mattelken: 2012

Teacher Christmas Gifts

Here is a great last minute gift idea for teachers, friends and family inspired by Michael's Craft Store.

Grab a clean jar, a bag of kettle corn, a Christmas ornament, and some ribbon....

put it all together and your done!

too simple, too sweet and too much fun

happy crafting :o)

Fun Finds : 18 inch Christmas Tree

Just found this cute little tree at Hobby Lobby for $4.99 and it was 50% off making it just $2.50!

The Lalaloopsy Pumpkin House

What do you do with a jack-o-lantern bucket now that Halloween is over...

...well, I started by cutting a large circle out of the front, then I traced the cut out circle on craft foam, cut out the center, glued it to the opening, and repeated for the side window... (and the stairs are stacked rectangles of craft foam... but wood would have been better...if I had it)

I used silk flowers and

How to Make a Doll Yarn Wig : Easy

Supplies needed: Yarn, scissors, cardboard, needle, thread, and hair band

First, decide on the length of your wig and cut a piece of cardboard to match.

Wrap yarn around cardboard (one side of the cardboard should equal the length you want) continue wrapping the cardboard with the yarn until it is as thick as you like.

Then sew the yarn down the middle with a needle and

Another 18 inch Doll Bed on a Budget

Here is another 18 inch doll bed option.

We purchased a folding stacking shelf from WalMart for under $6.00. No assembling required.

Next, we placed a doll mattress (homemade of course) on top of the frame (after folding it out), and made our doll bed as usual.

Since the shelf is 18 inches long our BFC ink and American Girls fit perfectly.

The shelf is ideal for a

Fun Finds: Doll Clothes for Heart for Heart Dolls

I was in Tuesday Mornings (the discount store) and found Dora the Explorer Doll clothes and they looked like they were just the right size for a Heart for Heart doll...

... at only $2.99, I just had to try... so I bought these two outfits, there was another one with gold pants but they did not look like they would fit, the bottom of Dora's legs are a lot thinner than the H4H...

...but

Custom Katniss Everdeen Doll

We were asked to do a custom doll of Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games for a charity event...

and she came out Fabulous!!! If I do say so myself :o)

The doll is set in a decorative photo storage box and we bent gold floral wire to make the mockingjay pin in the background...

We made the pants using our doll pant video and modified our bow and arrow tutorial to make this

Recycled Craft: Pencil Box

... so I was cleaning out that one drawer in the house that seems to collect everything and I found these...

Mini DV's from our camcorder (from about 12 years ago) and you know me... I just had to give these ancient artifacts a new life so I add a few stickers to the top and now it is our NEW Pencil Box for our 18 inch dolls!

too easy... and it is just the right size to hold all those

Fun Finds

Everything in my dollhouse is not made of cardboard and toothpicks XD
I truly enjoy it when I can find a great deal on something that can be used with my dolls like...

these finger boards that I found at Walmart for $1.98...

They are a good size for my 12 inch dolls and crazy detailed :oD

I also like these lip balms that look like mini sodas, I found them in the dollar section of Target

Make an American Boy! for less

At $105 dollars a pop I was unwilling to do this experiment with a real American Girl, so I found that a Springfield Doll from Michael's with a 40% off coupon would do just as well... well, with a few adjustments...

...the doll was priced at $21.99 but like I mentioned earlier, I had a 40% off coupon which made it only $13.20 plus tax... CAN'T BEAT THAT! So, I started by cutting all its hair

Babies and Easter Eggs

I don't know why this request took me so long to make but I decided to tackle it today...

how to make a doll baby crib

and I think it came out super cute! I mean who wouldn't want a teddy bear bigger than you?!

and because Easter is this weekend we threw in a bonus project :o)

happy crafting

Spring Showers means Designer Umbrellas

i have never thought of umbrellas as fashion accessories... but why not :o)

How to Make a Closed Doll Umbrella

How to Make an Opened Doll Umbrella

These are fast, fun and easy to make!
happy crafting

AHHHH! My Wig Doesn't Fit!

I was so excited to "build" my own Monster High Doll, until...

THE WIG DIDN'T FIT!

talk about being upset, especially since it cost $19.99!... and here I was left with 4 little bald Monster High heads :o(

... then an idea popped into my head, why not paint the hair on like a liv doll?

first attempt...

second attempt...

I used puff paint to style some cute little pixie cuts,

I just can't stop making stuff

Popcorn....I know this is completely random... but I do believe someone requested this craft at some time or another, or at least that is what I am telling myself...

But I saw this paper at Michael's Craft Store and thought to myself , "How Perfect !"

how to make popcorn for your doll

how to make a doll daybed with pull-out trundle

Move over Dolls, I'm Moving in

Ever think to yourself, "Boy, my dolls have a very nice house, too bad I couldn't move in. "

Well, now you can!

well... a version of you can ...

I made paper dolls with easy to find household items.
watch the video : How to Make Paper Dolls : Easy

You Win Some, You Lose Some

Table top fan

Well, today was pretty much a day of FAILS! Nothing was coming out the way I wanted it to, but that is OKay!... because tomorrow is a new day and another chance to try again :o)

swing set for Barbie's little sister

Hey, on the bright side I learned what not to do XD

...When I first started crafting, I had to tell myself that very project was a learning experience, even

Easy Wall Art for YOUR House

There has got to be a way to bring our craft know-how out of the dollhouse and into our house!
I needed some wall art or the large blank wall in my house but I did not want to spend an arm and a leg for it ... so I decided to make some.

I used:
*foam board from the dollar store... 2 x $1.00 = $2.00 *50 sheet pack of scrap book paper... 1 x $5.00 = $5.00 ( found this at Walmart)*clear tape ...

Love is in the air...and it smells like CANDY

It is time to treat your dolls with a little bit of confectionery bliss... OK, so it is not really edible but it looks GOOD!

How to Make Sweets and Treats for Your Doll Video

No matter your doll size, you will have fun making these sweet treats and gifts all weekend long!

Easy Doll Style

New Year , New Look!

Let's add some easy style tips to our dolls' lives.

hey, who knows... I might even add them to my own :o)

how to make easy doll fashion

how to make a no sew doll vest
how to make undergarments
how to make easy doll fashion using tubes
how to make doll jewelry

how to curl doll hair without hot water

happy crafting :o)