How to cut and assemble cosmetic compacts for a doll...

Cosmetic compacts for a doll's purse.

       This doll makeup craft, an eye shadow compact, is one of the oldest like it on the web. I've made our own versions to stuff inside of our party handbag favors...

Supply List:

• colorful papers
• white school glue
• toothpick(s)
• Mod Podge
• tiny rubber band(s)
• silver tape (optional)
• scrap cardboard
• mirror or ''reflective'' paper (tin foil)
• cotton ball

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut small square, compact sized rectangles from scrap cardboard.
2. Score them down the center on the outside of each compact.
3. Cut tiny tabs of paper, glued ends together and paste on the edge of the compact to create a closure for the compacts. (see photo) You will need three of these loops. Two on one side spaced apart and one between these two, pasted to the opposite side.
4. Mod Podge each compact with a layer of black paper on both the inside and outside of each compact. These finishing paper layers should cover the pasted raw edges of the paper loops so that these ends will not be seen, only the loops will be seen extended from the sides of the compacts.
5. Now cut a toothpick to slide between all three tabs. Cover it's end with a bit of glue and cotton batting. Cover the stem with metallic tape. This is the makeup applicator. 
6. Using a hole punch, make colorful eye shadows. Paste these inside each compact on one half.
7. On the other half of the inside, cut a smaller mirror from mirrored paper and glue this in place.
8. Use a tiny rubber band to hold the compact closed along with the toothpick applicator through the loops.

Left, different sizes for compacts containing pretend eye shadows or blushes.

Make facial tissue for doll's with colds...

       I pictured here two kinds of facial tissues - one is used for blowing your doll's stuffy nose and the other type could be used to remove doll makeup.

Supply List:

• light weight flimsy fabric scrapes
• facial tissue
• scrap cardbaord
• decorative paper
• white school glue
• masking tape
• black permanent ink pen
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. To make the tissues shown above on the right, you will need to cover a small, clean and empty box with decorative paper and white school glue. Then you can fill this with actual facial tissues cut down to doll size.
2. The second version of tissues, pictured left is bit more involved in it's making. To make this box, cut cardboard rectangles to size approximately one inch by two, and stack several together. I made 3 or 4 for the version in this case.
3. Cover the edges especially with masking tape, but do so in a smooth even application.
4. Now decoupage the stack with decorative printed paper. Try to use one with a very tiny design.
5. Draw and color in the pretend oval opening with the black permanent ink pen.
6. Take a pair of small, pointed scissors and poke a long narrow opening into the tissue box.
7. Cut a rectangular piece of light, flimsy fabric and stuff this into the hole to look like tissue. 
8. Secure this fabric with glue, Let dry.

See more examples of tissues for dolls in the following photos:

• See Barbie sized doll tissues in these photos of faux stainless steel doll sink craft.
• Doll tissues pictured at the Beauty Salon too...
  

How to Sew Hair Bows for Your Dolls

An Our Generation doll wears a patriotic hair bow.

 

       You will need to collect: an assortment of wide ribbons, needle and thread (preferably matching thread), and 2" Bobbie pins for this craft.

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut the ribbon to a length you prefer. This length, plus the width of the ribbon will determine the size of your doll's hair bows in the end.
2. Loop the cut ribbon for a center-back bow.
3. Run a gather thread across the center of the bow.
4. Cover the center with a loop of the ribbon.
5. See the illustration above to view what the back side of the bow should look like prior to attaching it to a 2" short, mini Bobbie pin
6. Sew a "loop" around the inside of one half of the Bobbie pin, while attaching it to your doll's hair bow. Knot the end firmly after attaching the bow in a spot where these stitches can not be seen.
7. Slide the hair bow into your doll's hair!
   

DIY a Styling Station for Your Doll's Salon

The pink salon station has shelves for the styling accessories and a
round mirror. You can craft our blow dryer and hot curlers to go 
with a doll salon station like ours. I lined the back walls with a
hot pink, hand-crafted paper from India.

     This project is deceptively quite simple. It is easy to make but hunting for materials will take much time and study. The more detail that is added, the more convincing the station becomes. It is best to think of it as one large decoupage project. Once you acquire the mirror or mirrored paper and the shallow box, you can begin your DIY doll salon station 'cabinet.' Be on the look out for cosmetic products advertised in store flyers and magazines. You can take photos of these with your own camera if you wish. I can not give them to you because of copyright law, however you can see that I found many more of them than you might have expected me to. These kinds of photos are prolific in fashion magazines or ladies home journals. Pharmacies also print many pictures of makeup in sales fliers or on store coupons.

