DIY Front Doors for The Dollhouse

The standard size door for a barbie dollhouse is 5 inches by
13 and 1/2 inches. The standard door size for an 18 inch doll
 of any kind is 9 inches by 22 inches.

         ''The first impression is generally lasting and therefore much depends upon the appearance of the front entrance. Great care must be used in the selecting your front door. It should harmonize with its surroundings.''

       If you are building your own dollhouses with outside decorations, you may eventually need to consider the front or back doors. 

       Just right, you can see two examples of dollhouse doors constructed from foam core. Both doors have windows that were cut from magazines and then hand-colored with watercolor paints. 

       On the left is the green door intended for Barbie dolls and on the right is our 18 inch door for an American Girl dollhouse. 

       Both doors have decoupage elements. and both have ''button'' locks. 

       I also glued small pegs into the foam core wherever I might need to hang a wreath or garland in the future.

       I realize it to be difficult to find door hardware and windows in magazines for this kind of decoupage, so I have included a few printables below to help young crafters make this project.

• See also easy to craft dollhouse windows for Barbie and American Girl dolls here.

Left, the door in progress, Center the knob made from wire and cardboard. the lock above is the
back of a  button, Right, tiny wooden hangers glued into the foam core so that wreaths and
 swags may be easily hung from door in the future.

 

Door window details cut from magazines. The door knob, just left, from an
 ink pen and the knob is a button.

Printable small window inserts for a dollhouse front door.

A wood-stained, arched front door entrance.

Craft a Chenille Stem Wreaths

Two different styles of Christmas wreaths made using 
chenille stems for the dollhouse.

       Chenille stem wreaths are perhaps some of the easiest miniature ornaments to make. Every dollhouse needs one or two at least. I've made two versions here with only a few additional supplies. Red, green and white both are sure to be just the things to trim the dollhouse with this coming holiday season.

 Supply List:

• red, green, and white chenille stems
• wire for hanging
• small red pom poms for berries
• green felt for holly leaves
• hot glue gun and hot glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First, measure the space on the dollhouse wall or door where you would like to hang a festive Christmas wreath.
2. Braid or twist red and white or green and white chenille stems together to create a pattern with sharp color contrast. 
3. Then bend the stems into a hoop shape for the wreath(s), making them no larger than the measurements taken in step number one.
4. You may tie or shape a festive bow using a chenille stem or red ribbon for the braided version pictured on the right. 
5. Cut holly leaves from dark green felt to glue to the candy cane wreath using hot glue and then glue the red pom poms on top of the leaves afterwards.

More Christmas Wreaths for Dolls:

• How to wrap a pipe-cleaner wreath ornament.
• Make Tinsel Chenille Stem Ornaments

Chenille Stem Stocking Craft

A finished example of the decorative stocking for a dollhouse at
Christmas time.

       In the traditional Christmas colors: red and white, this vintage stocking would look awesome hanging from a mantel, on the front door of a dollhouse, or hung decoratively on any wall where your dolls need a bit of Christmas cheer.

Supply List:

• chenille stems (two or three red
• white pom pom trim
• one silver metallic chenille stem
• one white chenille stem
• light weight cardboard
• white school glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Draw an outline of a simple stocking on a light weight piece of cardboard.
2. Cut the stocking out and smear a light coating of white school glue over the front side.
3. Wrap the cardboard cut-out using fuzzy, red chenille stems. Wrap these close together in order to cover all of the cardboard surface. 
4. Leave a place for a cuff at the top of the stocking for white chenille stem wrap and lettering. Wrap this with white chenille stem first.
5. Glue on the pom pom trim at the bottom edge of the white cuff.
6. Shape ''Ho, Ho'' using the red chenille stems and glue these to the white cuff.
7. Add a bent, metallic chenille stem wire for the stocking to hang from on the dollhouse door or wall or banister.

More Chenille Stem Christmas Crafts:

• How to craft mini chenille stem Christmas characters...
• These chenille stem candy canes would also look great on the wall of a doll's house!

The Pink Thrifty-Flip Dollhouse

The finished front and back of my eldest daughter's dollhouse/art supply storage and display.
The dollhouse sits on top of a rubber turntable to that it may be turned for the display of the 
dollhouse when the supplies are not needed. She keeps it on top of a waist height, cupboard 
in her room. The whale shaped weather vane at the top of this dollhouse was crafted like this.

