Baby Doll Changing Table OR Bunk Bed for 18" Dolls

So.....we needed a baby doll changing table.  I think this is the best plan I could come up with, because it also doubles as a BUNK BED for your 18" dolls!!!!!

SHOPPING LIST: (You may have some of these pieces on-hand as SCRAP)

2x2:    4 - 18" long (legs)

1x4:    2 - 24" long (top sides of "tray")

1x4:    2 - 10.25" long (top ends of "tray")

1x2:    2 - 24" long (sides of bottom "shelf")

1x2:    2 - 10.25" long (ends of bottom "shelf")

MDF:  2 - 12"wide x 24"long (top "tray" bottom and bottom "shelf")

12 - 2" wood screws

countersink bit for the screws

2" nails (nail gun)

1" nails (nail gun) - for tacking on the bottom MDF shelf

wood putty to fill holes and knots

Paint or stain to finish your piece

INSTRUCTIONS:

1.    Mark your sizes on your wood and cut out your pieces.  (I always mark the wood with sizes AND where it is to be used (leg, side) so that I can move faster when building.

2.    Sand your pieces (on the ends to be joined, at least, if not completely).  You don't want to deal with edges that won't join cleanly and snugly.

3.    Pre-drill 2 holes in the TOP of each 2x2 leg, with 2 legs having the "holes" toward the left side (as pictured) and 2 legs having the "holes" toward the right side.  This allows the legs to be mounted flush against the 1x4x24" side rails.  (The 2x2 is pictured being pre-drilled, and the 1x4 is positioned vertically underneath it for "measuring".  Thanks to my husband for doing this for me - his hands are bigger!)

Your 2x2 holes should look like this:

(these are the holes that are pre-drilled toward the right side....)

(this picture shows the holes oriented to the left for left side and to the right for the right side:)

4.    After pre-drilling the 2x2's, screw them into the 1x4x24" side rails:

(Yes, this picture is of a later step, but I wanted you to see the side profile of 2x2's and side rail:)

5.    You should now have a "pair" of side rails, one set for each side.

6.    Next, nail your 1x4x10.25" ends between the pairs of side rails to complete the "tray".  You will be using 2" nails to nail from inside the tray, through the 1x4x10.25" into the 2x2 legs.  Nail 4-5 times, spacing as you go along.

(Once again, picture is of a later step...)

7.    You should now have a "tray" on legs!

8.    Turn the piece upside-down, so that it is resting on its tray top.  Place one of the MDF 12x24 pieces between the legs, center it so that it is flush on the side and end rails, and nail down into the 1x4 rails using 1" nails every 2 inches.  (You may use screws instead of nails for added stability.)  

9.    Now turn the piece on its side.  You need to mark each 2x2 leg (on the inside) at 2" from the bottom of the 2x2 leg.  This is so that the 1x2 side rails will have a line you can use to keep them square as you build.  Position the 1x2x24" between the 2x2 legs, and square with the line on each leg (the line is positioned at the bottom of the 1x2, to give you a 2" clearance underneath the piece.)

10.    Pre-drill the hole, and then drill through the 2x2 leg into the 1x2x24" rail, making sure to keep the rail square to the line you marked on the inside of the leg.  (This picture is looking DOWN onto the leg after it was drilled.)  Do this step to both sides of the piece.

11.    Now nail on the short 1x2x10.25" ends.  Nail down (as pictured) through the 1x2 into the 2x2 legs.  Do this step for each end of piece.

12.    Turn your piece right-side-up.  It should now look like this:

13.    Last, place the other piece of 12x24 MDF on top of the bottom shelf.  Make sure edges are flush with the sides and ends of the 1x2's, and then nail or screw through the MDF into the 1x2's, spacing about 2" apart.

14.  Fill all nail holes and knots in wood with wood putty.

15.  Sand piece well.

16.  Finish as desired with paint or stain.

(I have not filled my nail/screw holes or painted this piece yet....in an effort to get the plans out to you so that you may build this in time for Christmas!  Please forgive the lack of "finish"!)

17.  So this can be a changing table for your child's baby doll:

And when they outgrow baby dolls...it can easily be converted to a bunk bed for their 18" dolls:

You simply need to add a "mattress" to the top for a baby changing table, and another mattress to the bottom for a bunk bed!  ****Instructions to make mattresses and pillows are located in my doll bed posting....please adjust the sizes according to the width and length of the piece here.  Or, you could just shove a pillow into the top like I did for the photo shoot! :)

You can see the bunk bed as built by reader's here:

http://domesticdeadline.blogspot.com/search/label/Doll%20Bunk%20Bed

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.

