Sculpt Shish kebab for your doll's grill...

Shish kebab on the doll's grill...jumbo shrimp,
large slices of pineapple, lemon and tomato.

Shish kabab unpainted.

       According to Wikipedia, a "Shish kebab or shish kebap is a popular meal of skewered and grilled cubes of meat. It can be found in Mediterranean cuisine and is similar to or synonymous with dishes called shashlik and khorovats, found in the Caucasus region." If you've made a grill like ours, you will need a group of foods to play with on that grill.
       Shrimp Shish kababs are simple to make. The supplies include: Sculpey, wooden beads, skewers, white school glue, Mod Podge and acrylic paints.
       Follow the directions included with your oven-bake clay and shape pieces of pineapple, lemon and shrimp for the Shish kabab. I used wooden, round beads from a Dollar Store to mimic tomatoes. 

       Press the unbaked, sculpted foods onto the skewers prior to baking. I did this to make our versions of this craft permanently attached. Don't cut the length of the skewer until after the baking though. Because it is much easier to bake these three dimensional items propped up on a long skewer than laying flat inside of the oven. After baking, cut down the skewer and paint.
       Mod Podge and display at a doll's picnic or on your doll's grill.

Make a doll size ice chest for picnics, camping and sporting events!

        A cooler, portable ice chest, ice box, cool box, chilly bin (in New Zealand), or esky (Australia) is an insulated box used to keep food or drink cool. I found an empty, heavy duty plastic box used for nails to be transformed into our doll ice chest.

       Ice cubes are most commonly placed in it to help the contents inside stay cool. Ice packs are sometimes used, as they either contain the melting water inside, or have a gel sealed inside that stays cold longer than plain ice (absorbing heat as it changes phase). I decided to fill our doll version with plastic pellets; these look just like ice! Plastic beads would also be convincing looking ice if you want to use them.
       Coolers are often taken on picnics, and on vacation or holiday. Where summers are hot, they may also be used just for getting cold groceries home from the store, such as keeping ice cream from melting in a hot automobile. Our 18" dolls will be using their version on picnics and to also carry food stuffs to the beach.

       Even without adding ice, this can be helpful, particularly if the trip home will be lengthy. Some coolers have built-in cup holders in the lid, so I have cut two holes in the lid for the same purpose. 

Supply List:

• recycle a plastic nail container
• white school glue
• masking tape
• acrylic paints: white and blue
• Mod Podge
• clear acrylic beads or doll pellets (for the pretend ice)

See Photos to Show How I Made the Ice Chest:

Left, I found a nail container to have the best shaped lid for our doll's camp cooler.
Right, I cut an extra layer of cardboard to add on top of the container
in order to make the cup holders a bit deeper.

 

Left, I used white school glue to cover our doll's ice chest with blue paper and then I
used Mod Podge to seal these paper areas and make the surface look more like the
heavy-duty plastic most frequently molded into modern ice chests. Right, see the 
inside of the ice chest is lined with white typing paper and treated with Mod Podge.

Left, are the plastic pellets that we use for pretend ice-cubes. Center, see the cup holder
details on the ice chest. I cut these holes out with an Xacto knife; have a parent do this 
part of the craft. Right, see the heavy cord that I used for handles. This looks like rope to
an 18" doll. To make these handles, punch holes in the sides of the plastic box with a nail
and hammer. Then, tie a knot on the ends of the cord inside of the box after pushing them
through from the outside.

      Ice chests are usually made with interior and exterior shells of plastic, with a hard foam in between. They come in sizes from small personal ones to large family ones with wheels. Our doll version includes rope handles instead of wheels, so the dolls will need to carry their picnic supplies.

More Doll Ice Chests:

• Beach Cooler Playset Review
• Make a Cute Cooler for Your Doll
• Our Generation's polka dot camping set and Sophia's "Colman" cooler for American Girl Doll

How to make a doll's thermos flask...

Finished doll thermos,
made from recycled glue sticks.

        Our doll size versions of the thermos have handles on the lids, but you can design these with handles on the sides if you prefer. Both designs are ordinarily found in the U.S. I've covered our doll versions with checks on one and stripes on the other. In the past it was difficult to find thermoses with designs like these but now our patterns would be considered normal. When I was a child, thermoses came in lunch box sets or picnic baskets and were usually covered in a plaid designs or solid colors.

