Thursday, November 24, 2011

18" Doll: Happy Harvest!

Happy Harvest!!!
 Every day we are thankful 
for the many luxuries 
with which we are blessed.
Today we enjoy our bountiful harvest,
and give thanks to God
for our families,
our friends,
our homes and our livelihoods, 
our health,
our safety,
and all of the things we take for granted.
Let us always count our blessings, 
each and every day,
with a grateful heart.
"Would anyone like a yeast roll? With butter?"
"Pass the gravy, please..."
"Please pass the cranberries?"
 "Oops! I think I left the sweet potatoes in the oven too long!"
"I CAN'T WAIT for the turkey!"
"Would you like pumpkin pie?"
"We also have cherry pie or a spice cake...."
Please feel free to use these plans to build furniture, for sale or for pleasure, but please do not sell the PLANS as your "own".  Please also give credit to me and link back here!  I hope you enjoy them!!
***I am NOT LIABLE for any plans featured here. Please take every precaution and use your own discretion to make sure these toys are safe for children to play with them.

18" Doll: Dining Table

How about a dining table?

SHOPPING LIST:

1 - 1x12 @ 16" (table top)***(I used a router on mine to give it a nice edge, but you don't have to...)
4 - 1" square dowels cut at 8" long (legs)
1 - 48" long 1/2" square dowel (under top stiles)***(you will cut this to fit into the area between your legs)

T-square
measuring tape
pencil
Drill / countersink bit 
2" screws
wood glue
wood clamps
saw
sand paper
wood putty
paint or stain to finish

INSTRUCTIONS:
1.  On the underside of your 1x12"x16" board (after you use a router on the edges if thats what you desire), measure in 1" on ALL 4 SIDES, and mark with a pencil and your t-square:

 2.  Place one of your 1" dowel legs into each "corner" and mark off the 2 inside edges, creating a penciled "square" in each corner:
 3.  Using your square (or a ruler), draw intersecting lines from corner to corner of the "leg square" you just made in each corner of the table.  We are finding the "center" of each square.  Mark that center with a "dot":
 
 4.  In the center of that "dot", drill a hole through the table and out of the top, in each of the 4 corners:
 
 5.  Flip your table top over, right side up.  Drill down through each of the 4 holes with a countersink bit, creating a place for your screw head to sit flush with the table top:
 6.  Turn your table top onto its side, placing one leg on the underside (centered in that "square" you made in the corner), and then pre-drill through your table top into your leg.  This marks where the leg will be positioned to that table top hole:
 7.  Switch to your screw bit, and use a 2" screw to drill down through the table top into the leg, securing the leg to the top.  Repeat with all 4 legs.
8.  Measure the distance between each of your legs, one at a time.  Cut a piece of your 1/2" square dowel to fit that measurement.  Sand the ends.  Check for fit between the legs.  When satisfied with the fit, add a small amount of glue to the bottom and ends of the dowel, and then press into place between the legs.  Secure with wood clamps, and allow glue to dry overnight:
 9.  Repeat with 3 other legs:
10.  Fill all holes and cracks with wood putty, and allow to dry.  Sand your table well.  Finish with paint or stain and allow to dry.  Enjoy!
Please feel free to use these plans to build furniture, for sale or for pleasure, but please do not sell the PLANS as your "own".  Please also give credit to me and link back here!  I hope you enjoy them!!
***I am NOT LIABLE for any plans featured here. Please take every precaution and use your own discretion to make sure these toys are safe for children to play with them.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

18" Doll: Upholstered Sofa - Part 3

 Upholstered Sofa
Part 3: Upholstery - Fabric

Today we will finish the upholstery of the sofa by adding the fabric cover and cushions!

SHOPPING LIST:
3/8" staples
staple gun
pencil or marker
scissors (to cut fabric)
yardstick or tape measure (to measure fabric)
4 - 2" screws (for attaching the arms to the sofa base)
fabric of your choice***, cut into the following measurements:
SOFA:
1 @ 23" x 3" (front of sofa base)
2 @ 8.5" x 3" (Left and right sides of sofa base)
1 @ 15" x 25" (over back of sofa)
2 @ 5" x 5" (front of Left and Right arms)
2 @ 10" x 10" (over Left and Right arms)
CUSHIONS:
4 @ 10.5"w x 7.5"d (cushion top and bottom - 2 each cushion)
4 @ 10.5"w x 2" (sofa cushion front, back - 2 each cushion)
4 @ 7.5"w x 2" (sofa cushion sides - 2 each cushion)
***I suggest using a HEAVY- WEIGHT fabric (like those intended for upholstery) so that you won't having fraying edges later

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.  Lay your sofa on its back with the feet facing away from you.  Drape your fabric RIGHT SIDE DOWN over the sofa base, leaving a small amount pooled at the front base:
2.  That small piece at the bottom will be your "blind hem".  While smoothing your fabric, press your staple gun into the center, making sure to catch about 1/2" of fabric: 
3.  Staple all the way to both ends, making sure to keep your fabric smooth and even: 
 
4.  Now flip your fabric FORWARD towards you (you have created a "blind hem" with your hidden staples): 
5.  While holding your fabric fairly taut and straight, flip your sofa over (away from you) onto its face, so that the undersize of the sofa (feet) is facing you.  Pull your fabric TAUT, but don't over tighten: 
6.  Pinch your fabric up in the center: 
7.  and fold under: 
8.  Place a staple or two there to hold your folded hem in place: 
9.  Continue along the bottom, folding and stapling, out to each side.  Stop about 2" from each end.  Flip your sofa up onto its feet.  It should now look like this:
10.  With your sofa facing towards you, lay your 23" strip along the sofa front base edge, RIGHT SIDE DOWN, making sure that the fabric is centered:
11.  Create a 1/2" fold in the front of the fabric, and then bring that fold up to the front edge of your sofa base:
12.  Place a staple in the center top front: 
13.  Continue folding and stapling all the way out to both ends, stopping about 2" from the ends.  (Ignore my batting hanging there...daughter tore it off, but it will be stapled back on.) 
 
