DIY a Gondola Palm Tree

Woven palm leaf totes hang on a gondola palm tree
display for our Maui general store.

       I discovered a strange plastic palm tree with fairy lights inside of it at the local dollar store. Although it looked like something any child would love, I decided to alter it anyway for the Maui General Store. This is a method anyone can use to upcycle inexpensive items into things that can look a bit more sophisticated when refinished for your doll interiors.

        This palm tree will be used to display hanging merchandise like woven palm totes or perhaps even bagged foods in the future like macadamia snacks or even Hawaiian themed key chains or poco shell necklaces. Many things would look cute hanging from the skewer style hooks.

Left, the gondola palm display from above. Right, the display without tote bags.

Supply List:

• tall, narrow plastic container for the trunk of the palm tree
• flimsy cardboard for the palm leaves (if you need to make these)
• masking tape
• wooden skewers 
• tiny beads that fit onto the ends of the skewers (optional)
• a nail to make holes in the plastic trunk form
• gravel to weight the bottom of the container
• acrylic browns and greens to paint the gondola
• Mod Podge
• white school glue
• brown paper bags

Left is the masking tape covered palm trunk. Center now the plastic palm branches have been
covered with masking tape too. The palm shape as seen from above.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Before masking the forms, remove all of the fairy lights. 
2. Then fill the bottom of the tube approximately 2 to 3 inches up with gravel to weight the gondola and keep it steady once things are displayed on its 'hooks.' 
3. Use a nail and pressure to make holes into the plastic for skewers to be pushed through. See photos below. Put the holes where ever necessary to display merchandise.
4. Use small pliers to clip off the skewers to a predetermined length once these have been secured inside of the bottle. 
5. Now mask the palm trunk and also secure the skewers in place with the tape as you work your way around the trunk.
6. Glue on the beads to each skewer's end using white glue to attach in place. Let dry.
7. Attach the palm branches at the top using tape.
8. With glue and brown paper bags cover most of the tree gondola about 90 percent. 
9. Fill in and cover the trunk with brown paint. Then dry brush the surface using a lighter shade of brown paint.
10. Cover the palms with a dark green paint. Dry brush a second layer with a lighter shade of green.
11. Mod Podge for a finishing coat. Let dry.

Before masking the forms, remove all of the fairy lights. Then fill the bottom of the tube approx.
2 to 3 inches up with gravel to weight the gondola and keep it steady once things are displayed
on its 'hooks.' Use a nail and pressure to make holes into the plastic for skewers to be pushed
through. 

Handcraft a sailor's valentine for your dollhouse...

       This craft is very old and seldom seen in antique shops today. Collections of sea shells were mounted inside shallow display boxes or frames with glue. Often the shallow frames were constructed in hexagon or octagon shapes. Sometimes two identical frames were hinged together so that a top and bottom could be made to close into a box with a lock.

Two versions of Sailor's Valentines for our dollhouse mantles.

       It is said that these Sailor's Valentines were made at sea during the long lonely hours by men on board ships for their loved ones. These love tokens of the sea have long since been connected to Saint Valentines Day for this reason.

Above are hundreds of strung, tiny sea shells.

Supplies Needed:

• white school glue
• scrap cardboard
• decorative papers: solid pink or blue, wood grain printed paper
• tiny sea shells
• hexagon or octagon templates
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. In order to construct a small "frame" for your Sailor's Valentine students will need to draft a hexagon or octagon template. Trace around one of these two shapes on top of a scrap piece of cardboard.
2. Then glue a length of cardboard approximately 1/2 inch wide around the outside edges of your cardboard shape.
3. Decoupage the interior of the small frame using pink or white solid colored paper. The inside of such frames in real life were most frequently painted pink or blue by their ''sailor'' crafters.
4. Cover the sides and back of your frame with wood grain paper.
5. Now flood the inside of your display box or frame with white school glue and layer in tiny sea shells in a pattern or scene. Let dry over night before displaying your Sailor's Valentine inside of the dollhouse. Hang your creation(s) on the wall or display them on a fireplace mantel if your prefer.
   

Left, I made two hexagon shaped, shallow frames for my version of the craft. Right see here the
papers decoupaged to the outside and inside according to the directions. I began each patterned
display by gluing a single shell to the center of my design, but you may glue your shells inside the
frame as you wish! See here yet another version of this same craft at Thrifty Scissors. It is made
using paper shell printables.