        This dollhouse (mouse house) purchased from a thrift shop was transformed into a kind of shelving unit for my eldest daughter's art supplies. A mouse named Beatrix, after one of her favorite artists/authors of children's books, lives in the studio apartment above the supply shelf!  

       And just like her landlord, Beatrix is also an artist who loves to paint watercolors of simple small things like: acorns, flowers, mushrooms and bugs. 

       Small creatures sometimes visit Beatrix at her "Art Bar'' to learn how to be creative themselves and trade stories about the latest news from other dolls that reside in the community below in our toy room.

She originally swore that none of this project would be painted pink . . . and then this paint job 
happened. I love the painted green tile roof the best! However, the pink is appropriate for a 
cottage called 'Rosebud Cottage,' don't you think?

 

Most of the items included inside and out were handmade by my daughter. On the lower floor
of the dollhouse you can see how my daughter has organized her watercolor supplies. Dollhouses
do not need to be used strictly for doll play. Older teens may refurbish a dollhouse into clever
storage or display a once beloved toy on a bookcase.

Detailed Photos of The Interior

Left, a matchstick box bed decoupaged with vintage paper. It also has a wire shaped headboard. 
Center, painted block dollhouse and painted, folk heart needlepoint.
Right, a handmade easel using skewers with tiny clamp and decorative tags.

Left, a stool or bedside table made with driftwood and skewers glued together; this is where
Beatrix sets her  teacup and saucer. Next to the crude table is her charming little 'chair' made
 from driftwood  and a wooden spool. Right, is a rustic wire 'willow' wreath trimmed with
tiny petals, leaves and a bumble bee charm. Learn more about bees here.

Left, the winding staircase painted brown to match the Popsicle stick floors.
Center, a tiny basket at the foot of the mouse bed has a tiny thimble charm and spool of thread.
Right, Beatrix's art supplies include a set of watercolors with artist palette, brushes and box. Her
easel displays instructions for painting pansies; behind this is a roll of mouse sized canvases
and bobbie pin stored together inside of a jam jar.

Left, tiny clay critters; an earth worm, snail, toadstool and wooden stump are all made from
Sculpey oven-bake clay and painted. A tiny bee skep made by twisting yarn and glueing the edge
together.  Center, tiny lace curtains hung on a toothpick 'curtain rod.' Right, little woven piece of
fabric with hemmed edges serves as a cozy rug for Beatrix feet to land on in the morning.

Left, the front of a folk cupboard with tiny sewing machine. Center, the backside of the same
cupboard painted to look antique. You can see that this piece was constructed with Popsicle sticks.
Right, tiny bolts of fabric for the enthusiastic mouse seamstress.

Detailed Photos of The Exterior

Left, a miniature doll hose with reel and metal fittings was purchased and
also the white picket fence.

Left, the gingerbread trim has hand painted rose designs. Center, the wire wheelbarrow was 
purchased at a hobby store. Right, handpainted spool stools for visitors to the 'art bar'
at Rosebud Cottage.

Left, a miniature birdbath purchased from The Dollar Store was repainted and marble added to it's
center. Center, tiny painted toadstools made from wood were also purchased last autumn from the
same craft store. These are glued to the surface of the dollhouse base. Right, potted, peach colored,
silk flowers arranged on the front porch.

Left, The handmade trellis directions are included on this blog here. The birdhouse was
sculpted from clay and then mounted to a skewer. Center, her Beatrix mouse doll was designed
by Levlos. Right, is the dormer window; my daughter added the windowsill and purchased the
tiny, clay flower boxes at a local hobby shop.

Left, 'Beatrix's Art Bar' sign with rustic painted frame and lace detail. Center, 'The Rosebud Cottage
 has it's own sign with rosebud painted detail. Right, the counter top at the art bar is a faux painted
biscuit; beneath it are the spool stools for guests to sit on and learn how to paint from
 Beatrix the mouse.

Pennant banner hangs above the art bar to decorate the scene. 

Foam Bauble Wreath Craft

Doll sized Christmas bauble wreath.

       Young people can make this festive dollhouse Christmas wreath using the following supplies purchased from a Dollar General store. 

       Hang it inside or outside of a dollhouse to decorate for your doll's Christmas holidays...