Pretend Play: Wooden "Gas Pump"

I want to thank Ana White at http://ana-white.com/ ......if it weren't for you, Ana, I would never have been brave enough to try this on my own, or to have the skills (which you taught me!) to complete it!!! My daughter and I THANK YOU!!!

I have had this half-made for months! I finally got serious yesterday and finished the gas pump. I realized that I made this from entirely salvaged parts and scrap wood...so it was FREE! As soon as it was dry, my daughter HAD to play with it....

I started with a simple "box" out of 1x10's (sides, top, bottom) and then added a 1x4 stile to the top and a 1x3 stile to the bottom. I then glued and nailed a piece of MDF inside the box to create the "face" of the gas pump:

**The "key pad" is a Gerber (plastic) food lid painted black and an old cell phone key pad glued to the top. ***UPDATE: I originally used hot glue to adhere the cell phone pad to the plastic Gerber lid, but within 2 days my daughter had pulled it off.  I had read great reviews on GORILLA GLUE, so I purchased some and used that to glue the cellphone pad onto the plastic lid.  THIS WORKED GREAT! It is VERY solidly "on there".  (I have not been paid or given free product.  This is simply my opinion.)
**The "gas selection" buttons, "readout screen", "attendant speaker" and "card reader" are all pieces of hobby wood.
**The CHEVRON logo is printed from Google images and decoupaged onto the front.
**I used Behr Polar Bear in Semi Gloss to paint the piece, although I wish I could have used silver and black!

After painting the piece, I mounted a 45 degree ABS elbow (2"? pipe) to the side of the gas pump for the pump nozzle to rest inside of. I then placed the gas pump nozzle into the elbow (to estimate placement of hole), and then drilled a hole for the "hose" (rope) to go. (I covered the hole with a bottle cap that I hot glued in place to make it look nicer, and fed the rope through to the inside. I then knotted the rope, and sealed the end with a zip tie and blow torch to prevent fraying:

 

I made the pump nozzle from some "old contractor parts" my husband had in the garage: electrical 45 degree PVC sweep (the "nozzle end") and an electrical 90 degree pull box (the "handle end"):

Now we're ready to swipe the debit card....

punch in our PIN number.....

and "fill 'er up"!

Happy Building!!

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.

Baby Doll: Bassinets

I've decided to go through my craft stash....and make Christmas presents for the kids. I never knew I had SO MUCH fabric, or so many unfinished (READ: half-way done and I gave up or got side-tracked) projects!

I have a 2 year old niece who is fascinated with baby dolls and pretending to be "mommy". She's a girlie-girl. I searched the internet and was introduced to TWELVE CRAFTS TILL CHRISTMAS, and her doll bassinet tutorial! Brilliant idea for me to use!

http://twelvecraftstillchristmas.blogspot.com/2010/08/doll-bassinet-tutorial-part-1.html

***I will allow her to tell you how to do it...can't improve upon perfection.

Here's the finished product for my niece (using my stashes of fabric, lace and quilt batting):

And, of course, why make 1 when you can make 2 just as easily!! So....here is one for my daughter:

And then.....my daughter found them. SO EXCITED! She said "not Cwis-mus, mommy", and that was that. We took the other bassinet to my niece (didn't want them arguing over the same bassinet while we visited), so I guess I'll have to make something else for Christmas. :)

***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.

Pretend Play: "Doctor" Lab Coat

My daughter is fascinated with all things "medical" because we have some doctors in the family. She is always trying to "doctor" us, so I decided she needed a lab coat to go with her doctor bag:

I simply purchased a white collared button-down long-sleeved shirt for $2 from Goodwill. After a GOOD washing in some bleach and ironing after drying, I measured my daughter's arm length from her collar bone to her wrist and added an inch for hems. I transferred the measurement to the shirt sleeves, lopped them off at the mark, and hemmed them.

Then I used the left over sleeves to make 2 pockets for the front (bottom) of the lab coat. I pinned and hemmed the pockets first, then pinned and sewed them to the shirt, leaving the top of the pocket open (duh!). I then added large buttons down the front (for affect) and velcro to the inside placket (for ease of child play). A plastic name tag (on-hand) completes the look. Can't beat $2!

***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.

Pretend Play: Wooden Post Office/Bank

Our next project was a wooden POST OFFICE / BANK. We actually finished this back in June, but I didn't have time to post it before we went on our month long vacation!

