DIY Office Supply for A Doll's Desk

       Small office supplies like pencils, notebooks, erasers, paper weights and tape dispensers not only look adorable sitting on the desktop of your doll's office furniture but also are appropriate in the backpacks of those dolls going back to school this fall. Make an abundant supply of these accessories so that the dolls won't fight over them!

Left, the tips of each pencil are painted black to imitate the lead. Center, the stems of
the pencils are colored with magic markers. Right, the erasers are painted pink.

       Our dolls keep plenty of sharpened pencils on hand at their desk. These can come in any color you like as long as you have the magic markers to color them in. 

       The supplies you need for this doll pencil craft include: wooden toothpicks, magic markers, silver tape and pink/black acrylic paints for the ends.

       To make the doll sized pencils trim the lengths of the toothpicks to size on the 'butt' end or flat end of each toothpick only, leaving the pointed end for the tip of the pencil. Then paint the tip black or grey for the lead part and paint the flat end pink for the eraser part. 

       Use magic markers to color the long stem part of each toothpick pencil and the silver tape to wrap between the painted eraser and length (stem) of the pencil.

Left are the journals unassembled. Right are the completed journals with tape binding and
 labels. With all the writing your doll does this school year, she will surely need a bright pink
 eraser or two to fix a few spelling mistakes!

       Every doll needs a blank journal or two to complete school essays and jot down notes for their final exams. The journals are made by stacking white printing paper, cutting it to size and folding the pages once down the center. Staple the pages inside the fold once. Craft a cover using decorative scrapbook paper and wrap the spine with black tape. Glue the white pages just inside the spine and allow these to dry completely. Then cut and attach with glue, a small white label for the cover so that the doll may identify the subject of her/his journal. 

       To make the pink erasers, simply shape these from oven-bake clay, bake, cool and paint with bubble-gum pink acrylic paints.

Left, flat sided marbles the size of penny found in the Family Dollar Store or a Dollar
General. Center, see the office supply displayed on our doll's office desk at home.
Right, see the finished paper weight, a picture of a star or perhaps a planet.

             Craft a doll sized paper weight to keep dolly's papers in place on breezy days! You will need the following supplies for this adorable desk accessory: magazine clippings, white school glue and  transparent, marbles with one flat side. 

See the shape of the cardboard tape dispenser,
 the cut toothpick and our metal bobbin.

       Simply place the marble on top of a magazine image, trace around the marble with a pencil or permanent ink pen and cut out the image to glue to the flat side of the marble. After the glue dries, your doll will see a lovely picture through the paper weight...

     To make a 18" doll sized tape dispenser you will need: scrap cardboard, masking tape, white school glue, one toothpick and an empty old thread bobbin. Thread bobbins may be metal or plastic -  either type will do for this craft.

       Look to see how the tape dispenser is shaped; see also that it is hollow so that the bobbin will fit snuggly between the cardboard walls of the dispenser. The dispenser is a basic rectangle with a slight arc shape cut from it's top side. Draw this shape out on a piece of cardboard cut four the exact same size, using your own template to trace around. Cut four more narrow pieces of cardboard to construct the narrower end pieces. Double up all of the sides to give the cardboard strength. Glue everything together as shown in the photos below. 

       Now cut two little niches opposite each other using a sharp tool. This is where you will insert the bobbin's toothpick 'pin.' The toothpick to be ever so slightly longer than the space between the dispenser's two longest walls.

       Paint the cardboard tape dispenser any color you would prefer. I painted ours bright, cherry red. Then I cut a tiny toothy cardboard tip to glue to the edge of my doll's tape dispenser. Let dry. 

       You can make the tape using real masking or Scotch tape. Cut long narrow lengths of it and twist it about the bobbin. Put the toothpick into the hole of the bobbin and insert it into the dispenser. Pull a length of the tape to the tip of the dispenser.

See "how" the dispenser is cut from cardboard and where to position the bobbin within.

The doll desk top tape dispenser is painted red and the bobbin is loaded up with real
masking tape for our dolls to use in school assignments or crafts.

• See more art supplies for dolls in a small cabinet here.

Book Crafts for A Doll's Bookcase

Left, the bookcase stands empty, ready to fill with doll sized books. Right, a comparison in size
to one of our 18" American Girl dolls.  I love how this curio cabinet is in perfect scale to
our dolls. It looks just like a bookcase you might find in a traditional library or den.