Supply List:

• Styrofoam balls pack (Dollar General Store)
• Tacky white craft glue
• scrap cardboard

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a round wreath shape from light weight cardboard, like recycled cereal box material. Then cut a hole in the inside of the round shape, so that the cardboard cut-out looks something like a donut.
2. If you feel it necessary to ad strength to the cut-out, you may cover it with masking tape.
3. Tape or glue a wire hanger to the backside of the cardboard wreath cut-out.
4. Next, stack and glue Styrofoam balls using tacky white glue.
5. Let the festive bauble wreath dry near a warm sunny window or heating vent.

How to stack and paint a black cat pumpkin...

The finished stacked pumpkin cat.

        These stacked pumpkins are painted black and given features that make them look like a Halloween cat. Any doll would love to decorate her front stoop or party table with this feline decoration!

Supply List:

• acrylic paints: black, orange, green, white, grey
• Styrofoam pumpkin blanks: 2, one larger
• novelty ribbon
• toothpick
• white sticky glue
• scrap cardboard
• glitter (optional)
• newsprint 
• masking tape.
  

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Squeeze out tacky craft glue onto a toothpick and poke it into the middle of the top lower pumpkin. Make sure the length of it goes through most of the Styrofoam. 
2. Now coat the upper half of the remaining exposed toothpick with more tacky glue. Push the second smaller Syrofoam pumpkin down on top of the second, forced the toothpick through it's bottom. Let the attached pumpkins dry.
3. Crush a bit of newsprint into the shape of a cat's tail and attach this around the lower pumpkin with masking tape. Keep this contact between the two surfaces clean and neat. Too much tape with distort the ridges in the Styrofoam pumpkin. 
4. Shape ears, witchy hat, eyes and nose from then cardboard and attache these with tacky glue. You may need to hold these in place with tape until they are dry before removing the tape that supports them in place. 
5. Paint the cat shaped pumpkin black after the tape is removed from the tinier attachments.
6. Use a dry brush to apply grey paint to the raised surfaces to accentuate the ridges and other features of the cat.
7. Paint the eyes, nose and hat with orange and green acrylics.
8. Tie the novelty ribbon in a neat little bow around the cat's neck. 

More Painted Pumpkin Crafts:

• Paint a pumpkin to look like a hamburger
• Paint a pumpkin to look like a spider web
  

Make a pumpkin with a web shaped vine...

This pumpkin has a giant creepy crawler on top!

        One chilly, Fall evening, a spider decided to make our doll's white pumpkin it's home! The web shaped vine on this pumpkin is made of very sticky tape rolled out into long pieces of strong, tacky, tubing.

Supply List:

• a Styrofoam pumpkin blank
  
• a straight edge razor or X-Acto craft knife
• masking tape
• acrylic paints: browns, greens, black and white
  
• a plastic spider
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• tacky white glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Paint the Styrofoam pumpkin blank with acrylic white paint. Let dry.
2. Roll out long pieces of masking tape with the sticky side facing out. 
3. Twist this tape around the stem of the pumpkin to make a more natural looking stem.
4. Press the tape about the pumpkin in the shape of a web looking vine.
5. Squeeze a little tacky glue into the areas where the vine webbing looks like it may not stick without additional glue. Let dry.
6. Paint the web shaped vine in multiple shades of green and brown.
7. Hot glue a plastic black spider on top of your garden decoration!

More Spiders Who Love Pumpkins:

• Giant Pumpkin Spider by Isaac Alexander DIY
• Lowe's tutorial for a spider web on a pumpkin

How to paint a pretend pumpkin hamburger!

Our deliciously tempting, hamburger shaped
 pumpkin is perfect for a Fall picnic table
display. Or, include it among other
 painted pumpkins on the steps
of a dollhouse front porch...

        If your dolls are anything like ours, they will love hamburgers any way they are served, even if, that means a-la-pumpkin! 

