How to make a bedside table/night stand from a box . . .

Left, see how our doll displays her possessions inside of the bedside table.
Her lamp, phone and Pretty Pony are on top of the table. Center, details 
of the table shelves. Right, viewing the side table from above.

       To craft the bedside table, I started this project with a box. I cut off the front of the box, trimming the edges carefully. Then using  white school glue and masking tape I inserted the shelving. At the top, I cut and measured for a single drawer and glued on one pearl finished bead for a handle. Then I designed a template and traced around it for the top of the table and also for the bottom footing. After all of the surfaces were decoupaged with white typing paper, I chose the use a decorative paper to layer inside of the shelves. This is where our doll stores her school books and displays her trinkets. 

Left, cutting and gluing a drawer to fit and shelves are inserted. Right, the top of the
dresser is shaped with scissors and template then glued on top of the dresser.

 

Left, I added apron like feet to the bottom of the dresser. Right, the rest of the box is
covered with masking tape prior to decoupage.

Left, The top of the dresser is masked, the drawer inserted, Center, and
Right, footing made ready for decoupage.

More Dollhouse Tables:

• Easy to craft nightstands for Barbie
• Mid-Century Modern sofa tables
• Finish a sofa table top with polished shell pieces...

Sculpt a Papaya or two for doll markets . . .

Papaya sculpted and cut in half.

        This large, tree-like but soft-stemmed plant, generally unbranched, bears a top of plamately lobed, much cut leaves on long leaf-stalks. Where these join the trunk the flowers and melon-like fruits are produced, typically one in each leaf-axil, the oldest and ripest below. The male flowers are in long clusters on separate plants. The fruit, green to orange-yellow, sweet and juicy, is excellent for dessert. It is very common in the tropics and is appreciated for its digestive and laxative properties. It is the source of "papain." The young leaves and flowers of the male plants may be cooked as "greens." In Dutch Guiana the green fruits, shredded and fermented, serve for the preparation of a sourkraut, "Papaja-zuurkool." Papaya faimly. (sometimes called Pawpaw)

• Color this botanical page illustrating papaya . . .
  

Craft Doll-Size Pomegranates

       "The pomegranate is a fruit-bearing deciduous shrub in the family Lythraceae, subfamily Punicoideae, that grows between 5 and 10 m (16 and 33 ft) tall. Rich in symbolic and mythological associations in many cultures, it is thought to have originated from Afghanistan and Iran before being introduced and exported to other parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

       It was introduced into Spanish America in the late 16th century and into California by Spanish settlers in 1769. It is widely cultivated throughout West Asia and the Caucasus region, South Asia, Central Asia, north and tropical Africa, the drier parts of Southeast Asia, and the Mediterranean Basin. The fruit is typically in season in the Northern Hemisphere from September to February, and in the Southern Hemisphere from March to May.

       The pomegranate and its juice are variously used in baking, cooking, juice blends, garnishes, non-alcoholic drinks, and cocktails." Wikipedia

Left the cloves pushed into the clay to make calyx. Right painted and beads added.

       To make this pomegranate fruit for a market play set you will need Sculpey, whole cloves, acrylic paints and Mod Podge to seal the finished result.

       You may decide to make your pomegranates cut open or not depending upon whether you intend to have your dolls eating them at home in their kitchen or displaying these fruits at a stand in a market or grocery. We made several pomegranates for each kind of display. 

       Shape the fruits and then poke a clove into the bottom of each uncut version to mimic the little calyx. Bake according to instructions and then paint. Mod Podge the finished result. Let Dry.

       "This fruit grows wild in eastern Asia and in places forms veritable woods with wild apples and pears. It was well known to the ancient Egyptians and was naturalized throughout the eastern Mediteranean region as well as eastward to China and southward to Zanzibar and India. The trees are usually shrublike, with sleder branches, small crowed leaves, and showy flowers. The fruit has a tough, leathery rind and very many seeds in four two-storied compartments. Each seed is covered by juicy red pulp (aril), which is the edible portion of the fruit. Pomegranate family." Dahlgren

• Color a Pomegranate and learn more about them
• You can craft pomegranates for your Christmas tree too!