Supply List:

• recycled glue sticks
• covered coffee bag wires
• decorative paper
• white school glue
• black construction paper
• Mod Podge 

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Use white school glue to apply decorative paper to the recycled glue stick container(s). Let dry.
2. Cut thin long strips of black construction paper 1/4 inch wide. 
3. Glue these around the top and bottom of the glue stick container. Make the top section of the faux thermos slightly thicker as this will be the 'lid' of our doll toy.
4. Cut the coffee bag wire down to a handle size, approximately two inches long. Bend it into shape attach to the lid neatly.
5. Cover the ends of the doll thermos with black paper as well.
6. Mod Podge all sides of the covered tubes for durability.

How to sew doll swimsuits using socks...

This Wellie Wisher doll, Kendall, wears a
cute purple and pink striped swimsuit made
from a sock. There are straps for the suit 
that tie around the neck to hold it in place.

       Young girls can design cut and fashion small socks into swim wear. Pictured here is one of our Wellie Wishers and a Best Friends Club Doll, Addison, modeling different variations of this simple sewing craft.
       The swimsuits when made of socks need to have their raw edges sewn down tightly or these will unravel. Sewers may also use a glue made especially to prevent this called No Fray, Dritz Fray or Sit n Sew as an alternative.
       I chose pastel striped socks for our dolls to wear but socks come in so many different, colorful designs these days, it's difficult to choose which print to try for this simple craft.
       I cut the sock straight across where the leg and heal come together. Then I slip this tube onto the doll's body to measure where the leg openings should be and the top of the bathing suit should end.
       Next I sew a small seam between the legs and finish all of the openings with seams both at the bottom and top of the sock tube.
       Finally, I sew on ribbon or straps to hold the swimsuits on the dolls body.

More Ideas for Crafting Doll Swimwear:

• How to make swimwear and bikini for Barbie without sewing by Ideas Barbie DIY
• How to make really cute swimsuits for your doll using socks by Americangirl Land

Day At The Pool for Dolls:

• Take a Brain Break at The Pool! by mixiepixie7 and Sophie Clair's Pool Party Plan
• DIY Pool Floats for Your Doll

Our Addison doll wears a bathing suit made from a green and white striped sock. It is trimmed 
at the top with calico print, cotton ribbon and has a snap in the back to tighten and close the 
swimming suit snug against her body.

How to make doll camp foods...

Learn how to make the doll coleslaw and printable chocolate candy bars. 

        Here you can see our American Girl doll camp foods: hot dogs with buns, a Mustard girl bottle, corn on the cob, coleslaw,  Jet-Puffed marshmallows with chocolate bars for S'mores, hot dogs and Polish sausages in packages, and hot dogs cooked. 

• Go here to read more about making contemporary groceries.

Three basic steps for making doll
 sized hot dogs.

Craft Supplies for Doll Hot Dogs and Buns:

• Sculpey oven bake clay
• acrylic paints: red, brown, tan, white
• yellow and or red puff paints for mustard and ketchup
• Mod Podge
• tiny paint brush

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Roll out two different sizes of "snake" shapes for the hot dog and the bun. The bun will be the larger of the two snakes, the hot dog the smaller. 
2. Cut these into lengths. The hot dog should measure 1 1/2'' and the bun should be approx. 2 inches long.
3. Round the tips of both the hot dog and bun by lightly tapping these end down on a smooth surface. Shape gently as needed.
4. Using a sharp edge, carefully cut down the center of the bun lengthwise. Do not make this cut deep enough to disconnect the sides of the hot dog bun; just make it open enough to slip the hot dog shape inside the bun.
5. Now gently press the shapes together without misshaping your hot dog and bun.
6. Bake at 275 degree oven for ten to fifteen minutes.
7. Paint when cool. Apply the hot dog colors first with a very tiny brush. Let dry.
8. Paint the outside bun using modeled brown acrylic paint colors until you are satisfied with the color of your faux hot dog buns.
9. Squeeze out mustard or ketchup using puff paints. Let dry.
10. Give your camp hot dogs a nice coat of Mod Podge to seal the paints.