Supply List:

• Styrofoam pumpkin blank
• orange foam sheet
• green tissue paper
• paper mache pulp
• scrap paper
• masking tape
• acrylic paints
• a razor blade or X-Acto knife
• white tacky glue
  

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. First, cut the Styrofoam pumpkin in half using the razor blade. Ask an adult for help with this. Each half will be your pumpkin shaped sesame seed buns.
2. Then paint the pumpkin 'buns' pale brown to medium brown. Shade from light to dark starting with the inner half working your way to the outside centers of each bun.
3. Paint on the sesame seeds using a much lighter, shade of cream. The seeds should be shaped like tiny tear drops and may be scattered anywhere on the faux bun surfaces.
4. Now mix the paper mache pulp according to the directions on the package. You should not need to mix more than 1/4 cup of the pulp in order to shape a pretend ground beef patty. Layer this directly on the bottom half bun facing inside the burger. Let dry.
5. Paint the faux burger brown on it's outside edges only. Let dry.
6. Cut a square piece of cheddar cheese from the orange foam sheet and glue this directly on top of the fake hamburger patty.
7. Cut and shape green tissue paper into ruffled lettuce shapes. Glue these to the pretend cheddar slice of cheese. 
8. Glue the top of the sesame seed bun on top of the lettuce. 
9. Shape a stem for the pumpkin using masking tape and paint this green.
   

More Doll Sized Pumpkin Crafts:

• Decorate the Dollhouse With Pumpkins, Mums and Toadstools - Hot glue easy Autumn displays to decorate the dollhouse...
• Make easy jack-o-lanterns for a dollhouse display - the simplest pumpkin craft so far!
• Sculpt Paper Mache Pumpkins - These adorable faux pumpkins are handcrafted for our 18" dollhouse decor for Fall.

DIY a Gathered Ribbon Wreath for Halloween

The finished sample of a Halloween ribbon wreath for
 our 18" dollhouse includes felt stickers and a
paper costume.

       To make this version of a Halloween wreath you may use any width of ribbon you have on hand. The length is determined by 'how' ruffled or gathered you wish your wreath to be.

       Also the felt stickers purchased will determine the look of the wreath.

        Mine were made a couple of years ago, but, it seems that these are available every year in some form in the local dollar stores or with craft suppliers everywhere in the U.S. Likewise, the thematic ribbons. I chose a spiderweb design on orange ribbon for this sample.

Supply List:

• ribbon of any width, I used 3" ribbon
• decorative orange, black and white papers
• Halloween felt novelties 
• thin wire or chenille stems (2)
• masking tape
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• white school glue 

Above are detailed photos of the printed spider web ribbon and how it is
attached to the wire form.

       To make a gathered wreath, you will need to first shape the wire according to your own taste. I simply formed the above example into a circle, bent the ends together and then wrapped the wire with masking tape. 

       Thread a needle with matching thread and gather the ribbon up using a straight stitch. Once you have gathered the ribbon into the amount of ruffles you prefer, knot off the thread and hot glue this to the wire form.

       Now you are ready to decorate the wreath.

See the parts and process for crafting our witchy Jack-o-lantern's legs. 
Center, the two strips of paper folded back-and-forth over each other, then glued at the end.
Right, the felt, witch boots attached at the ends of each "leg" with hot glue.

       To make the witchy paper legs, you will first need to cut long, narrow strips of paper the same width and length. Use black and white or orange and black papers to create a bold contrast for this basic accordion paper technique. The effect is best presented with two colors instead of one.  

• See art teacher, Mr. Lundgren, do this here.

Photo details of our finished wreath for the dollhouse.

       Next, cut several triangle shapes for the body; one large triangle for the dress, two smaller ones to suggest arms and then rectangles for the apron. Use white glue to put these delicate paper together. Let dry.     

       Attach the rest of your paper witchy parts with hot glue when positioning these onto the ribbon wreath.

Make an easy Christmas pom-pom wreath for the dollhouse...

The finished mini, Pom-pom wreath is done.

       To make a simple doll-sized pom-pom Christmas wreath collect the following supplies: small green Pom-poms, even tinnier miniature red Pom-poms, matching green and red thread, a needle and a fine wire for a hanger.

       Thread your needle with green thread and sew the larger green Pom-poms together tightly. Now loop the strand together, knotting both the beginning and end to each other to form a wreath-like shape. 

       Thread the needle with red thread and sew the miniature pom-poms into the green Pom-pom wreath, all the while hiding your thread's stitches deep inside the Pom-pom fur. 

       Sew on a thin loop of wire to the backside of the small Christmas wreath and hang it wherever you like inside of the dollhouse!