Your Birthday Trees

       A tree, like all growing things, belongs, in a way, to all who enjoy it. But it is a splendid idea for you to have a tree that is definitely your own. A tree that is at its best during your birthday month will soon come to be a real member of the family, watched and cherished.
       Many children plant their own trees. If your birthday happens to come in March or April, you can plant an oak or an elm, an apple or a maple, to celebrate the day, and as you grow, the tree grows with you. Presently you stop growing, but the tree goes on, and by the time you are a man or woman you will look at your tree and marvel at its size and beauty. It will some day give you a great thrill to tell some little child how you planted the acorn from which the oak grew, or the apple tree when it was only a whip. Many a grown man points with pride to some old tree that his grandfather planted.
       The trees that lose their leaves in winter are called deciduous trees and these can be planted successfully only when they are dormant or asleep, which is in the early spring or late fall; but evergreen trees - all except the holly - can be planted at any time during the spring and fall. They must have plenty of water given them for the first year, and they will repay your care. Here is a list of trees and shrubs to plant for birthday months:
       If you were born in May, plant a dogwood tree in April.
       If you are a June child, plant a climbing rose in April or in the late fall before the ground freezes.
       If you want a tree to do its best for you in July, plant a black cherry in April.
       If August is your month, plant in April a pair of pale pink or white Rose of Sharon bushes.
       In September a mountain ash is a lovely sight with all of its red berries. And ash planted early in April may not have berries for a year or two, but once it is started, your ash will not forget your birthdays.
       In October a maple changes to gold or red, or an apple tree bears its gifts.
       In November the little Christmas rose in a sheltered corner begins to bloom, or bittersweet is bright with fruit.
      For the December baby the holly is at its best. January is the month when a white pine is a welcome friend amid the snow. In February a pussy-willow will greet you with its furry buds. In March you can bring in branches of forsythia, and they will burst into bloom. Now that it is April, you can choose for yourself, you April children, what shall be your birthday tree, shrub, or flower? Wodell.

 

Poem illustrated.

 The Trees by John Martin

I turn away from my own fears,

And doubts and pain that come 

with these;

Forgetful of all loss and tears,

My soul communes with trees.

Oh, understanding friends of mine,

There are no heights or depths in me

Your fearless patience can't divine,

Your wisdom cannot see.

Your roots have pierced the somber earth;

You've spread your branches into

Heaven;

Tempest and sunshine taught you

mirth;

You've suffered and forgiven.

 

Your spirit speaks the living word

Out of the very heart of things.

The thunder and the song of bird

Out of your being springs.

 

No matter what I ask, you give;

An unmoved, faithfulness is yours.

I need not fret, complain, or strive,

When such calm strength endures.

You taught the meaning of true

prayer;

You bound God's goodness close

to me.

The perfect Song of Life

is where

He put His living Tree.

Craft Edible Fruits from The Cactus Family

 "A cactus is a member of the plant family Cactaceae a family of the order Caryophyllales comprising about 127 genera with some 1,750 known species. The word cactus derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Greek word κάκτος (káktos), a name originally used by Theophrastus for a spiny plant whose identity is now not certain. Cacti occur in a wide range of shapes and sizes. They are native to the Americas, ranging from Patagonia in the south to parts of western Canada in the north, with the exception of Rhipsalis baccifera, which is also found in Africa and Sri Lanka. Cacti are adapted to live in very dry environments, including the Atacama Desert, one of the driest places on Earth. Because of this, cacti show many adaptations to conserve water. For example, almost all cacti are succulents, meaning they have thickened, fleshy parts adapted to store water. Unlike many other succulents, the stem is the only part of most cacti where this vital process takes place. Most species of cacti have lost true leaves, retaining only spines, which are highly modified leaves. As well as defending against herbivores, spines help prevent water loss by reducing air flow close to the cactus and providing some shade. In the absence of true leaves, cacti's enlarged stems carry out photosynthesis." Wikipedia. Read more...