Supply List:

• a shallow large box, like a lid (our two examples are 14"x 18 1/2" x 2 1/2")
• extra heavy corrugated cardboard
• light weight cardboard (cereal boxes)
  
• masking tape
• white school glue
• decorative paper for the 'wall paper' (wrapping paper)
  
• extra white typing paper
• a large mirror 7 1/2" x 9 1/2" or mirrored paper with an adhesive backing (may be purchased at a Dollar General)
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• cosmetic supplies cut from magazines
• beads, tiny bottles and terry wash cloths to make salon accessories for the shelves
• heavy ribbon or sewing tape to trim the edges of the mirrors
• Mod Podge (optional)
• Salon styling chair (may be purchased new or acquired from resale)
  

The Pink Salon Station

Tiny details of cosmetics, picture frame and tissue box on the pink salon station are all glued on
 the shelves permanently so that these won't get lost or fall off during photo sessions. However,
you can rearrange your doll salon station with removable beauty products if you prefer.

Left, are folded terry cloth towels. Center are more decoupaged hair products cut from magazines. 
Right, I've included one tiny bottle here that is 3D.

Photos of the pink salon station under construction.

Shelf details and mirrors of both salon station examples.

 Step-by-Step Instructions for The Salon Stations:

1. To begin this project you will need to seat a doll in your salon chair in front of the cardboard box. Hold the mirror within the box, in front of the doll, to determine just where it needs to be mounted with glue inside the styling station. You want the doll to have a clear view of it's head and hair. Once this position has been determined, use hot glue or an epoxy alternative to mount the mirror. If you are using mirrored paper, this part of the craft will be much simpler. Alternatively, you can also plan to hang your station higher on a wall so that your dolls can see themselves easily in the mirrors.
2. Secondly, mask the entire surface both front and back with tape, excluding the mirror of course.
3. Now cut from the corrugated cardboard as many shelves you would like the styling station to have. Put them in either a formal traditional pattern or in an informal, modern pattern. I have included two designs here for you to see that have shelves on either sides of two mirrors, one mirror is oval and the other rectangular.
4. Next, you will need to decoupage the shelves and back walls. I chose to use a lavender print wrapping paper on the interior walls of one station and a bright pink patterned paper on the walls of the other salon station. Then I covered the shelves on both with white typing paper, alternating these with white school glue.
5. Cut magazine photos of beauty products and layer these with glue onto the back walls of the salon stations.
6. Glue nail polish bottles, small plastic containers filled with beauty supplies, crafted miniature tissue boxes, doll photo frames, pretend nail files, hair brushes etc.. on top of the shelves. 
7. Cut out terry cloth towels to fold and stack on the shelves.
8. Cut out photos of your favorite dolls to mount on the salon walls to demonstrate hair styles that your doll might want their salon hairstylists to copy on their own heads. All of these details make the salon stations unique and realistic!
9. Give the paper cut-outs an extra coating of Mod Podge to preserve your decoupage work.

 The Purple Salon Station 

Left, you can see our Emerson Wellie Wisher by American Girl, seated for a hair cut.
Right is the entire shelf unit decoupaged with pictures of shampoo, lotion, hair spray etc...
The bottom half of this salon station has photos of dolls modeling their hair styles.

Left a picture of a fashion doll with curls. Center cotton balls in a tiny container. Right, nail polish
crafted on this post and glued to the shelf surface above; plus one tiny emery board for
doll nail manicures.

Left a faux brush glued to the shelf. Center, a square box of tissues.
Right, more decoupage detailson the shelves to give them interest.

Left, American Girl Dolls pose for the camera, these were cut from a catalogue.
Right, two very tiny cosmetic bottles from the dollar store stand in front of the
decoupaged cosmetics.

Left, an old-fashioned doll with a braided hair style. Right, makeup cut from catalogues.

The purple salon station under construction. I covered the surfaces with masking tape to
make them durable. Then I decoupaged the surface walls with layers of cosmetic prints
 from catalogues, wrapping paper from the dollar store and one large, square mirror.

More Salon Stations for Dolls:

• Brat Doll Salon made by Nava Sewing
• Polymer clay makeup and jewelry
• Barbie size makeup kit craft by AmbaFun

Sew a Disney Princess Salon Apron

Left, our little Wellie Wisher, Ashlyn, is ready for a trim. Center, she models our Disney Princess
apron from the salon chair. Right, the apron neatly fits both 14" and 18" dolls because it is
made from a knit fabric.

       Sew or no-sew, this simple little apron can be made for any size doll, even if you're sewing skills are minimal! Cut it from a no fray fabric or a soft knit or even a plastic table cloth from the dollar store if you prefer. You will also need some ribbon and a needle and thread or hot glue alternatively for a no-sew version.

Left, the apron on top of the ironing board. Center, up-close look at the Disney Princess print in
pinks and pastel colors. Right, detail of ribbon collar. 