       Above is a curio cabinet that I purchased from resale. It is plastic made to look like faux wood and it is the perfect size for our 18" dolls. The interior is lined with a velvet like red paper and there are small plastic finials at the top, faux "carved flowers" under the arches and false drawers at the bottom that include metal handles. All in all it's a pretty fancy bookcase for a doll!

Left, pretend books made from wrapped cardboard pieces and printed book covers cut from a magazine about books.
Center, are the nice miniature books made for American Girl Dolls. These come with actual printed stories on
 the inside. Right are faux books without pages. I simply cut cardboard shaped books and wrapped faux leather,
paper and vinyl around one spine and two sides. 

Book Crafts for A Doll's Bookcase:

• American Girl Bookshelf
• How to make doll books from iLove2Paint
• Minibooks - 2013
• One Inch Button Book
• Small Art Books
• Make a folding, miniature doll house book

How we like to organize books at our house:

• Heaviest books at the bottom of the bookcase, so that the bookcase remains stable. These usually include folios. Folios and medium sized heavy books are alternated in stacks and upright patterns
• Books for children on the second from the lowest shelf, so that these may be removed by children to look at freely.
• Books then organized under common topics: Bibles, History, Crafts and How To, Art History and Lesson Planning, Botany Interests and Gardening, Cookbooks and Juvenile Literature
• Small books are usually given a shelf of their own. This shelf is adjusted to keep the small books tightly packed. 
• Novels are are always filed together.
• Movies are given shelves of their own, most frequently at the top of the bookcase.

Different Ways to Organize Your Doll's Books:

• Organize by size, shape or color
• Organize by content, author or title
• Alphabetical Order
• Organize by alternative color patterns
• Organize spines out or inverted
• Stacked and Standing alternated
• Displayed with dust jackets
• All folios laying stacked and everything else standing upright
• Alternating with ornamental items, photos, clocks and keepsakes

Transforming a Bistro Chair for A Desk Set

       This particular chair comes from the Journey Girls bistro table and chair set originally. See the whole set at the My Journey Girls Adventures here. I decided to transform it with a bit of orange spray paint and a new seat cushion cover. I will use it in a doll bedroom for a desk chair in a future post.

I picked up this stray plastic chair at resale for a dollar. I needed it for a doll's desk 
attached to the front end of a large bunk bed suite. These bunk beds with a 
built-in-desk are sold at Emily Rose here.

          The new fabric for the seat cushion has the colors that I am using for the doll bunk beds: brown, white, orange and pink.

Although I like the teal color of this former bistro chair, it will not blend in with my doll's bedroom suite.

        Above I show how easy it is to take the plastic chair apart before painting the chair and recovering the seat cushion.

The plastic chair looks rustic once painted. The seat cushion's colors blend in 
with the blankets and sheets that I am sewing for the bunk beds.

       I used an orange spray paint designed to cover plastic to change the faux iron rod look of the chair legs, back and seat. 

       Then I cut a circular piece of fabric and sewed a straight seam around it's parameter in order to pull it taunt over the chair pad and around to the backside of the seat. The gathering was concealed underneath the chair cushion after I reattached it to the chair base. I used a generous portion of hot glue to put the cushion back onto the seat as well.

Restoring An 18inch Doll's Desk

       Many of you may recognize this popular doll's desk once sold by Walmart. I believe it is still available online at Amazon. I discovered it at resale for $2.99. All that was left of the doll desk can be seen below on the far left. The desk is was not terribly expensive to begin with, however, I enjoy restoring most of what I can get my hands on, irregardless of monetary value.

Left, the My Generation Doll Desk purchased from resale. The drawers are missing as well as all the accessories
 and chair. Center, my restored version of this desk. I've added drawers, wall paper, memo board, desk set, a tape
 dispenser, journals, paper weight, pencils, paint brushes, wooden chair and tiny erasers. Far Right, you can see that
 the chair fits neatly beneath the desk with plenty of room for a doll to sit on it.

       The original fourteen pieces that came with this desk set included: one white plastic desk, a battery operated lamp, one fashion magazine, calendar, map, paper journal, lap top computer, wall paper, birthday card, sleepover invitation, two sticker sheets, a fuzzy fur covered desk chair and a small fluffy pink rug.

Construct a cardboard box for each opening. Test these for correct size by moving them in and out before finishing
them with white paper and glue. I used masking tape during this process so that I could get an accurate fit for
each drawer.

I covered these panels with decorative
scrapbook papers and Mod Podged
the outside surfaces to keep them clean.