Make More Doll Wreaths to Hang Inside Your Dollhouse:

• Craft a colorful carrot wreath for Easter!
• Make a paper heart wreath for Valentine's Day
• Craft a pistachio net shell wreath for Fall or Thanksgiving
• Make a Halloween sticker wreath for your dollhouse too!

How to craft a wooden American flag for doll decor...

       Our dolls wanted a decorative flag featured above their picnic buffet for the 4th of July celebrations this year. Here is how we made it... 

The finished wooden American flag ready for hanging.

 Supply List:

• star patterned napkin
• Mod Podge
• white school glue
• scrap cardboard (recycled cereal box)
• large tongue depressors
• acrylic paints: brown white and red
• masking tape
• wire

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a scrap piece of cardboard from a recycled cereal box for your doll's flag to be glued onto. This backing will make your project stronger and easier to hang. Make sure that the large tongue depressors that have rounded edges will cover the cardboard support completely. You only want the decorative flag to show after it has been hung in the dollhouse or over a 4th of July buffet.
2. Glue the wooden tongue depressors side-by-side, in an even row using white school glue.
3. Stack heavy books on top of the wooden flag to keep it flat while it dries.
4. After the flag has dried, cut star designed napkin pieces to form a square in the far left hand corner of the American flag.
5. Paint every other tongue depressor red and leave the remaining ones stained (painted brown). Use a dry brush to make the wooden flag look old/antique. You can also sand your project lightly to give a similar patina to a dry-brushed surface if this is an easier approach for you.
6. Use wire or string to make a hanger on the back. Secure this with tape.

Craft a Colorful Carrot Wreath for Your Dollhouse!

Left, the finished wreath of carrots compared to a penny
Right, more details of molded carrots after the've been
painted. See a larger carrot made from a chocolate mold
on a doll's cake here.

       This Easter carrot wreath is small enough to look just right in a Barbie dollhouse, but you could hang it as a small wreath inside of an American Girl dollhouse as well. You can also make it larger if you use a carrot chocolate candy mold.

Supply List:

• a small carrot mold 
• cardboard
• green yarn
• white school glue
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• acrylic paints: orange, rust, moss green, light green
• Sculpey or oven-bake clay
• Mod Podge
• thin wire for hanging

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Cut a wreath shape any size you would like from light weight cardboard. 
2. Smear white glue onto both sides and wrap dark green yarn around and around the wreath until you have covered all of the cardboard. Let dry.
3. Mold as many carrots as needed using oven-bake clay. Bake and cool.
4. Use a hot glue gun to attach the carrots side-by-side.
5. Paint the carrots orange and green, just as you like.
6. Mod Podge the clay surfaces.
7. Tie on a thin wire to hang the wreath from a small tack on the inside of your dollhouse wall or on the outside of the dollhouse front door.

Left, cardboard wreath cut-out. Center, the wreath wrapped with green yarn. 
Right, the oven-bake, molded carrots evenly spaced around the wreath before painting.

Craft a very sweet sticker wreath...

This simple paper wreath hangs in
 our doll's home at Easter time.

       A wreath, like the one shown here, when made from paper and stickers, is a simple project for any young child to make. All he or she will need is a bit of decorative paper, cardboard, white school glue and a few festive stickers. 

       I found a yellow chick sticker made from felt for this wreath version. The stickers "Sweet" and flowers were in our junk drawer at home; tossed inside for anyone's use. 

       I then selected the paper that had identical colors to the stickers. This makes the overall appearance of the wreath look as though it was made together. 

       The outer ring of the wall hanging is more dimensional because I cut a cardboard shaped wreath to sandwich between the papers.

       Don't forget to glue or staple a ribbon from the top of your own sticker wreath to hang it securely inside of the dollhouse.

 

April Song by Helen Rosengren (age 11)

Spring is coming, spring is coming!
Birdies, build your nest!
Weave together straw and feather,
Doing each your best.

Spring is coming, spring is coming,
Flowers are coming too.
Pansies, lilies, daffodillies
Now are coming through.

Spring is coming, spring is coming!
All around, it's fair,
Shimmer and quiver on the river,
Joy is everywhere!

Make easy jack-o-lanterns for a dollhouse display.

Left, the pumpkin shows a toothy grin I have drawn directly onto the surface using a pencil.
 Right, the finished jack-o-lantern grouped with other Halloween decorations.