Open and shut versions of yellow and red dragon fruits for doll market stands.

       "Pitaya or pitahaya (common names strawberry pear or dragon fruit) is the fruit of several cactus species indigenous to the region of southern Mexico and along the Pacific coasts of Guatemala, Costa Rica, and El Salvador. Pitaya is cultivated in East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, the United States, the Caribbean, Australia, Brazil, and throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the world.

 

Cactus fruits made using Sculpey

       Pitaya usually refers to fruit of the genus Stenocereus, while pitahaya or dragon fruit refers to fruit of the genus Selenicereus (formerly Hylocereus), both in the family Cactaceae. The common name in English derives from the leather-like skin and scaly spikes on the fruit exterior, resembling dragon skin. Depending on the variety, pitaya fruits may have sweet- or sour-tasting flesh that can be red, white, or yellow in color." Wikipedia

       "Tuna or Prickly Pear comes from the spiny cacti of all types-flat-jointed, climbing, erect and post-like, candelabrum-branched, and tree-like - all produce large attractive flowers which develop edible fruits, generally yellow or red in color and usually conspicuous. They furnish food of agreeable taste but may be dotted with cushions of minute spines which must be thoroughly removed. A superabundance of seeds detracts from the edibility of various species. Cactus family." Dahlgren

These tiny fruits are made by pooling
 beads into white school glue and
 letting these dry before painting
 and sealing with Mod Podge.

       "Barbados Gooseberry is a  climbing  or  trailing  shrub  or  small  tree  of  the  cactus family,  with  spiny  stems,  smooth  glossy  thick  leaves,  white  flowers in  clusters,  and  juicy,  globular  fruit.
       The  fruits  are  rarely  much  more  than  one  inch  in  diameter  and  are remarkable  because  they  bear  leaves.  These,  however,  drop  off  as the  fruits  ripen  and  turn  yellow.  To  be  palatable  the  acid  fruit must  be  cooked  with  sugar." 

       On the right, I made these tiny berries using beads and gluing them directly into a hand-made cardboard basket. The handle was wrapped with twine to give it durability during handling and play. the faux 'weave' was decoupaged onto the cardboard.

Learn more about fruits in arid environments:

• homesteadonomics teaches about prickly pears
• making prickly pear jelly with Cedar Country Archery
• What does dragon fruit taste like?
• Gooseberry stew from the U.S. Virgin Islands

Celebrate World Chocolate Day!

World Chocolate Day, or just Chocolate Day is an annual celebration of chocolate, occurring globally on July 7th, which some suggest to be the anniversary of the introduction of chocolate to Europe in 1550. Read more . . .

Where does chocolate come from and who discovered it?

A native holds his molinet.

       In opening a cacao pod, it is seen to be full of beans surrounded by a fruity pulp, and whilst the pulp is very pleasant to taste, the beans themselves are uninviting, so that doubtless the beans were always thrown away until . . . . someone tried roasting them. One pictures this, "someone,"a pre-historic Aztec, sniffing the aromatic fume coming from the roasting beans, and thinking that beans which smelled so appetizing must be good to consume. The name of the man who discovered the use of cacao must be written in some early chapter of the history of man, but it is blurred and unreadable : all we know is that he was an inhabitant of the New World and probably of Central America.    

