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Props for the Craft Impaired - by DeeinNJ
(March 2006)
Hey, gang. It’s nice to be back after Audrey was so kind to share her shoe-tique with us last time. That’s a tough act to follow, for sure! I know I raced to Office Max to buy desk accessories right after that one.
Audrey focused on easy-to-acquire objects (office desk accessories) that you could buy and repurpose for use in miniature doll displays. Although anyone could purchase these objects, it does take a little bit of vision and some craftiness to transform them into props for your displays. Audrey has a lot of vision and craftiness, but she assured us that even if we aren’t as talented as she is, we can still do it! My Discussion this week is for the craft impaired or time starved or just plain lazy folks who want to buy something and NOT have to paint, pin, cut, glue or assemble it to make it ready to use. First up is the Only Hearts Club beach set. Chic Escape is taking advantage of this lovely set as she soaks up some rays.
I bought this at Target for $24.99. It’s a bit pricey for doll furniture, but it’s all wood and fabric, so it’s not a bad price if you are inclined to spend it. (Considering what the FR Loft furniture goes for, it’s not bad!). Here’s a photo of the box (pardon the blurr):
The set comes with two folding lounge chairs that have three adjustable heights, a small table and a removable cloth beach umbrella. One of the nice things is that it’s ready to use (no assembly required). Also, the lime green cloth chair seats are attached with Velcro, so if you want to make your own (for those crafty folks who also like to buy stuff ready-to-go), they remove easily and you could easily change them out with a pattern of your choice. The umbrella is also removable and can be placed in the holder that is attached to each chair or set on the ground. The umbrella does not fold up, however. Here Chic Escape and Exotic Fire are hanging out on their seashore vacation. Notice that EF has her chair slightly more reclined than Chic.
I used four identical sheets of 12 x 12 scrapbook paper to create a backdrop for our gals at the beach. A piece of sand-textured fabric serves as my beach.
This set would also be nice on the patio or by the poolside.
Next is this amazing Asian cabinet I found just yesterday at Wal-mart. This little piece, made of wood with metal hardware, was unbelievably priced at only $6.84. That’s cheaper than Fashion Fever furniture and it’s real wood!
Here’s a photo with one of the doors open.
The interior is a bit crude, so if you aren't crafty, keep the doors closed! Otherwise, you could paint the inside and display some nice Asian miniatures. And here’s a photo with the lovely Kyori Sato beside the cabinet so you can judge its scale. This is just a plain photo, but imagine how cool this photo would look with all the trimmings!
This would make a great addition to your Asia-style room.
Last is this set of folding screens available from the Collections etc. catalog/web site. Each screen measures 18 ½ inches wide by 18 inches high. You get two screens for just $14.99 (plus shipping, of course).
Although a little tall for dressing screens for 12" dolls, they would make a nice pleated backdrop for a boutique, dressing room, garden room, etc. or as the entryway for a fashion show set up, etc. For larger dolls, these would make perfect dressing screens. There are lots of possibilities and the white color is very versatile. They also would work well to disguise junk in your doll room if you just put them on a shelf and stash stuff behind them! And, because there are two to the set, you can order one set and split the cost with a friend if you just wanted one. OK – that’s all for now. I hope today’s Diorama Discussion had something useful for you. Til next time!
DeeinNJ