Supply List: Drawer Repair, Faux Leather Desk Set and Ribbon Memo Board:

1. cardboard (medium weight)
2. masking tape
3. coordinating decorative papers
4. white tacky glue
5. hot glue and hot glue gun
6. faux leather (recycled purse)
7. blue spray paint (for the chair)
8. one toilet paper tube
9. white typing paper
10. thin red ribbon (2 yds. at least)
11. ruler 
12. Mod Podge

Steps for Restoring the Missing Drawers:

1. Measure to fit a new set of drawers into the interior drawer spaces left open in the desk.
2. Construct a cardboard box for each opening. Test these for correct size by moving them in and out before finishing them with white paper and glue. 
3. I used masking tape during this process so that I could get an accurate fit for each drawer. (see photo above)
4. The outside panel of my drawers is a bit larger in it's profile in order to cover the openings for the drawers to match the profile of the desk cabinet. 
5. After covering the drawers with white glue and white typing paper. I added secondary panels to the front of the drawers with pulls. I made the pulls from cardboard but you could use beads alternatively. 
6. I covered these panels with decorative scrapbook papers and Mod Podged the outside surfaces to keep them clean.
   

Left, Measure to fit a new set of drawers into the interior drawer spaces left open in the desk. Center, I
measured and fit a cardboard rectangle for: the back wall paper for the desk interior, the ribbon memo board,
 and the desk blotter. I taped these up to make sure they would fit and look nice together before covering
them with decorative scrapbooking papers. Right, although the drawers looked like they were the same size,
I soon discovered that each needed to be cut and fitted to their own openings. The drawer on the bottom needed
an additional sheet of cardboard applied to it's bottom in order for it to fit properly inside the cavity.

This doll's ribbon board is not tufted, however the ribbons are interwoven and tacked on top of a bright
stripped, decorative scrapbooking paper. On the left, you can see that I have secured the ribbons to the back
 side of the cardboard memo board with masking tape. On the right is the finished ribbon memo board. I glued
 the memo board directly to the new wall paper that I cut and pasted to an additional cardboard piece. Both wall
 mounted decorations: the background and memo board, may be removed from the backing of the desk if desired.
 These fit snug against the inside wall of our doll's desk but are not permanently attached.

Doll faux leather desk set.

Steps For Making The Ribbon Memo Board:

1. For the ribbon memo board, cut a piece of cardboard 6 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches.
2. Cover the front side with a decorative scrapbook paper. 
3. I chose to lay my ribbons in a square woven pattern across the front of the memo board. Most memo boards have ribbons that weave together in a diamond pattern but, I felt the square pattern better suited my stripped paper. You can choose to weave in squares or diamonds it makes no difference in the end. 
4. Make sure that there is 1/2inch ribbon to wrap around the edges of your cardboard so that you can glue these down neatly with hot glue as you go.
5. When you have finished weaving the ribbon, use masking tape to seal the back side of the cardboard. 
6. Use a bit of white glue to tack down the ribbons in the front at the places where the ribbons cross over each other.
7. Now you can attach your memo board to the back wallpaper in the interior of the desk with glue or sticky tape.
   

Steps To Make The Faux Leather Desk Set: office desk caddy, blotter and box for holding paper

1. For the desk caddy, you will need one toilet paper funnel. Cut this in half length wise. 
2. Now cut the half piece in three sections. Make each section a different length.
3. Roll the sections into tiny funnels and tape each one together. 
4. Now cover each funnel with faux leather and/or decorative paper. Use white glue to stick the papers and fabrics together neatly. Set these aside to dry.
5. Print out the template below. And cut the oval base out for the caddy. 
6. Trace around it onto cardboard and cut out the shape. 
7. Cover this oval with paper on one side and faux leather on the other using hot glue. 
8. Hot glue the funnel shapes directly onto the oval base. 
9. Now cut out the two templates for the covered paper box holder. Below are photographs of how this box is lined on the inside with paper and on it's outside with the faux leather. Use hot glue to assemble the box.
10. Cut white typing paper to fill it up.
11. Now cut a piece of cardboard 5 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches.
12. Cover this on one side with decorative paper.
13. Then cut long narrow 3/4" strips of faux leather to wrap the corner with. Trim the leather off at the back as you go. 
14. Cut a backing for the blotter from the faux leather and hot glue this to the backside of the blotter to create a finished looking piece.

Step-by-Step photos for how the box for writing papers is assembled.