More Camp Foods for Dolls:

• Make Miniature S'mores
• Sew a stack of felt pancakes to cook on a doll grill
• Mini breakfast skillets for Barbie to cook with while camping...
• See how to make a picnic basket too!

These corn on the cobs are shaped by pressing them into a small mold.
I then baked the clay forms and painted them with non-toxic acrylic paints.
I used a yellow puff paint to highlight tiny cornels of corn.
Cobs measure 2 1/4" across.

How to Sew a Liner for a Picnic Basket

Picnic in a city park.

       Our dolls, Skylar and Kendall are meeting at the park to have a picnic. Their old-fashioned picnic basket contains all of the dishes they will need. Plus there is also a red and white checkered picnic blanket for them to sit on.

       I picked up this doll sized basket from a local resale. I painted the backside of the lid white, decoupaged the top of the lid with bandana printed scrapbook paper and then lined the interior of the basket with a pad, having a similar bandana print.

• Picnic Fun Doll Set from Maggie's Crochet
• DIY Picnic Playset
• DIY AG Doll Picnic Food Set
• American Girl picnic basket review by All about Stop motions
• Our Generation Packed for a Picnic Playset Review
• American Girl Doll Saige's Picnic Set
• Our Generation Dolls Picnic Table and Camping Playset by Fun Factory

Sewing The Bandana Liner

Above is the finished project. I picked up the dishes from a dollar store. 
The plastic picnic table cloth/blanket is also from the same place.

       First, you will need to acquire a doll sized picnic basket. Make sure it is clean and well made. Search resale, flee markets, Goodwill for baskets like these. I paid less than a dollar for the example shown here.

Left, the basket with a decoupaged lid. Center, cut pieces for the liner's bottom. 
Right, cut pieces for the liner sides.

       Decoupage the top of the lid using a scrapbook paper that you like. Clean where you will layer either white school glue or Mod Podge with decorative paper. 

       Choose a coordinating fabric to compliment the decoupaged lid. I chose a very traditional theme for my basket. Red checks, plaids and bandanas have been used in decorating picnic baskets for over a hundred years I think. I still have one that was my grandmothers from way back when...

       Flip the basket upside down and measure the bottom with a ruler. Make this part a little smaller than the actual measurements of the basket. Slip the bottom cardboard piece into the basket to check out the size before proceeding to the next step. Cut the cardboard down to a smaller size until it fits inside the basket easily.

       Cut cotton batting sheeting or felt just 1/2 inch larger than the cardboard bottom insert. Cut a piece of coordinating fabric the same size. Use a hot glue gun to adhere these pieces to the bottom, wrapping the sides and corners neatly as you go.

       Cut a slightly smaller cardboard piece to glue on top of the wrapped corners and sides so that none of the frayed edges will be seen.

Left, the finished bottom of the liner. Center the finished top side of the liner. Right, I tucked it 
inside the basket to make sure that it fit properly before sewing on the sides.

       Now make the liners side pieces by measuring the width of the sides with a ruler. To measure and cut the length that you will need for the fabric pieces. Take a string, line it up around the interior basket walls, and clip it off where the two ends meet. Lay the string along side a ruler to see how much fabric you will need to cut.

       Cut out two pieces of fabric to match your measurements, only leave 1/2" more on every side for a seam allowance. 

       Pin wrong side of the fabric together and sew around all four sides leaving a 1" opening to turn the long narrow side pieces inside out. Stuff with a narrow sheet of felt  or batting and sew the opening shut using a whip stitch. 

       Now attach the sides of the liner to the base (botoom) I did this by hand with a threaded needle. (see below center) I simply wrapped the edges of the fabric against the edges of the liner bottom and whip stitched the two together all the way around the cardboard.

       I then folded the corner edges next to one another and stitched up the remaining corner to finish off the liner.

Left, the finished liner seen from above. Center, the finished liner seen from beneath. 
Right, the finished liner tucked inside the basket.

       Tuck the liner inside the basket and hot glue it in place if you wish. You don't need to permanently attach this liner with glue. It should stay in place on its own if you prefer.

Our dolls are meeting in the park for lunch. What do you think Skylar's funny puppy is up to?