       I used a large serving plate to draft a pattern for our doll salon aprons. You will only need half a plate's size for the apron pattern. Fold the cut fabric in half and cut a small 'moon' shaped collar next. If you are making a no-sew version of this salon apron type, you will not need to finish the edges of the doll's apron. I made the sewn version so the edges were turned under and stitched down with pink embroidery floss on the sides. I then turned the hem and whip stitched this to finish the bottom of my salon doll's aprons. Attach ribbons on the collar and also in two places on the back with sewing or hot glue.

Left, see the ribbons tied on the back of the apron to secure it to the doll. Right, here is a
My Generation Doll wearing the exact same apron that fits both 14" and 18" dolls.

 More Salon Aprons for Dolls:

• Chelly Wood demonstrates how to sew a hairdresser salon apron...
• How to make a no-sew kitchen apron from americangirlfan

Craft Faux Nail Polish for 18" Dolls

Left, wooden beads for the craft. Right, the finished faux nail polish bottles for dolls.
See also how to make doll sized lipsticks here.

       Any doll would enjoy having a bit of pretend makeup inside a dresser drawer or makeup bag. However, we have made quite a few of these nail polish bottles for our doll's salon. You could also paint each bead an alternative color if the ones you have are not preferable. But I elected to use the original color of my beads in order to make the craft simpler.

Supply List:

• wooden beads
• tooth picks
• typing paper
• wood glue and white school glue
  
• hole punch
• acrylic paints: black or silver 

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1.  Use your hole punch to cut tiny circle shapes from the typing paper. Glue these shapes to the bottom of each bead that you intend to turn into a nail polish bottle. Let these beads dry.
2. Squeeze wood glue into the open end cavity of each bead and insert a clipped toothpick into the hole. These tiny toothpicks should be long enough to fit well inside the bead without poking through the plugged bottom and the top of the tooth pick should be stick out the top of the bead by 1/2". Let the glue dry thoroughly.
3. Now cut strips of typing paper approx. 1/2 inch wide and several inches long. 
4. Roll these strips around the top of the toothpicks using glue in order to make the attached lids of each faux nail polish bottle.
5. You may wish to paint the white caps black, silver or gold after the glue has dried. Nail polishes come in these color too.
   

Papier-Mâché a Doll Blow Dryer

The finished doll blow drier is perfect for our American Girl Doll Salon!

       This little hair drier for a doll may be crafted for a doll's bathroom or a American Girl Doll Salon if you'd like. It is made using a simple paper mache technique and once you've mastered this process, you will find yourself capable of crafting a great many things!

The doll blow dryer is masked with tape and ready for a layer of white
typing paper and Mod Podge. 

 Supply List:

• white typing paper
• Mod Podge
• purple acrylic paint
• purple and black
• craft foam sheet
• two tooth picks
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• black puff paint
• covered black wire
• two beads, one red and one green
• baking foil
• masking tape 
• old pop bottle caps 
• old pen cap
• funnel shaped cap or lid
• thin cardboard

Step-by-Step Directions:

1. Look up pictures of blow driers online if you do not have one to look at from your home. It is very helpful to observe the thing that you wish to reproduce closely before attempting to make it. Note the shapes and how these relate to one another. Observe the sizes of attachments. Collect recyclable items from around your home like: bottle caps, old pens, cardboard shapes that you can glue together in order to mimic a hair blow drier. 
2. I glued together a couple of pop bottle caps and a small funnel shape made of plastic to form the upper part of my doll's blow drier.
3. Then I hot glued a discarded pen cap to the base of the blow dryer to act as a handle. 
4. I also wrapped  baking foil around the handle to give it a smooth surface in and around the handle. 
5. After this, use masking tape to wrap the entire surface, making it one solid object visually.
6. Take a small nail and push it into the bottom of the handle to create a cavity for a wire. Insert both the glue and wire into this cavity. This will make the blow drier look as though it even has and electrical cord. 
7. I clipped off the ends of two toothpicks, glue them side-by-side and attached these to the end of the wire with glue. Then I wrapped a small piece of black craft foam around their ends to mimic a two prong plug, securing this to the wire. (see photos above)
8. Be sure to paint the wooden toothpick points black so that the electrical cord looks realistic.
9. Use white school glue or Mod Podge to cover surface areas of the blow drier that look a bit lumpy. Let all the surfaces dry before painting the doll appliance.
10. Use masking tape to cover the cord temporarily while spray painting the blow drier purple. You don't need to use spray paint. Layer the blow drier with acrylic paints if that is what you have on hand.
11. I hot glued some purple craft foam to the doll hair drier to give it added dimension and used black puff paint to add some grill details to the back end of the blow drier. My real blow drier at home has this feature too.
12. Now you can hot glue a green bead for "on" and a red one for "off" onto the handle of your doll's blow drier if you would like it to look more like the sample craft above.
13. Once you get the hang of it, you can make all kinds of salon supplies for your dolls from this simple paper mache technique!  

