Okay!! This is THE 'fun page' of the website!
This is where I'm gonna share some of my own ideas for stuff you can make for your dolls!
...and it's all pretty much stuff made from items you most likely have around the house already!
Everything below, I have already made and provide detailed directions for you so YOU can make
your own, or help your child(ren) make some of these fun items, or even get your entire doll group involved!
If you have any fun little crafty ideas, or tips, send them to me if you don't mind my adding them to this page for all visitors to read about!
DRUM: 1empty Yoplait yogurt container - washed and dried!
1 large piece of contact paper (pref. wood grain)
1 large piece chamois, or suede cloth, or something suitable for a 'drum head'
1 piece of twine/string - about 10" long
Eat the yogurt - then thoroughly wash and dry the empty container
.
Cut a strip of the contact paper wide enough and long enough to wrap around your empty yogurt container once plus a little bit of overlap. Great, now you have a 'wooden' yogurt container! Make sure your wood grain goes up and down!!
Set your 'drum' down -- UPSIDE down.
You're going to 'cover the bottom of the container with your fabric; I used a piece of very soft, flexible chamois, which you
can purchase at any auto supply store, or most automotive departments.
Cut a 'primitive' looking circle out of your cloth, (enough to cover the 'hole' plus about an inch of drape all the way around the container bottom -- kind of like putting the top crust on your pie! except you WANT it to hang over the sides!
There is a 'groove' near the bottom (which is now the TOP of your drum)
You are going to strongly and securely WRAP your string or twine AROUND the container, nestling your string or twine INTO that groove - not so likely to shift or slip off!! cool, huh??
Okay, wrap your string or twine around maybe 3 or 4 times, being sure to 'trap' your little piece of fabric UNDER the string or twine. Tie
it in a knot several times! But wait!! don't trim it yet!!
How would it look with a few beads tied on the dangling strings? feathers?? hmmm! Consider your possibilities and get creative with it!
Let me know how YOUR drum turns out!!
And I PROMISE you -- you will NEVER look at an empty container the same way again! lol...
Oh, if you desire, you can also attach string/twine to your drum if you want your doll to be able to 'wear' it over a shoulder, etc.
I would suggest having your twine that you wrap around the 'head' of the drum be looooong enough to attach to the bottom of the drum - so your doll can 'wear' the drum....I would use an ice pick and puncture a teeny tiny little hole near the bottom of your drum, and stick your twine/string THROUGH that hole, to the inside of the drum, and tie a bead on the end...that way it won't slip through the hole -- or tie several knots in the end of the string so it won't slip through...
Okay, now that you've conquered the yogurt container! try it on one of those short, fat cans of peanuts!! (See?? this gives you a GREAT
reason to eat some cashews!! lol
Now, with a LARGER drum, you might like to have drumsticks to beat the drum with (instead of your hands)
Here's an easy drumstick! You'll need a stick, about 4" long or so...You could be VERY primitive and use a stick you find out in the yard, or you could eat a Tootsie Pop and save the stick from that! (wash it first, though!) or buy a skinny dowel rod, OR get crafty with a Q-Tip!!-- use your imagination!
Next, you want to cut a circle out of your drumhead fabric about 3" in diameter (side to side) and place one or two cotton balls in the center of the circle, or wad up some Polyfil or batting!
Next, gather up the edges of your material and insert your stick, with a little glue on the tip of the stick. It should look like a Tootsie roll pop now!!
Next, you want to wrap your twine around and around maybe 5 or 6 times, and tie a knot in your twine, again, putting just a drop of glue to secure the knot.
You could add beads AS you wrap your twine around the stick - I don't think I would tie anything to the ends of the string though...that would get in the way with 'beating' your drum...
This is another fun thing to make from something that usually ends up in the trash!
Make Grandpa promise to save the metal tubes from his cigars! If Grandpa doesn't smoke (good for him!!) you can often find
cigars in metal tubes in apothecaries (tobacco shops), or drugstores, or in a HOTEL gift shop!! Ask if they could save empty metal tubes
for you...most likely they'll have a couple in the trash already...
If you haven't guessed what THIS is going to be -- well, it's a RAINSTICK!
Here's what you will need! (and please take appropriate precautions!! we don't want any injuries!!)
RAINSTICK: 1 empty, metal cigar tube with cap
sturdy wire but easy enough to 'coil' - at least 12 inches to startl
1 - 2 Tablespoons uncooked rice (the cheap stuff) or something comparable
Okay, start by making sure there's no loose tobacco in your tube! You really don't need to wash it unless you want to...
You're gonna 'scrunch' up your wire - I 'wrap' mine around a pencil, then slide it off the pencil, and kinda 'flatten' some areas and leave some other areas rounded....what you're trying to achieve is an obstacle course for the rice INSIDE the tube!
it's the rice finding it's way THROUGH the wire maze that creates the rain sound! Well, plus the metal tube too!
So, you've got your wire ready to stick into your tube...dump in about a teaspoon of your rice, then stick your wire in the tube...screw the cap on...then tip your 'rainstick' and listen to the sound....does it sound like all the rice is racing to the other end at once? Then you need more scrunched wire....
Can you take a nap between the pitter patter of each little rice raindrop?? Then you've got too MUCH wire and need to chop off an inch or so...
Keep repeating this procedure until you're happy with the sound you've created inside the tube!,br>
You want to GLUE the cap on - this is one toy you DON'T want coming apart, believe me!!
So now you've got the perfect toy to make on a rainy day!
Do you want to provide an 'instant perk-up' to something? I keep a bottle of CLEAR nail polish with glitter in it - just dab a little bit on a pair of your doll's shoes, flower petals, etc. Really makes them come alive! (I dabbed some on each ghost in a Halloween printed fabric - great results! )
Take your paper clip, bend the inside away from the outside...you want an L shape.
cut out a piece of sturdy card stock? paper? etc. that is long enough to cover up the shortest end of the paperclip. SANDWICH the short end BETWEEN your paper/stock....you with me?? okay...
GLUE the pieces of paper/stock together with the shortest loop of the paper clip sandwiched in between them...You want your paper/stock long enough so that entire half of the paper clip is covered up....
You're gonna SLIDE the remaining looped part of the paper clip UNDER dollie's books...and the end with the little 'sandwich' on it should be sticking UP, begging to be decorated somehow! You could glue a neat button (remove shank first so it is flat when you glue it) spray paint the entire configuration, color it, cover it with something you cut out of some wrapping paper, let the kids color it before you glue it to the paperclip (don't want any injuries!!) Imagination gone wild time!!