More Dolls Go On Picnics:

• Dolls Charlotte and Jolena take "A Picnic by the Lake"
• The Doll's Picnic coloring page here
• Veggie salads made just for picnics!
• I Went On a Picnic With My Sister and Baby Cousin by Yoshidoll

Craft Doll Tennis Rackets

Left, two finished tennis rackets for our fashion dolls. Center, one of our dolls (a curvy Fashionista)
 is dressed and ready to play. I've included a pattern of her tank T-shirt below.
 Right, tennis racket covers made from felt will protect the racket from wear and tear.

       A tennis match between doll friends may be something you will need to craft on your own. So I have included here the first part of this DIY crafty sport, the rackets. Soon there will be an additional post showing how I made the tennis court and net.

Supply List:

• black tape (color preference)
• wire
• masking tape
• green acrylic paint (or a different color of your own choosing)
• fine mesh netting (plastic, may be purchased from a hardware store)
• tacky craft glue
• white felt (a small amount)
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Download and print out the tennis racket pattern below.
2. Shape wires into tennis rackets up against the pattern for twisting the wire. 
3. Wrap the racket in masking tape until it is stiff.
4. Paint the upper half of the rackets, see picture below.
5. Cut out the center of the racket's pattern and hold this on top of the netting while cutting out the shapes for the inside of your tennis rackets. Cut these a little larger than you need so that they can be slightly adjusted with scissors as you fit them to your doll rackets.
6. Glue the mesh netting shapes in place with a tacky craft glue.
7. Let the glue dry and harden before proceeding with the next step.
8. Cut long thin strips of black tape to wrap the racket handles.
9. Wrap these handles overlapping the tape just a little as you work your way up the handles.
10. Now you can trace around the rackets including 1/4 an inch felt for a better fit for the tennis racket covers. You will need four pieces like this for two rackets.
11. The cover should not cover the racket entirely see pattern below and picture above.
12. Sew a straight seam around each set of felt covers.
13. Turn them inside out and fit them to the rackets when they are in storage.
    

Left, Shape wires into tennis rackets up against the pattern for twisting the wire. Center, Paint the upper half
 of the rackets. Right, Glue the mesh netting shapes in place with a tacky craft glue.

Free guide for doll tennis racket and a free pattern for a doll tank T-shirt.

More Tennis for Fashion Dolls:

• Career Fair for Barbie and her friends
• DIY Miniature Tennis Racket

DIY Pool Floats for Your Doll

This inflatable, Barbie pool with solid colored pool floats dates from the mid seventies. It is in excellent condition.
The straw float craft is an easy one, but like most of the crafts included here, children need adult supervision to complete it.

        Now is the time for having some fun in the sun with your dolls! Above is an inflatable pool and blue floats from my childhood collection. The straw floats with alternating colors are easy to make at home. But you will need adult supervision because these are melted together using a hot iron.

Supply List:

• drinking straws
• parchment paper (to protect the iron and other surfaces from melted plastic)
• iron and ironing board
• scissors
• clear plastic bags (this will act as a layer of glue)

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Choose a pattern you would like for the pool floats. I alternated purple and green straws for one pool float and teal and red straws for the other.
2. Heat up your iron to it's highest temperature, and ask your parent to watch and help you in your progress.
3. Lay a sheet of parchment paper on the ironing board. The parchment will separate the straws from the hot iron and keep the appliance clean from melted plastic. The parchment is very necessary for this craft.
4. Lay the straws side by side and then layer a sheet of plastic bag on top of the straws and fold the parchment paper over the straws before pressing them with the hot iron.
5. Press down on top of the parchment with the hot iron. It only take a few seconds to melt the straws together.
6. Now lift the parchment and remove the melted straws carefully.
7. Turn off the iron.
8. Trim the excess plastic around the edges of the straws. Turn the straws over; the front side of your melted straws should not appear melted.
9. You can trim the edges of the straws with scissors if these are uneven.
10. Now your 12" dolls have new floats for the pool to play with!

Left, fold the parchment paper over the straws before pressing them with the hot iron. Center, Trim the excess plastic
 around the edges of the straws. Turn the straws over; the front side of your melted straws should not appear melted.
Right, Now your 12" dolls have new floats for the pool to play with!