Make More Blow Driers for Your Dolls:

• Skymagenta makes miniature doll hair dryers from beads

Craft Doll Sized Hot Rollers

       This play, doll sized set of hot rollers would make a charming addition to any child's salon toy! You could also include it in an American Girl Doll bathroom or place it on top of a vanity in a doll's bedroom. 

       I made this hot roller set for our 18inch dolls, but you could make a smaller one using straws for the rollers for a barbie or fashionista if you'd like. 

       It looks harder to craft than it is, however, I'd say that a fifth grader or older would have the greatest success at finishing it to look like it appears in my photos below. 

Finished set of hot rollers for an American Girl Doll beauty salon or bathroom.

 Supply List:

• corrugated cardboard
• white school glue
• masking tape
• decorative paper
• black and lavender acrylic paint (choose your own colors)
• black craft foam
• coated wire, thick and thin
• tiny plastic spools
• wooden tooth picks
• wooden skewers
• nail & hammer
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• Mod Podge
• craft knife

Top, stack and glue all of the corrugated cardboard
pieces together to form the shape of the hot roller
appliance. You can see also where I poked the nail
through the layers, in order to create a cavity for the
cord. Bottom, the tray glued together prior to finish-
ing the sides with paper and the interior with paint.

Step-by-Step Directions:

1.  Line up your spools or similar recyclable tube-like items to see how these will be configured on the tray part of the hot roller appliance. Then outline the shape of these in a group with a pencil on top of a scrap of cardboard.
2. Draw the edge of the tray shape around this outline, approximately 1/8" around. I decided to give my hot roller tray rounded corners. But, you can make your tray with square corners if you prefer.
3. Cut out the outlined shape and glue what remains to another piece of cardboard so that the spools (rollers) will fit as a set on top of your appliance without sliding around.
4. Now cut five layers of corrugated cardboard in the same shape, stacking them back to back and gluing these all together with the white school glue.
5. Put all of the spools back inside the tray, line them up and take a marker or pin of some kind to fit down inside their holes on top and make a mark to show how to position the hot rods on the try.
6. Use a nail and hammer to widen the holes large enough to fit skewer pieces inside and glue in place with a bit of hot glue. I also wrapped my hot roller rods with masking tape but this isn't really necessary. The rods should be long enough to hold the spools in place.
7. Cut the threads from the small spools before using them for play.
8. I then cut two larger pieces of corrugated cardboard and glued these to the bottom of my tray. These need to be slightly longer than all of the others so that a small narrow shape will be left on the end of the tray once the walls have been wrapped around the entire cardboard shape. I put wire hooks inside this opening for the hot rollers.
9. The walls of your appliance should measure approximately 1/4inch taller than the tray.
10. Cover all of the outside hot roller tray with masking tape and then paint the inside of the hot roller tray one solid color. I used lavender to match the decorative paper that I applied with Mod Podge on the outside of may appliance. 
11. I also cut and wrapped the bottom portion of this tray with black craft foam sheeting. You will need to use hot glue to attach these two pieces, one for the side and the second for the bottom of the tray.
12. I used a long nail to push through the tray and create a cavity for my black wire.
13. Then I hot glued two prongs from toothpicks together, painted these black and hot glued the end of the wire between the toothpicks. 
14. Next I used the hot glue to wrap a narrow piece of black craft foam around the wire and toothpicks to finish the plug attachment for the wire.
15. I then cut the side walls of a lid to fit down inside the hot tray exactly, using masking tape to hold the shape in place, while tracing around these measured walls for the lid on top of another piece of cardboard to create the top part of the lid.
16. After gluing these pieces together and letting them dry completely, I then glued a few tiny pieces of cardboard together for a handle and attached it to the top of the lid.
17. Cover the lid with a nice contrasting paper and Mod Podge.
18. Wrap a thin wire, I used recycled Christmas hooks, around one of the spools, leaving the ends a bit long before clipping these off. You will need as many of these as you have hot rollers. Store them in the side compartment of your newly crafted hot roller appliance.
    

Left, and center, I am stacking and arranging the spools of thread to see how the hot roller appliance will be made.
Right, the tray includes a piece of cardboard with cut out shape for the rollers to fit inside. I have also marked
the placement of the skewers with a long pin. Next I will hammer a nail through these markings to create holes
for the cut skewer pieces. (hot roller rods)

Left, is the finished, lower part of my hot roller tray. Center, you can see how I shaped my wire claps for the doll's hair.
Far right, the lid is finished with white typing paper and Mod Podge. This craft is simpler than it looks. I recommend it
for fifth grade and up. It is a charming addition to a salon play set.

See how other crafters on the web make and play with doll salons:

• Froggy makes a salon for Barbie
• Lena from UCreate makes a salon for miniature dolls
• Baby Doll Hairdresser Salon Toys for American Girl Dolls