         This charming little toothy Jack-O-Lantern is so easy to make. All you need to craft him is a Styrofoam pumpkin small enough for a doll's house and a black permanent marker. These decorative pumpkins are everywhere in local stores, dollar stores and hobby shops during the fall season where we live. You may purchase them at a discount right after the holidays and store them for the following year to craft with if you can wait that long!
       Take a pencil and gently draw the face of a Halloween jack-o-lantern directly on top of the foam pumpkin. You may use a pink eraser to gently remove mistakes if you make them at this point. After you have a face you are happy with, trace on top of the pencil lines with a Sharpie or any black permanent marker. Fill in the facial features with ink where ever these would be if you where actually carving a pumpkin.
       Now you are ready to make as many of these as you like. Set one in every doll room or group them together on the front stoop of your AG dollhouse!

Jack-o'-Lantern

I have a Jack-o'-Lantern,
I found him in a field.
He was the biggest pumpkin,
And he to me appealed.
The others now have vanished,
They're luscious pumpkin pies,
That's why my Jack-o'-Lantern
Can make such awful eyes!
Spook, spook, spook, spook,
Spook, spook, spook, spook!
SPOOK!

See Haunting Halloween Displays:

• Decorating with Natalie for Halloween at af4liife
• DIY Fall Crafts for American Girl Dolls by ag.genie
• DIY How to Make American Girl Fall Decor Ideas

DIY a Christmas Candy Cane Wreath

The finished candy can wreath hangs on our doll's faux stone fireplace for Christmas.
Supplies for this craft found in hobby shops and dollar stores.

       This very simple Christmas candy cane wreath can be made in very little time with just a few simple supplies. Our canning band came with twine already strung through it but you can hammer two little wholes with a nail and string red and white twine through a similar band purchased from a grocery store.

       Then wrap wired white tinsel around the band to make the basic wreath. We made our doll's tiny candy canes with read and white chenille stems from the dollar store. Just cut the stems in the same lengths (1 1/2") and bend the ends of one side only into a hook shape. Hot glue these to the wreath. 

       I wired a small wooden mini ornament of Santa riding a rocking horse to the bottom inside portion of our doll's winter wreath and tacked on a glittery paper bow with hot glue. 

Supply List:

• canning lid band
• red and white twine
• nail and hammer
• wired white tinsel rope
• red and white twist chenille stems
• green paper bow with pearl button
• wooden ornament
• hot glue and hot glue gun
  

Left the supplies needed for this craft. Center, close up of twine hanger. Right, canning band.

Shamrock Trinity Teaching Word Art

"3 in 1" stands for the Holy Trinity Teaching by St. Patrick to the Irish. God is three persons in One.

       Legend credits Patrick with teaching the Irish about the doctrine of the Holy Trinity by showing people the shamrock, a three-leafed plant, using it to illustrate the Christian teaching of three persons in one God. This story first appears in writing in 1726, though it may be older. The shamrock has since become a central symbol for Saint Patrick's Day.

       In pagan Ireland, three was a significant number and the Irish had many triple deities, a fact that may have aided Patrick in his evangelization efforts when he "held up a shamrock and discoursed on the Christian Trinity". Patricia Monaghan says there is no evidence that the shamrock was sacred to the pagan Irish. However, Jack Santino speculates that it may have represented the regenerative powers of nature, and was recast in a Christian context. Icons of St Patrick often depict the saint "with across in one hand and a sprig of shamrocks in the other". Roger Homan writes, "We can perhaps see St Patrick drawing upon the visual concept of the triskele when he uses the shamrock to explain the Trinity".

This craft is quick and easy to make. Above you can see the
faux wood paper and cardboard before the fence was assembled.

       For this word art wall hanging you will need the following supplies: scrap cardboard, cardboard letters, glue, green decorative papers, a faux wood paper and wire/string for hanging the word art in your doll's house.

       Cut up small pieces of cardboard to look like the individual boards on a fence. Wrap these with the faux wood paper. Line them up with a crack between each along one longer piece of cardboard and glue them down. 

       Now cover the numbers 3 and 1, plus the word "in" in bright green paper. Position the phrase "3 in 1" on top of the cardboard fence and glue the phrase down.

       Draw and cut little paper shamrocks using some more decorative green papers. Glue these around the fence in a pleasing design.
       Don't forget to add a string or wire to the backside so that you can hang it inside your dollhouse for St. Patrick's Day.