       When Columbus discovered the New World he brought back with him to Europe many new and curious things, one of which was cacao. Some years later, in 1519, the Spanish conquistador, Cortes, landed in Mexico, marched into the interior and discovered to his surprise, not the huts of savages, but a beautiful city, with palaces and museums. This city was the capital of the Aztecs, a remarkable people, notable alike for their ancient civilization and their wealth. Their national drink was chocolate, and Montezuma, their Emperor, who lived in a state of luxurious magnificence,  took no other beverage than the chocolatl, a potation of chocolate, flavored with vanilla and other spices, and so prepared as to be reduced to a froth of the consistency of honey, which gradually dissolved in the mouth and was taken cold. This beverage if so it could be called, was served in golden goblets, with spoons of the same metal or tortoise-shell finely wrought. The Emperor was exceedingly fond of it, to judge from the quantity‚''no less than fifty jars or pitchers being prepared for his own daily consumption: two thousand more were allowed for that of his household.'' It is curious that Montezuma took no other beverage than chocolate, especially if it be true that the Aztecs also invented that fascinating drink, the cocktail (xoc-tl). How long this ancient people, students. of the mysteries of culinary science, had known the art of preparing a drink from cacao, is not known, but it is evident that the cultivation of cacao received great attention in these parts, for if we  read down the list of the tributes paid by different cities to the Lords of Mexico, we find ''20 chests of ground chocolate, 20 bags of gold dust,'' again ''80 loads of red chocolate, 20 lip-jewels of clear amber,'' and yet again ''200 loads of chocolate.'' Another people that share with the Aztecs the honor of being the first great cultivators of cacao are the Incas of Peru, that wonderful nation that knew not poverty. 

Test tasting the Cacao before the seeds become

 chocolate by In The Kitchen With Matt.

 

Sculpted Cacao fruits. The beans are
 roasted for making chocolate. The 
fruits are displayed in our doll's Maui
Hawaiian market.

        Cacao (Theobroma cacao) is one of 26 species belonging to the genus Theobroma classified under the subfamily Byttnerioideae of the mallow family Malvaceae.

       Both the sweet sticky fruit of the Cacao and it's beans may be eaten. However, the seeds must be roasted till crunchy and then ground into a powder will call cocoa in the United States. Cocoa makes up 80 percent of what we know as chocolate.

More About the Cocoa Bean:

• See Cocoa Fruit Harvesting by Noal Farm
• How to make chocolate by Flavor Lab
• A Beginner's Guide to Bean-to-Bar Chocolate
• 8 Benefits of the harvested Cacao plant by Health Nut Owl
• Making a lady bug truffle with chef lis
• This little boy demonstrates how to mold chocolate into fun shapes
• Like Nastya learns about chocolates

Simple Crafts to Celebrate July 7th 

       Below I made half a dozen chocolate dipped strawberries to look like lady bugs for our doll's celebration of World Chocolate Day. These little gems are sculpted with oven-back clay and then painted using acrylics. Their eyeballs and spots are squeezed on using puff-paints!

       Sew a deliciously sweet pillow or two for your doll's bedroom decor using ankle socks and cotton stuffing. Simply turn the sock inside-out and sew a straight seam across the toe of the sock. Then turn the sock right side out, clip away the heal portion of the knit, sew that opeing shut and stuff the sock from the last opening at the top. Whip stitch across the pillow's top and display the candy themed pillows across a bed or sofa.

Serve More Chocolate Deserts:

• Craft Cups of Hot Cocoa
• How to craft a doll sized chocolate fountain
• Make a strawberry, heart shaped doll cake...

Doll-sized chocolate strawberry treats displayed in a 
tiny porcelain dish.

This fun chocolate 'Reeses's' pillow is sewn from an
ankle sock purchased from a dollar store. 

Chocolate Candy for Themed Cover-Ups:

• Sew Super Sweet Sleeping Bags for 18inch Dolls

How I built a storage bench for our dollhouse bedroom . . .

Finished bench with tufted seat cushion,
 sliding doors and back support.

