• fabric for the mattress
• wooden skewers 
• plastic beads
• masking tape
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• Mod Podge

Directions for Assembling the Crib:

1. Cut two identical cardboard ends measuring 4 1/8 inches x 4 1/2 inches tall. Use corrugated cardboard for all the walls of the crib making sure that the segmented interiors point up. 
2. Cut two identical cardboard sides measuring 1 inch x 7 inches long.
3. Glue the basic crib shape together and then reinforce on its outer walls and add legs of the crib using cuts from large tongue depressors. Use masking tape to hold surfaces together while these dry. The legs should measure 2 1/2 inches from the underside of the crib to the floor.
4. Slip thin stirring sticks covered with glue into the grooves of the corrugated cardboard to make the railing on top and on the sides of the crib. 
5. Slip on beads to the railing across the top for decoration prior to lining up the top edges with additional wooden sticks. (see photos)
6. Decoupage faux wooden papers onto the exposed wood parts as you prefer. 
7. Cut the foam to fit the inside of the crib.
8. Cover the foam with terry cloth covered in baby theme. 
9. Seal surfaces with Mod Podge.

Left, see the foam cut-to-fit inside of the crib for mattress. Right, detailing across the top
of  the crib is made using toothpicks and stirring sticks.

Left, see the opening inside of the corrugated cardboard before it is cover with tape and
 paper. Beads are threaded over toothpicks prior to gluing them in to add decorative
 detailing at the top of the crib. Right, See the side paneling of the crib now
decoupaged with faux wood papers and duck motifs.

The decorative duck papers line the bottom interior of the
doll sized crib. The faux wood papers are used on the
 outside of the crib where these will be seen.

        I also sewed a few receiving blankets and a bonnet for our doll's layette coordinating them with the yellow colors of the nursery. If you cannot sew yet, these may just as easily be cut from felt or other non-fraying fabrics. I finished the edges of the blankets with lace and ribbon.

• See here a baby doll's layette from 1958
• Go here to color your own paper baby and layette from 1901!

Left, a Fashionista mother holds a rattle over her baby's crib to entertain her.
Center, selves full of items for a new baby: bottles, rattles, dishes, teddy and spoons.
Right, a changing table ready for baby. Diapers on bottom shelf; blankets, wipes,
changing pads and diaper rash cream on the top three shelves.

       Things your doll may need at a changing table include: a washable changing pad, diapers, wipes, a diaper pail with lid, diaper rash cream, lotion, hand sanitizer, burp cloths, a teether, a rattle, a thermometer, and a soft bristled brush to help prevent cradle cap.

• I used a recycled toothpaste cap to make a baby jar of diaper rash ointment. Simply remove it from the used-up tube and wash it clean. Then stuff the inside of the cap with a bit of white glue mixed with tissue paper. Cut a small round cardboard bottom for the cap and glue it in place. Paint the cap, lid and bottom using acrylic paints if you wish or leave it white.
• To make the baby wipes, I recycled the packaging from a pair of reading glasses. (see photo) Cut the plastic 'tissue dispensers' from this packaging and glue them to a block or layered cardboard to make the box for the baby wipes. 
• Cut a small square of white cotton fabric to insert down inside the plastic dispenser using white school glue. Leave a little fabric tissue caught up between the openings to make the wipes look as though they are in use.
• The diaper station's changing pad is simply cut from craft foam to fit onto the table top and the baby diapers are made with scrap cardboard stacked and glued and then taped together before decoupaging these with white tissue paper.
• The baby rattles are made by gluing toothpick handles inside of wooden beads. Paint and decorate the rattles as you like. Seal the finished surfaces with Mod Podge.
• The baby teething rings are made by squeezing hot glue out into a circular shape on top of a no-stick surface like wax paper. Carefully remove the teething rings from that surface once the glue has been allowed to dry firm.

Left, plastic hanger for a pair of reading glasses recycled to make the top opening of
baby wipes. Center, make certain to layer cardboard to fit the plastic lid. Right,
I used decorative paper to decoupage the diaper wipes box and then glued a
tissue sticking out of the lid top similar to how these wipes look in real life.

Left, Center and Right are detailed photos showing the finished changing table
covered with decorative papers.

Directions for Assembling the Changing Table:

1. The backside of the changing table measures 5 inches wide and 6 inches tall. Cut this one piece from heavy cardboard.
2. Cut two trays 5 inches long, 1 3/4 inches wide by 1/2 inch deep.
3. The top tray should face open end up and the bottom tray should face open end down to make the feet of the changing table.
4. Cut an 'apron' shape from the corrugated cardboard to wrap around the two sides and front at both the top and bottom of the changing table.
5. Smear glue on skewers cut to 6 inch lengths and slip these up between the grooves of the corrugated apron pieces at top and bottom. (see photos)
6. Glue in two shelves measuring 5 inches wide by 1 3/4 inches wide.
7. Decoupage shelves with faux wooden shelf paper. 
8. Decoupage a themed duck print paper onto the top of the changing table and on the inside wall of the table.
9. Cover the remaining surfaces with white typing paper.

       Things you might display on a shelf inside of the nursery: baby books, stuffed animals, blocks and many other baby toys. I've also included bottles, sippy cups, bowls and spoons stacked on the higher shelves for convenience.
       This sweet little shelf is unique because of the duck motifs cut out from the wood on both side panels. I acquired it at a rummage sale. But, it could be easily duplicated using cardboard.

Faux 'wooden' shelf paper is applied to the sides, top and bottoms of this selfing unit.
Decorative yellow duck papers were decoupaged to the shelves matching
 the cut-out of the duck on the sides. 

Left, the candy gum container. Center, masked outside parts to keep clean. Right, tape
removed and the lid screwed back on.

   

Top left, crib, braided rug and diaper pail.
Top right, Barbie baby doll inside of crib under window.
Bottom left, baby doll with crafted rattle and receiving blanket.
Bottom right, changing table with diapers on bottom shelf,
wipes and diaper rash ointment along with rubber changing
mats, more blankets on top two shelves.