Click directly on the image to download the largest file size.
 Drag the png. into a Word Doc software program and use your
cursor to drag the image right until you see the templates
measure approximately 6 inches across, then select print. If
you want to make a set for a Barbie shrink all the measure-
ments by half. (50%)

The faux leather desk set is finished. There is one large blotter, a box for paper and a caddy
for paint brushes, pens, pencils, erasers etc...

Above you can see that I spray painted the desk chair blue. I found this 18inch doll's chair at resale for only
a few dollars. It is made out of wood and very detailed. I prefer wooden chairs like this one because it will
 hold the doll's weight without toppling over.

See More Doll's Desk Reviews and Crafts:

• DIY Office Supply for A Doll's Desk - Crafts for pencils, pink erasers, journals, paper weights and tape dispenser!
• My Life As A Doll's Desk Review by Cupcaketastic Queen

DIY Clamshell Laptop for Your Favorite Doll

Left, Cut and trim the pattern for a doll laptop below. Draw around it on top of scrap pieces of cardboard
 or cardstock. (laptop is 2 1/2" x 1 3/4") Center, the laptops shut. Right, the laptops open with monitors on display.
Double the size of this trendy doll laptop design for your Lindsey Bergaman doll.

 

       The "clamshell" shape of this pretend, laptop computer is made by layering and pressing corrugated cardboard pieces together. Don't let the finished product intimidate you! The process is a simple one and a child as young as 10 can do it.

       It is also important to use wood putty and a light weight sandpaper for the process, so make sure that you have all of the supplies on hand before beginning. I have linked to similar crafts below for those of you who are looking to craft something a bit simpler; all of these options are very good as well.

Supply List:

• scrap corrugated cardboard
• masking tape
• scissors 
• wood putty 
• sandpaper
• Mod Podge (optional)
• white school glue
• spray paint or acrylic liquid paint or nail polish
• metallic adhesive tape (alternative)
• tiny stickers for your laptop logo icon and the monitor screen
• printable keyboards from Google image search
• picture for monitor (screen saver)
• black tape or paper for touchpad

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut and trim the pattern for a doll laptop below. Draw around it on top of scrap pieces of cardboard or cardstock. (laptop is 2 1/2" x 1 3/4")
2. Glue together two pieces of cardboard for both the top and bottom of the laptop, so that you will have four cardboard cutouts in total to make the computer.
3. Use masking tape then to cover all of the surfaces neatly. Trimming excess tape around the corners as you go.
4. Apply a very thin layer of wood putty to the outside surfaces of both the top and bottom of the laptop. This application will fill the cracks and help to create a subtle dome-like surface (clamshell) for both the top and bottom pieces of your play laptop computer.
5. After the laptop pieces have dried overnight, lightly sand the top, bottom and edges of the surfaces where you have applied the wood putty.
6. You may wish to repeat step 4 and 5 in order to achieve a perfected looking surface. Remember, this is a learning process. Do not become overly anxious about your first efforts. It takes perseverance and practice to achieve the best results.
7. With the metallic adhesive tape, hinge the top and bottom laptop pieces together from the inside of the laptop only. If you tape this hinge from both sides the laptop may not close properly. If you haven't any metallic adhesive tape you can use the masking tape. I suggest the metallic adhesive because it can take more wear, tear and play.
8. Open the laptop and lay it face down to either spray paint it or to apply any liquid acrylic paint of your own choosing.
9. Paint these surfaces with several even coats and let them dry.
10. Print and cut keyboard clipart (above link). Apply these with Mod Podge or white glue if that is all you have on hand.
11. Cut and stick a smaller square from the black tape and apply this for the touchpad.
12. Cut a screen saver from a picture you like in a magazine and apply this with glue to the inside of your tiny laptop. 
13. Don't forget to glue a tiny sticker for your laptop's logo icon on the topside of your doll's computer.
14. Let the glue and paint cure for a day before handling the tiny laptop.

The finished doll laptops.

 

Craft More Laptops or Home Computers: Playscale or Miniature

• Craft a Doll Lap Desk for A Doll's Bed - surface for laptop or homework, writing in bed
• DIY Laptops for Barbie Dolls
• How to make a doll laptop notebook computer by Kiki Mendes
• How to make a laptop for a doll with regular cardboard from Akeelah Oseitutu (child narrator, very cute)
• DIY Doll Laptop using Foam Sheets
• DIY Realistic Miniature Laptop
• The history of laptops from 1975-2022