       To make this bench for a dollhouse bedroom, you will need the following supplies: a long narrow box that is the approximate size of the end of your doll's bed, decorative papers, beads for the door knobs (3), white school glue, extra cardboard, Mod Podge, felt and stuffing for the bench cushion and two more beads to sew into that.
       The reason for choosing a box this size for your bench has to do with it's traditional placement. You do not need to position this bench at the foot of the bed but this type of furniture is made for this kind of placement. In our doll's bedroom, we sometimes put it against a wall; as you can see here. But, most of the time, folks put a bench like this at the foot of the bed.
       I decided to make the bench white so that it would go with more of our dollhouse furniture. Thereby, making it adaptable to a variety of rooms. Sometimes, it is necessary to craft the majority of your doll's furnishings in a neutral color. The white dresser, side table and rocker will probably all be used to configure different bedroom arrangements in the future. 
       As you can observe the bench is a basic rectangular box with one long side cut apart from it's front. This is where the two sliding doors are assembled. There is one narrow, long shelf inside of the bench interior. This was glued in place prior to the door being inserted. All of the surfaces of the bench were also covered with a masking tape layer and then decoupaged with tying paper. The only exception to this covering is the decorative paper glued to the fronts of the sliding doors.
       What makes the doors slide back and forth easily, without them coming out, are the narrow channels of cardboard glued to both the upper and lower horizontal openings at the front of the bench interior. The channels are made by the gluing together several long, narrow strips of cardboard, one on top of the other and then adhering these inside the box to create tracks or channels. The door closest to the front has it's own channel for moving in just as the door positioned behind it does. These cardboard channels are repeated on the top underside of the bench as well. Then I glued a cardboard strip across the top and bottom of the opening so that the doors would be fitted into their positions permanently. The tricky part is sliding the doors in after all of the surfaces have been finished. However, it is not that difficult given that the parts are made of cardboard and are somewhat flexible. If I where to make the same project out of wood, the doors would need to be adjusted inside of the channels prior to the finishing process on the front of bench.

Left, arrows showing where the channels are placed. These are difficult to see because I finished
all of the surround elements in white paper. Right, note the placement of the door knobs is
important. The sliding door near the front must have the handle in the middle and the door
furthest inside must have handles on both ends. This makes it easier for a child to access the
interior of the cabinet, no matter what position the doors are left open. Our dolls store their
board games and toys inside of the bench.

       The narrow 'seat' on top of the bench was typically added to many pieces of furniture prior to the 1940s. You can find these band mouldings attached to all kinds of vintage dressers, jelly cupboards and side tables as well. When furniture has band moulding around the bottom legs this is called an apron. So these attachments are distinguished by different vocabulary depending upon where they are located, top or bottom. Band mouldings help to keeps items secure on the top of furniture and aprons hide legs and dust underneath the furniture. (I'm only mentioning this because this information has yet to be recorded with clarity on the web in many places. It's old information that folks take for granted; you know how that works anyway.)
       I then crafted a purple felt seat cushion to fit on top of the bench. I didn't attach it with glue in case I needed to change the bench's appearance for a different project someday. But you may wish to permanently glue a cushion in place if you are making the bench for little ones. Cushions have ways of disappearing eventually when children are at play in the dollhouse!

Cinema Tickets For Dollplay Only

        Print the movie theater tickets below for pretend play with your favorite dolls! Tickets may then be cut apart in long narrow strips and pasted end to end. When your doll pays to see a film, tear one from a roll of tickets so that she may show the stub before entering the theater. 

Ticket stubs here are not to be redistributed from any alternative web resource.

Replacement Crafts for The Our Generation Movie Theater

The completed concessions counter with crafted shelves, foods, baskets, candy etc...

       We set up the concession stand counter in our movie theater playset by using a pink bakery counter with transparent shelves found at resale. You can see below among the photos included there, how I altered the shelving to better display all of our doll's movie treats and foods.
       Shown above are three shelves of snacks: the top shelf is for boxed candy, the second shelf for fries, onion rings, sodas, nachos, hot dogs, pizza slices, sandwiches, and hamburgers. On the third and lowest shelf we included a transparent nail art divider from the local dollar store to display ice cream treats and beside this are two wire baskets for carrying food stuffs into the movie theater and then beside these are more boxes of Little Debbie cakes, Chips Ahoy and other treats crafted from printed grocery fliers and coupons included with mail.

