Miniatures of Life

Oh, my hobbies! I tease my husband. He has a wife who finds joy in painting rocks and playing with dolls. His response? At least it isn't snowflakes. All joking aside, he is thankful. My hobbies and the things that bring me joy cost him a lot less than other men have to pay to keep the wife happy. Especially when I can make my own things! 

Making miniatures

I create more realistic Barbie accessories for my doll scenes as well as for my daughters' dolls. It is amazing what you can make from things around the house or even things purchased cheaply. Check out some of the things I've been making lately. 

Barbie luggage

I'd seen this idea on Pinterest. It required so few pieces to make too. A plastic soap dish, a couple buttons, and they used a large fold over clip. My daughter asked me to use something else for the handle though.

For my Barbie, I plan to make a wooden trunk instead. My mom gave me these pretty little wooden boxes that I plan to test out some ideas on.

Still a work in progress!

Barbie dishes

This idea came from a video clip my sister sent me on Instagram. But you can also get the idea here. Amazing what you can do with little plastic containers (aka cut up pill packs), a bowl of water, and nail polish! Take the bowl of water, drip in some nail polish (gently! or it will just all sink to the bottom of the dish) and then dip the plastic container into it. Just dip the outer part. Leave the inside as is. And there you have it - crazy cool dishes that are the perfect size for Barbie and her friends.

Plate makeover

Not everything is handmade, but instead I give them a makeover. I loved the tiny plate set that my mother gave me. Their yellow color needed to change though. So I spray painted them white, added some rub-on transfer stickers and voila! You have elegant plates for the future kitchen I have yet to create. 

Books

My Barbie is definitely a Nerd. She can't have a home without books. Just not possible. So I started practicing making books. There are several techniques that you can use, based on your level of crafting skill. I'm still learning, so I started with just cutting card stock in the desired size, adding white crafting paper (thin kind) as pages, then decorating the fronts with stickers and tiny writing. These went to my girls. Next, I tried printing book covers. People have scanned and shrunk actual books photos to be the perfect size for dolls. And thanks to Pinterest, you can find them and make your own books. But there is another technique. Ever find something like this that came with a surprise toy?

My daughter asked me to turn it into a book for their dolls. It's adorable and SOOOOO easy!

It was the booklet that came in their LOL Tiny Toys box. You push it back together, staple the side, cut the pages edges and you have a book with colorful doll pictures in it.

Clothes

All dolls need clothes. Granted, my toddler did enjoy removing them mostly.  She is getting better about keeping her dolls clothed, now that I've been creating cooler ones. My latest one turned out pretty well. And it was super simple. Amazing what you can make from old clothes the girls outgrow... Anyhow, my oldest daughter asked for a long ruffled skirt. I ended up making it too long though and got the idea to make an evening dress instead. She loved it!

I created a Steampunk hat for this doll using a miniature hat my mom found at the craft store and some gears I had. I'm still debating on tiny goggles and a feather.... 

My attempt at this long sleeve dress for my daughter did not work out so well though...

As they say, you never know until you try. You also have to practice to get good. I've learned a bit more about piecing these things together. I put this skirt together too...

This kind of material is a pain to sew, but shimmers so nicely. My girls want this one when I finish with it.

As I said, not everything has to be made by hand. I found an oriental style dress and got the idea to pull out some drink umbrellas from Chinese New Year decorations (my husband had planned to decorate for my birthday and we just never did). I created this style and love it! 

I love finding things too. Like this Foosball table set from Walmart that was clearance! I grew up loving Foosball since we had a table. It is a fun way to pass the time. 

I've been following a couple Barbie influencers on Instagram. (Yes, they are thing!) My favorites are Grandma Gets Real and Bella_belladoll. It is amazing how popular this has become. I think each of us girls still wishes we could 'play' dolls and pretend that their life is our own. After all, who doesn't wish for that Malibu figure, endless shopping sprees, the Dreamhouse, a private jet - okay, okay, you get the picture! Besides, Barbie scenes look way more fun than people in photos often do. And they always get along with each other!