I wanted a piece that could be "multi-purpose", since we are quickly running out of room! I decided to modify Ana's Library from Grace's Town into this piece.

http://ana-white.com/2009/11/plan-library-base-for-graces-town.html

Here is the wood cut, ready to be assembled:

This is the basic "shelf unit" built, waiting for the "window" and "vertical dividers":

I built a basic "frame" for the plexiglas window, and then reinforced the inside with pieces of 1x2:

I found 18x24 plexiglas at Lowes, and attached it to the inside of the frame (after painting) with screws through the plexiglas:

With help from my husband (this window is BIG!), I attached the the frame to the base with metal "L" shape brackets and some "blocks" screwed together for stability:

I added vertical dividers to the shelves which makes it into a POST OFFICE. I also trimed out the front of each box with 1x2's to finish it off. At this point I painted the front white, and then stained the inside and countertop. I also added a flat wooden MDF panel to the front (not pictured, held on by mirror clips) so that the unit could be "converted" to a "BANK" by sliding the panel down the front and covering the "post office boxes":

The front has a "drop" door. This can be used as a place to drop "mail" or "bank money"!:

I accessorized with business signs (from Lowes), my daughters' cash register, a "money box" from Target, and some junk "mail". I even had an old "post office box" (converted into a bank) from my childhood that she confiscated for play. She loves it!

***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.

Pretend Play: Wooden Pie Hutch

Once again, we depart on a journey of loving creation!!

I saw the newest kid's design on Ana's blog and knew that I HAD TO BUILD THIS!! We need more storage and "counter space" for my budding chef.

http://ana-white.com/2010/06/furniture-plans-play-pie-hutch.html

Simply gather your wood:

Overall this was a VERY easy build, but it was time consuming with the curved cuts that needed to be made and then sanded before finishing.

Once the curves were cut out and sanded, I had the piece nailed together within 10 minutes:

I made sure to fill all holes and knots with putty and sanded well before I painted it white.

(I use Behr Polar Bear in Semi Gloss.)

I then carefully painted the "back" pink. Looking back, this would have been A LOT EASIER if I would have painted the back FIRST, and THEN nailed it on! HELLO, DUH! I was having a moment of "I just need to get this done before we go on vacation..."! (I used Lowes Valspar Polka Pink in Satin.)

At this point, there was NO HOLDING HER BACK....my daughter wanted to play with this NOW! I turned the fan on and let it blow FULL BLAST on the piece during my daughter's nap. It dried surprisingly FAST. She helped me load it up and arrange all of her canned goods! (Yes, she LOVES these cans and we make more every "can" chance we get!)

***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.

Muslin - Car "Town" Mat

When I was little, my cousin and I were REALLY into Micro Machines. They're these tiny little cars that came with cities and towns to put together. We couldn't afford the big play sets of our dreams, so my older and craftier cousin (think 10) came up with a way to have our cities but on a budget! She got out some poster board, markers, and a ruler and we set out on a journey of discovery and artistic license. We worked on that poster board for several hours, quickly ran out of space for our ideas, and moved on to a second poster board. I don't know what was more fun....designing the town or playing with it when we were done! My cousin was kind that summer. She let me take the "town" home with me, promising that she could make a better one for herself, although she never did.

Years later, I still have my Micro Machines. My daughter discovered them in a box in the closet. Now they are collector's items, no longer sold on the open market but in Ebay auctions and the like. I quickly drew a "town" onto paper for my daughter, and while she loved playing with it, it was easily destroyed in the mayhem. I then decided she needed her own town to play with, but I wanted to make it portable and more durable than the poster board town of my childhood.

Enter: Muslin, Sharpie markers, and Micro Machines

I made a list of all of the "places" I wanted the town to have: bank, hospital, police, fire, restaurants, houses, stores, schools, etc. I simply started with one building, measuring with a car for scale as I drew along. I included roads and parking spaces. My daughter would play on one corner of the completed town while I continued in another section.

MEDICAL BUILDING:

GAS STATION, MECHANIC:

SHOPPING CENTER:

NEIGHBORHOOD:

POLICE AND FIRE:

MALL AND THEATRE WITH LOTS OF PARKING:

When I ran out of room for my continuous list of ideas, I sewed on another piece of muslin, and then another. Now there is room for GROWTH!

It took several days, with a toddler's help, to finally finish. This mat is going with us for our summer plane trip. It will be a perfect distraction when we are sitting in the terminal between flights!

***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.