       The Our Generation Movie Theater Accessories: working lights on the outside over the ticket booth, inside a place to put a cell phone to show movies, red curtains, enter and exist signs and two red, plastic theater seats with cup holders, and one concession counter.

Totally Rudy reviews the Our Generation Cinema

• movie posters to display - musical theater posters, Nostalgic Halloween films, 
• lettering to use to announce what film is showing
• roll of movie tickets
• plastic coins
• paper money for your doll
• counter popcorn popper
• 4 movie theater popcorn boxes/bags - our versions here
• baking sheets of 3 cinnamon rolls - newsprint cinnamon buns
• baking sheet with two pretzels 
• two hot dogs with paper trays
• one box of cheesy nacho chips - shown below
• 2 chocolate bars one white with strawberries and the other dark chocolate with caramel filling - our printable chocolate bars
• 6 drink options: two bottles of fruit drinks, two cups of soda with lids and straws and two small bottled waters, our versions included in photos below
• two green, movie snack caddies for carrying treats into the theater - our bent chenille stem versions pictured below
• the classic ketchup and mustard condiment squeeze bottles
• a butter flavor shaker 
• a diner style napkin dispenser 

Left, the recycled transparent bakery counter. I clipped photos of credit cards to glue to the
 inside wall of the counter top where the cash register will be positioned in the future. In the
 U. S. stickers of credit cards are often displayed on counter glass to show what may be
used at the register. Right, are the ice cream treat erasers, doll sized, used inside of nail
 art caddy for the lowest shelf display.

Left, are boxed candies often sold in movie theaters in the U.S. These were glued directly
on the cardboard shelf so that it would appear to be full at all times. Then I made a few
loose candy boxes for the dolls to purchase and carry away as seen in the right hand
photo. All of this printed candy was cut from grocery fliers and glued to tiny pieces of
 cardboard. It is legal to craft items like these if they are for personal collections, otherwise
 not for sale. The logos are owned by private companies and should not be sold or
 redistributed for profit.

Left, are more food erasers included as props in our movie theater display. Right, are the
 hand woven baskets for our dolls to carry snacks and food to their theater seats. 

Left, I glued together drinking cups with lids and straws using cut cardboard pieces from
 paper egg cartons. Then I covered these with paper, fancy tissue and glue. Right are the
 nacho trays made from the same materials. The nachos themselves are sculpted from
oven back clay, painted with acrylics and the cheese drizzled over the top is puff paint.

Left and center, is a shelf cut from cardboard and build permanently in the shape of an
wedge as is the candy shelf displayed at the top of the page. This wedge shape keeps all
 of the tiny food items stacked neatly inside of the display. Right, are a few boxes I
constructed to display french fries and also soda cups with straws. All of the shelf paper
 and paper condiments are decoupaged with the same star themed tissue paper. 

Left, see the credit card cut-outs I found in a old magazine to tape with transparent packing
 tape to the inside of the display case. This is often done in real life at many places where
 credit cards are sold in the United States and Europe. Right, is a close-up of the food as
seen through the plastic casing.

More Doll's and Kids Play Theater:

• Jada builds and plays with her own theater!
• Cardboard mini theater seating by Storyful Viral
• The Genius of Playing Theater with family by The Genius of Play

Our Americana Bowling Alley

The finished pin deck as seen from above.

       The supplies you will need to make your own pin deck include: cardboard, white school glue, masking tape, wood scraps for the lanes (or use cardboard), faux wood grain paper, red paper for the directional arrows and "rubber" bowling balls.
       Pin Decks for dolls can measure any length or width you desire when designing these for doll play. Our deck is generous at best. We use bouncy balls for the bowling balls; these were purchased online. The pins are different sets from different discontinued play sets. These may be purchased from any second-hand market and are very easy to find.
       Also, the ball gutters for ball return do not need to be made from wood. We had these pieces on hand. The gutters can be cut and folded from heavy cardboard to replace our versions if you prefer. 