How did St. Patrick use the shamrock?

Make a Paper, Heart Shaped Wreath for Your Dolls

The Valentine wreath hangs over our doll's party table.

       This is the pattern for our doll's Valentine party wreath posted last year. Some of you wrote and requested we include it among our crafts this year. I've also included a link to the crafty mom at Youtube where I learned how to shape roses and include them on the abstract heart wreath. You may wish to visit her Youtube channel for more holiday ideas too. Just follow her web link below.

Supply List:

• decorative scrapbook paper or wrapping paper
• cardboard
• plain red paper for roses
• gold beads for rose centers
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• tacky white glue
• foil leaves
• pattern of abstract heart (printable pattern below)
• wooden toothpicks

Above are details of the wreath in progress.

 Step-by-Step Instructions:

• Cut a variety of circular shapes approx. three inches in diameter from red paper to make the roses. To see video about this process: visit the crafty mom here.
• Then make spiral cuts inside each paper circle.
• Wrap each spiral cut around the end of a toothpick, tipping the bottom ends of the edge of each paper rose with tacky white glue as you wrap. 
• Pull the paper flower from the toothpick and then hot glue a gold bead at each center. Set the roses aside for later along with the prefabricated foil leaves.
• Next print out the pattern below. Cut from it first the red outline of the wreath's trim. Trace around this onto decorative wrapping paper and cut the shape out.
• Now cut the inside pattern from the printable. This is in grey ink. Trace around this abstract pattern shape and transfer the pattern to cardboard.
• Cut the heart shaped pattern from cardboard and wrap it in the same decorative wrapping paper to give this wreath a bit of dimension. 
• Glue the smaller heart inside the lacy larger one. 
• Glue the paper roses to the corners of the wreath along with the foil leaves. (see sample below) 

The pattern above is for personal use only.
Do not redistribute it from other webfiles or websites.

Sculpt Paper Mache Pumpkins

I made these doll sized pumpkins for our American Girl Doll's vegetable stand.

        In order to sculpt pumpkins similar to these you will need the following art supplies: paper mache pulp (I prefer Celluclay's brand), acrylic paints (green, red, orange, yellow, white), masking tape, newsprint, brown paper bag and permanent black ink pen. You will also need paint brushes, a surface for your paint and a glass jar for water, to clean brushes as you work.

Some Celluclay comes in grey and some of it in white. It makes no difference to the final product which
 color you choose. However, check the branding of the paper pulp. Some different manufacturers sell it
 with plaster additives. These are not as durable over time and the Celluclay brand is non-toxic as well.

       First, crush the newsprint into doll sized pumpkin shapes. Layer masking tape over these forms and also attach a crushed paper stem if you'd like. 

       I used white school glue to wrap brown paper bag strips around the stems to make them stronger and brown of course.

       Now mix the Celluclay according to the manufacturer's instructions in a disposable paper cup or bowel. 

       Layer the paper pulp onto the crushed and masked pumpkins. Use a knife to help shape the pulp along with your finger tips. Make raised ridges along the out surface of the squashes. 

       Let the doll's pumpkins dry until they harden. This will take a few days depending upon the humidity in the air. 

Remember that green is opposite red and blue is opposite orange on the color wheel. Use green or blue
to "grey" down your reds and oranges. This will give you more alternatives to paint colors as you mix.
Mix some color only adding white without the complimentary colors; these combinations will give
 you brighter and bolder reds and oranges.

       Dip you paint brush into a dark green, acrylic paint and brush on the color between the ribs of your pumpkins. Now clean your brush and mix together several oranges and yellows on a palette. Brush these fall shades onto the pumpkins in layers until you have achieved the colorations you prefer. I painted my pumpkins to have greater color variations than most people prefer. 

Use a dry brush to layer some of your paint so that previous layers peek through the paint applications.

       I used a permanent ink pen to draw lines vertically on the stems of the pumpkins; these added a bit of visual texture. Then I sealed the surfaces of the pumpkins with Mod Podge.

Additional Ways to Craft Pumpkins for Dolls:

• Wad, Wrap and Tape A Fall Pumpkin Craft
• Mini Felt Ball Pumpkins
• Fall Fabric Pumpkin Tutorial