14.  On the RIGHT sofa end, flip your front edge piece out of the way: 
15.  Make a 1/2" fold in your 8.5" fabric, bring to the edge (centered at ends), and staple in the front corner: 
16.  Continue folding and stapling all the way to the other side:
17.  Flip your sofa over: 
18.  Fold your fabric, and begin stapling along the bottom edge, making sure to leave your arm screw holes uncovered: 
19.  Staple all along the bottom edge to the other end: 
20.  The top edge should now look like this: 
21.  Now for the left side: 
22.  Fold and staple: 
23.  Flip over, fold and staple: 
24.  Your sofa should now look like this: 
25.  Now pull your front base edge fabric taut: 
 
 26.  flip your sofa over:
27.  Fold your fabric (I folded mine twice because I had some excess): 
28.  and then staple along the front underside edge to both ends.  Stop about 1" from each end: 
29.  We will be folding up the front ends like wrapping a package: 
 Top edge down:
 
Hold in place:
 Pinch the bottom up:
 Pinch pleat them together toward the bottom:
 Hold in place with your thumb:
 And then add a couple staples in the corner to secure:
30.  Your sofa should now look like this: 
31.  Repeat these steps on the other base edge.
32.  Stand your arms up in front of you, so that the front ends of the arms are facing UP:
33.  Place your 5" x 5" fabric onto your arm end, center it well, and then lay your arm down on its base. Staple the top of the fabric into the top of the arm, about 1" back from the front end.  Fold the fabric down over the front of the arm:
34.  Flip the arm over onto its top.  Pull the fabric taut, fold a small seam, and staple to the underside of the arm (be sure not to cover up the screw hole!): 
 35.  Lay your arm on its side.  Fold the fabric inward on each side (like the end of a present), and then staple that in its center.  Repeat on the other side of the arm:
36.  The end of your arm should now look like this: 
37.  Repeat steps for your other arm: 
38.  Your arm should look like this: 
39.  Take your  10" x 10" fabric, RIGHT SIDE DOWN, and fold a small hem along one side:
40.  Place your LEFT and RIGHT sofa arms with their INSIDE (pencil mark) facing upward and the BOTTOM of the arm facing toward you.  Then place your 10" x 10" fabric on the arm bottom edge (closest to you), with the folded seam you just made running perpendicular to the arm edge (it's next to my thumb): 
41.  Now staple along that fabric, AS CLOSE to the wood edge as you can get: 
 42.  Now fold your excess fabric up along the BACK of the arm, creating a hem flush with the edge at the back:
43.  While holding your rear hem "in place", begin "rolling" your arm up in the fabric: 
 44.  When you have finished rolling and reached the bottom edge, trim off any excess fabric greater than 1.5":
45.  Fold up your fabric to create a hem: 
46.  Staple along the bottom.  When you get to the front end, make sure that your ends are folded and TUCKED away from the front edge: 
 47.  Mark your 2 screw holes with a pencil or marker:
48.  At the arms back end, fold your fabric like a present: 
Inside edge:
 Top:
 Bottom:
 Outside edge:
 49.  Your arms should now look like this (although they are not yet attached):
50.  On the back side of your sofa, continue to hem that you had been folding along the bottom back side.  Keep it folded with your fingers or pins, but lift it up out of the way: 
51.  Fold your side edge fabric end inward, and staple on the back corner: 
 52.  Fold down your sofa seat back fabric along the sofa back edge:
 53.  Staple into place at edge of fabric:
 54.  With your sofa facing down, pull out the front edge of fabric, making sure to keep the seam folded:
 55.  Fold that fabric in half:
56.  Fold that fabric again, creating a seam along the sofa back edge.  Staple into place at the bottom and middle (don't staple at the top!): 
 57.  With your sofa still facing down, fold the back fabric to create a hem, and pull taut, and secure with a pin to hold your seam:
 58.  While holding taut, flip the sofa over onto its top.  Screw on your sofa arm using 2 - 2" screws in each arm.  Staple the back fabric into place on the underside of the sofa, and then remove pin:
 59.  Now simply whip stitch or hot glue the edge of your sofa back fabric into place along the top side of your sofa back edge and back of arm (this hides all traces of staples on the top side of the sofa).
60.  Repeat steps 50-59 for the other side of the sofa back.  Your sofa should now look like this:
 61.  Assemble your cushions by sewing (RIGHT SIDES TOGETHER) the 4 sides to the top, the 4 side seams together, then attaching the bottom using 1/2" seams.  Leave a small opening for turning and stuffing.  After stuffing, stitch your seam opening closed.  Add your sofa cushions to your sofa.
62.  You may want to make throw pillows or other such additions to add "visual depth" to your sofa.  Have fun! 
 
My Twinn: 23" tall (standing) and American Girl: 18" tall
Pictured below:
 
Please feel free to use these plans to build furniture, for sale or for pleasure, but please do not sell the PLANS as your "own".  Please also give credit to me and link back here!  I hope you enjoy them!!
***I am NOT LIABLE for any plans featured here. Please take every precaution and use your own discretion to make sure these toys are safe for children to play with them.