Step-by-Step Photos for Bowling Lanes and Pin Deck

I constructed two lanes for our doll's bowling alley, side-by-side, and used a box to design
 the simple pin deck. 

There are three gutters that returns balls under constructed arches. One child bowls with
 his or her doll while another child sits at the behind the pin deck and returns balls
while setting up pins for the next play.

Make More Additions To The Doll's Bowling Alley:

• Find a doll sized crane arcade game . . .
• DIY a Doll Sized Hostess Stand and Grill
• Lounge seating for our doll's bowling alley
• Craft a cart for bowling balls
• Make long low shelving for doll playsets
• How to make a vintage Coca-Cola machine
  

Historical Bowling Allies:

• LA's Coolest Bowling Alley Is Almost 100 Years Old!
• Return to a retro bowling alley at Thornton Hall
• Parker Bohn III bowls on oldest sanctioned bowing lanes

Our Unicorn Themed Doll Bedroom

The unicorn themed bedroom in our family dollhouse for 18 inch dolls. In this room there
are six pieces of furniture: the side table, canopy bed, a large dresser, a rocking chair,
a storage cabinet with sliding doors and a comfy cushion and a hanging curio cupboard.
There is also a hanging banner above the storage cabinet that I could not squeeze 
into the photo easily. I photo of it is below.

       To begin with, I completely upcycled a four-poster bed for this unicorn themed doll bedroom. Originally, it was painted white (from Our Generation called "My Sweet Canopy") but I chose to decoupage it with a lovely greyish-brown, faux-wood paper.

First I decoupaged the canopy bed once white with pink curtains. Then I painted the 'carved'
floral areas to match the woodgrain papers. After this I cut the mattress from a cushy piece
of foam, covered this with polka-dot sheet flannel and then cut and stuffed a bed pillow
in the same flannel fabric.

The flower motifs on the bed have been painted to match the decoupaged wood papers.
 The comforter is a blue print with unicorns. 

Left, see storage bench, for toys or games, with seat cushion. The sock unicorn and narwhal
 on top of cushion. The unicorn banners with three dimensional parts. Right is the large
 braided rug, for more pictures go here. The floors of this bedroom are made using
 woodgrain contact papers.

Left, bedside table. Right, large wooden dresser.

       The tops of both the side table and large doll dresser feature the following on display: a large handmade lamp, a collection of 'My little Ponies' real miniature glass perfume bottles, a doll cell phone, handcrafted books and a decorative unicorn sculpture purchased at a dollar store.

Interior decoupaged with chevron and floral paper.

       The lavender painted cupboard may be either hung on the wall or displayed on top of the large white dresser. It displays all kinds of 18 inch doll accessories like: a mermaid figurine, nail polish, lipstick, sun glasses and a cup for soft drinks with a handle, a fancy hair comb, perfume, and a cell phone all displayed on the outside, side shelves. Behind the glass front cabinet door are shelves containing a selection of books, head phone for listening to music and a small frame of a doll's friend and puppy.

 

Left, mirror. Center, unicorn felt banner with 3d crown, mane and horn.
 Right, paint your own unicorn picture for the walls...

Fancy laser-cut frames.

     To make the framed unicorn colored picture (photo below), cut from scrap cardboard, the backing and then glue your own colored version of the following coloring sheets (unicorn with rainbow and/or unicorn with princess).

       To make the mirror, we simply cut a cardboard backing and then glued mirrored paper to this before attaching it to a fancy laser cut frame with masking tape.

       Craft the 3D unicorn framed in an oval laser cut frame by backing it with a sturdy piece of cardboard cut to size and mounted inside the frame. Then sculpt the facial features: mussel, horn, and eyes with oven-bake clay. Glue these features as you see them below inside of the frame. 

