Hi, everyone! I’m not chock full of ideas on how to make stuff, but I have to come up with something every now and then so you all don’t get bored. Today I will tell you how to make a great pair of faux doors to create a grand entrance for you diorama. This idea came about for two reasons… someone on the board asked how to make doors and Vin replied that “Dee” would probably make them out of paper and cardboard. He was correct. Second, I bought a pair of gold rings for 99 cents at Big Lots in the scrapbook basket about 6 months ago. I first thought I would use them for curtain tie backs, but upon studying them, I felt they looked like giant door pulls, so I decided that for these two reasons, I needed to whip up a set of doors.

Here, Haute Luxuries makes her grand entrance beside the doors I have made. They are set on an angle and do just the thing to break up the background and add some dimension to the diorama. As you can see, these doors work great for an entrance to a ballroom (add plants and high-end flooring. I added a golden step (the plastic top from a doll box) and columns from the My Scene Party Pad to make this entrance look even more grand. It also makes a nice foyer scene for a private residence. You could add some plants, a display table with a vase of flowers, some artwork on either side, etc.

You could also use it as the entrance to a posh boutique or salon. I’ve set up a mock shop (bare bones, of course, no time to put out inventory, but you get the idea.)

Vanessa browses the shoe bargains!

The doors would also look nice in a fancy boudoir,Veronique’s Parisian office, an art gallery or really any place you want big doors. By placing the doors against a brick or stucco façade, you could create an exterior door to a storefront, a fancy hotel, (maybe make an awning to go over it). It could also be the exterior of a townhouse or home. Add an ornate mantel/trim, a brass mailbox, some topiaries… a slate stoop, whatever you think. Here’s just a basic idea (no frills!) with Traveler by Nature hanging outside in her Autumn Breeze fashion.

I have provided instructions for how I made this doorway, but you could design yours to different dimensions and in any style/colors that go with your diorama from country to modern.

For this door, you need: white posterboard, gold paper or cardstock, white craft foam, textured wallpaper & wallpaper border for dollhouses (or you can substitute your own paper/trims), hardware to serve as doorknobs. Ruler, pencil, spray adhesive or Xyron machine adhesive applicator are best for gluing results. You can use hot glue or glue dots for the hardware.

The process:

I used a 12 1/2 square piece of heavy posterboard. If you want really tall doors, you could add a few inches to the height. I wanted these doors to fit in my Silkstone display case, so these were my dimensions. Use heavy board or foam core so it stays put. (If your hardware is heavy, counterbalance by gluing some washers inside the bottom sides of the door frame so it doesn’t tip forward).

• Draw a light pencil line down the center of the posterboard. This is where your doors meet. Pencil is forgiving and it’s not too heavy… the line just suggests a hint of an opening where the doors open/meet.

• 2 1/8 inches in from each side, use a ruler and a butter knife or scoring tool to score the front top to bottom. Fold back at the score lines to form a U shape that will stand up on it’s own, and creates depth so you can add little furnishings or potted plants, etc. on either side when the door is displayed. If you want deeper sides, add to the width of your board when you begin and score further toward the center, but this is enough that will keep the door standing and still add the niches you want to create.

• I cut an 8 1.2 x 11 piece of gold card stock vertically creating two 3-inch pieces and glued them to the center of each “door” panel.

• Next, I cut four pieces of white craft foam or “fun foam” roughly 2 1/4 inches x 3 1/2 inches. I cut two pieces of white foam 2 1/2 x 2. This foam adds the look of raised panels to your door.

• Center the 2 1/2 x 2 pieces of foam on each door panel, then evenly space the other panels above and below the center panels on each door.

• Next, I used some textured dollhouse wallpaper and wallpaper border that I bought at the craft/hobby shoppe (I had this hanging around left over from a different project). You can use any type of paper or material you wish to add drama/texture do your door panels. Cut pieces to layer on to p of each foam panel, but cut them slightly smaller and center them on the white foam. My cutting isn’t so accurate, but it’s just a doll prop, so I’m not too worried about it. Some folks are much more precise than I am.

• Next, use the wallpaper borders (the ones I used are slightly embossed), and glue them all the way to the edges of the posterboard along the bottom and top. I used a different design at the bottom and top. Be sure to wrap it all the way to the edges of the poster board, otherwise, it looks funny from the side. Before gluing the border on, cut it in the middle where the pencil line is and then glue each piece on either side of the pencil line. The cut lines help further enhance the illusion that these are two separate doors.

• Choose some decorative hardware (hardware, jewelry findings, scrabook embellishments, etc.) and glue them to the center panels on each door. Viola! Your grand entrance is ready for action. Well, not really action, as these doors don’t open, but you could experiment and make a set that opens if you used something dimensional like foam core board.

I hope you try to make something like this. You can do wonders with some paper and cardboard… give it a try! If you do, please take pics and share your efforts with all of us here at Doll Divas.  

Til next time!
Dee