Craft video by USS Constitution Museum Staff.

Maui Souvenirs and Snacks Shack

           As we recreate our own version of a Hawaiian family market, we will post pictures, instructions and links to product crafts and furnishings included in our Maui Souvenirs and Snacks Shack here.

Hawaii General Store and Souvenirs:

• DIY your own leis for dolls - Nothing says ''Aloha'' like a lovely leis!
• Craft burlap rice bags for a dolly marketplace - Rice is one of several food staples on the Hawaiian Islands.
• Paper money printables for 18 inch dolls - tourists need a way to pay for gifts and snacks
• Learn how to make produce crates - practical storage stacked inside the gift shop
• DIY a doll size, freestanding water cooler... - to quench the thirst of tired tourists...
• How to craft pineapples using pinecones - a clever way to use pinecones
• Craft Fashionable Doll Flip-Flops! - styled to compliment a variety of beach fashions  practical protection from hot sandy beaches
• Make fun, easy beach balls - for fun in the Summer sun!
• DIY Boogie Boards and Surfboards for Dolls - made for 14 - 18'' dolls

Tropical themed, window seat display

 

       To make this window display, acquire a box measuring approximately 19'' x 13'' x5'' deep. Cut a grid from additional light weight cardboard for the window and paste it to the back of the box. Cut also a from a thicker cardboard, a ''seat'' to glue inside the box 4 1/2'' from the base of the open box. I then cut additional pieces of cardboard to support the seat from underneath and make a short wall. 

       Then decoupage the inside grid ''window'' using an outdoors scene. A decorative paper of clouds or a view from a magazine (page) are easy to find and paste carefully between the mullions or panes of a window to make it look like a real window. Also decorate the interior walls of the window display using tropically themed wrapping papers and faux wooden papers on the exterior. Press on tiny hooks where you think it best to hang merchandise.

• See printable of diamond shaped mullions you can print out for a shop or dollhouse
• See similar ways to craft windows for a dollhouse or shop
  

This grocery counter is made from a recycled desk supply catty and box ''stand'' beneath.

        Above and below are detailed photos of another display counter included in this doll shop playset. I decoupaged the large front shelf using a cheerful printed lemon paper, the exterior sides of the box stand using a textured woven canvas and finally the interior of the stand using a Shabby Chic wooden paper print. This is where our dolls display tropical fruits to sale inside the snack shack.

The top opens up for more storage and the bottom box ''stand'' can be easily removed.

The spinning eyeglass display case on and off stand.

       To craft this ''spinning'' display stand for sunglasses, you will need a tall spool (thread cone) with a stand combined. Plus a toilet paper cardboard roll and an additional large, recycled cap off of a juice carton. Cut sunglasses or sunshades from fashion magazines and also purchase tiny, white head stick-pins to fit beneath the nose piece under each pair of eyeglasses on the carousel display.

       It is important to make the carousel display one uniform color at the top and bottom. You could paint these components if you can not find them in the same color. Mine were already originally green. The toilet paper tube may be any color. I needed to cut the tube lengthwise in order to fit it snugly up inside the cap at the top. I then secured it with tape and additional glue.

       Glue the sunglasses or eyeglasses directly onto the tube, equally spaced. Stick the tiny pins at the nose piece for each pair of eye-wear to look like these are balanced on ''hooks.''

       The top tube piece is not permanently attached to the serger spool so that when it is put over the cone it may be easily to spin the display by the attached cap. Now your dolls can pretend to purchase twelve different  styles of eye-wear if they choose.

''fresh'' silk flowers, you-pick from old crayon catty

Dollar store wash clothes make easy beach towels.

''Aloha'' dollar store sign

Bolts of Hawaiian print fabrics wrapped around cardboard
cut-outs, 6 1/2'' x2 1/2 inches. These were made to fit into
a merchandise cabinet display.

More Related Content:

• Craft a farmer's market for your dolls
• Hunt for more grocery crafts on this blog

Craft Fashionable Doll Flip-Flops!

       The key to understanding just 'how' a doll's shoe is made is to think about how it made from the inside out. You build a shoe by assembling it's inner parts first, then working your way to the outside parts last.

       Flip-flops are much simpler shoes to put together compared to boots or high heels. In America, it can get very hot during the months of June, July, August and September. So, these are the kind of shoes many folks wear during those months if they are not at work. Children love flip-flops so it only stands to reason that they would want to dress their dolls the same way.