       Unravel a cotton ball and layer this with white glue to shape a mane around the horn and eyes. Let everything dry and then paint these features to make a unique piece of wall art. 

Paint the wooden unicorn flat using a selection of your favorite colors. Paste on the lace
to further decorate the unicorn.

  

Left, see the shaped clay pieces pasted onto the white cardboard. These were sculpted
with oven-bake clay and then pasted onto the cardboard. Right, see how to paint the
 unicorn one way simply. But, you may paint your own version with the colors you prefer.

More Doll Sized Unicorn Bedrooms:

• American Girl Doll Unicorn Bedroom by Be Chic Forever - The room includes white furnishings with gold gilt trim, tiny unicorn dolls, a blue metal bed, pink star themed linens, contemporary tulle bed curtains, a bookcase, wardrobe storage and a variety of gold accessories like: a telephone, apple, clock, terrarium, signage etc....
• American Girl Doll Unicorn Bedroom by agoverseasfan - Watch agoverseasfan decorate her doll's unicorn bedroom with unicorn toys, a pink and white unicorn theme, cute card quotes and white fuzzy furnishings and rug.

Left is a unicorn pillow with a lace mane and shiny fabric horn. Right, is a coloring page
 printed colored and pasted to cardboard that fit the inside of the fancy frame.

How To Make Newsprint Taro and Paper Pulp Poi

Finished newspaper faux 'taro' roots. Kalo is the name for Taro root given by the islanders.

       "Taro is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in African, Oceanic, East Asian, Southeast Asian and South Asian cultures (similar to yams). Taro is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants." Read More . . . 

       To make taro roots for your Hawaiian doll market you will need some: old newsprint, masking tape, acrylic paints, a chenille stem, one or two cotton balls depending upon how many pretend taro root you wish to make and Mod Podge.

Step-by-Step Photo Details for Crafting Taro Root:

Left, tear newsprint into strips. Center, crush it and roll it into a 'root' shape. Right, make
 several rolled shapes some larger, some smaller and glue these inside of each other until
 the pretend taro root is represented in a variety of shapes and sizes. 

Left, poke and insert chenille stems to represent cut stalks where the taro root once had
 leaves.Center, add more rolled details from masking tape. Right, wrap shredded cotton
 for white highlighted areas. Brush on stems with acrylic green paints. Paint finished
 masked areas using browns and white paints. Glue on white threads for this tiny
detailing. Watch video below to see taro in different stages while
being prepared into a poi.

Hawaiian Skies teaches about Poi and
More Ways to Prepare Taro Leaves by foodfaq

The finished paper mache "poi"

       The popular "poi" dish made in Hawaii has a distinct purple color when combined with several varieties of taro. Poi also has a smooth texture after the taro root has been pounded. You can make a similar looking faux dish yourself for your dolls to feast on using paper mache pulp.

Step-by-Step Instructions for Bowl of Poi:

1. Poi is often served in a carved Koa wooden bowl by the head of a tribe (chief) or ''host.'' These bowls, also called calabash, are historically important to native Hawaiians. I have used here a square carved bowl to hold our doll's poi. I do not know weather or not if it is made of Koa wood, however.
2. Cover the inside of the bowl with plastic wrap or tin foil to protect it from the drying paper pulp.
3. Mix together this paper pulp according to the directions included with the package and then scoop it from the mixing bowl into the lined wooden dish and let it dry for several days. The pulp will take on the shape of the bowl but shrink slightly so that it may be removed from the dish once it has hardened.
   
4. Once the pulp is completely dry, paint it the shade of purple shown above. Layer on Mod Podge to give your poi a professional finish.

Left, the 18" doll-sized wooden bowl. Center, line the bowl with tin foil or plastic wrap.
 Right, you can see the mixed paper pulp is shaped down inside of the foil
to take on the exact size of the dish.