       With flip-flops, you don't wear socks! These shoes slip quickly on the feet to guard them from burns and cuts but they can just as easily slip off for those impulsive dips into a swimming pool, river, lake etc... Most of these kinds of shoes are inexpensive and are characteristically playfully decorative for girls or women. Little boys and men traditionally wear more sporty versions of flip-flops.

The finished flip-flops shown above are made from paper.
Each pair has a different theme: red paisleys, beach 
combing flip-flops and a cool spring blue floral
theme for our third example. Each of these 
flip-flops goes with a different doll's outfit.

Supply List:

• decorative scrapbook papers
• foam sheets for souls of flip flops
• trims: buttons, ribbon, sea shells
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• tacky craft glue
• doll - to measure her feet
• light weight cardboard
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Trace around your either your doll's foot or shoe to make a pattern for the interior of the doll's flip-flop first. Cut this tracing from light weight cardboard.
2. Glue these cardboard patterns to the backside of decorative paper. Cut this paper a little larger than the cardboard patterns so that you can clip around the edges and then paste them around the edges of the cardboard templates. (see photos)
3. Next, cut a wide band (from cardboard) to hold the flip-flop onto the doll's feet. Check to see that the band will work for the shoe by wrapping it around the top of her foot. There needs to be enough length to glue to the underside of the cardboard inner shoe. 
4. Cover this band with paper and white glue.
5. Attach the band using both tacky glue and masking tape to hold it in place. 
6. Now trace around the the flip-flops to mark the craft foam sheet with a pencil. 
7. Cut out the foam soles and hot glue these onto the bottom of the shoes.
8. Cut long, narrow strips of foam to hot glue along the edges of the the flip-flops. This will cover up uneven surfaces and make the flip-flops look clean and professionally made.
9. Hot glue trims to the tops of the flip-flops to give them unique fashionable looks. I attached blue buttons and ribbon to the floral blue pair, black bows to the red paisley pair and tiny sea shells to the beach themed pair of shoes.

Left cardboard cut-outs drawn from our doll's favorite slippers. Center, see the paper is a little larger
 than the cut-outs so that I can wrap it around the edges using white school glue. Right, the inside of 
our doll's paisley flip flops are covered.

Left, I check to make sure the cardboard band fits my dolls foot. Center, cover the bands with paper.
Right, now the band is attached to the underside of the covered cardboard flip-flop template.

Left, see the soles of the flip-flops are cut from a black craft foam sheet. I used white craft foam
for the other two pairs seen on the right. 

See the same kind of pattern as a house slipper here, only these are covered with fur...

How to craft pineapples using pinecones

Pineapples crafted from pine cones, using green paper for the crown and toothpicks for the
prickly skin.

       Our 18 inch dolls will be visiting a Hawaiian marketplace soon and in that market they will need to purchase all kinds of tropical fruits. Pineapples are some of their favorites!

Supply List:

Detailed drawing of a pineapple plant.

• small pinecones approx. 1 -2 inches
• green paper
• acrylic paints - yellow and green
• white tacky glue
• hot glue and hot glue gun
• toothpicks

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Remove and clean all debris from the pinecones.
2. Paint the bottom half of the cones with the yellow acrylic gradually adding in green color until the pinecone is completely green at it's top most area. As pineapples ripen they are more green at the top near their crown.
3. Snip off the tips of a handful of toothpicks and then glue these using tacky white glue to the outer painted surface of the faux 'pineapple'. This will represent the prickly outer skin of the pineapple.
4. To cut the crown from green paper make long narrow strips with one end pointed. 
5. Hot glue these green spiked leaves to the top of each pinecone pineapple.

        ''The pineapple is a native of tropical America. It is now one of the most important of tropical fruits and is grown in many warm parts of the world. Botanically it belongs to an exclusively American family of plants consisting chiefly of air plants. The pineapple produces a basal rosette of long, stiff, usually spiny leaves and a leafy stalk bearing an oblong head of flowers. On maturation the central axis, individual flowerstalks and fruits fuse into one mass, sweet and juicy and of large size in cultivated varieties. Bromelia family.'' Dahlgren

What is Inside Nanea Doll's Family Market Set?

        "Pono's Market" is the Hawaiian family business where your Nanea doll can help stock shelves, run the register, wipe down counters, sweep/mop the floor and wait on customers.
         As we recreate our own version of this Hawaiian family market we will post pictures, instructions and links to product crafts on this blog.

• Kauai market tour by On Hawaii Time
• Take a Tour of Hawaii Market Place with Amanda & Felix Eats
• Maui's Best Exotic Fruits by ChefQs Travel Recipe
• 365 Hawaii tours the exotic fruit farms of Hawaii

Accessories Inside Nanea's Family Market, "Pono's Market": Our own versions of these crafts will be linked to as these are published...

• a sales counter
• poster advertising signs
• a large orange cash register (1940s type)
• the window display unit
• 3 leis for dolls (orange, pink and yellow)
• 2 pineapples - Pinecone pineapple craft
• 2 burlap rice bags
• 2 sandal types with shoe stands
• price tags and card holders
• "Open" and "Closed" signs
• postcards of Hawaii (5 versions in sets of 3)
• postcard rack that rotates
• 3 cans of sliced pineapple - label for canned pineapple here and additional citrus fruits here
• 6 cans of SPAM
• 5 cans macadamia nuts
• bolts of traditional Hawaiian fabrics
  
• a cocoanut shell purse
• paper money
• plastic produce crate labels "Pineapple"
• 2 newspapers about America going to war
• 2 clusters of dragon fruit (magenta and yellow)
  
• a lavender and green cluster of mangos
• a souvenir plate of Hawaii with stand
• 3 brown paper bags with market logo

Nanea's Family Market Reviews:

• Honey Bee Theme's & Things Review
• Totally Rudy describes everything that comes with this market in detail...

30 Vintage Labels for Crafting Doll Foods

The finished doll canned goods made for our American Girl Doll's food pantry.

        Here I have pictures of how I used my vintage labels to make canned goods for our American Girl Doll kitchen. You will need the following supplies to make the miniature doll foods: Mod Podge, white school glue, a printer, some thin cardboard (like cereal boxes), masking tape and silver acrylic paint.

       First you will need to print out the labels. These labels are very old, some of them date from as far back as 1915! I have cleaned, colorized and taken some of their elements out and improved some of the graphics. You may use them for your child's own doll food collection but, do not redistribute the labels from your own website. Read the terms of use here.

Left, cut out the labels. Center, cut long strips of cardboard to fit each individual canned food label
 after you have printed them out. Right, roll up the strips and tape the sides down once you have
 determined how tight these roll must be. It is not necessary for the rolls of cardboard tube to be as
 dense as you see them above here. These miniature cans are quite durable enough for play if they
 have much thinner interior walls.

       Next, cut a strip of cardboard for each canned food label measuring approximately sixteen inches in length and the width of the label's height. It is very important that you use relatively flimsy cardboard for this project. Because next you will need to roll it into the shape of a tube.

       You can 'soften' the cardboard up a bit by crushing it against the edge of a table. This will help it to curl up easier. Roll it up tight and then hold it between the tip of your index finger and thumb while wrapping the label around the cardboard form to see the size ratio of the cardboard can. If it is too small and the label overlaps too much, simple release the grip of your finger tips gently to let the cardboard spring out a bit. Use a piece of masking tape to stick the sides together once you have determined how thick the can shape needs to be.

       Set the tube on top of a piece of cardboard scrap and then drip white school glue down inside the tube. Allow the glue to dry. When it is dry, trim the bottom of the can and turn it over to glue a top piece of cardboard onto the remaining open end.

       Now apply the labels with Mod Podge. Let the glue dry and repeat several more layers of Mod Podge. If you don't have anything but white glue, you can use this to seal the labels as well. The Mod Podge just dries clearer.

       To give your canned food a professional look, paint the tops and bottoms of each can with grey or metallic silver paint.

Left and Center are the canned foods tubes lined up and waiting to dry before I trim the cardboard,
flip them over, and glue on a top for each. Right, is a photo of how the label will fit around the rolled
 tube once I apply the Mod Podge.

       Some of my food labels are for products that come in bags and frozen box food stuffs. I will post how I turned these into miniature groceries on a separate blog post and link it up below.

• DIY Durable Boxed Doll Foods for Play

Food labels for asparagus, dill pickles, pineapple, cat food, strawberries, and pears.

Food labels for coffee, a sugar cured ham, a large sack of flour, spinach,
 apple sauce, pumpkin and peaches.

Food labels for cake flour, dried peas, evaporated milk, yams, 
dog food, loaf of artisan bread and tuna.