Tutorial: Making a Simple Doll Stand

Supplies & tools needed:

Wooden base (I bought mine from Spotlight). You can use any shape you like and you can also find wooden coasters which are suitable for smaller/lighter dolls.

I already had 12 gauge (2mm) aluminium wire (from Over the Rainbow) however, I'm using their 1/8" (3.2mm) Armature or Modelling Wire which is a little more expensive, but will hold most dolls.

Hollow aluminium tubing (the hole should be large enough to insert the wire doubled, I bought 10 x 1mm from Bunnings).

Needle nose pliers and side cutters.

Hack saw to cut the tubing and drill to make a hole in the base (borrowed from hubby's workshop).

Glue and trims (optional) the one I am making here needs just a little batting to create the illusion of snow, but you could use faux grass or carpet depending on where you imagine your doll to be standing.

Firstly take your wire and using the pliers to help you bend it into this shape (left) and bend it over and squeeze it tight, then cut it off a little higher than the bottom of the "U".

Insert the wire you just bent into the tubing (right), which will give your stand stability.

Sit your doll in the "U" saddle (left) and mark the base level, then cut the tube a little higher. To get the exact distance measure the depth of your base.


Now take your base and drill a hole the same size as the tubing, make it slightly off center so you have enough room for your doll's feet to stand. Sorry I forgot to take a photo of this.

Next you simply push the tubing in the hole and if necessary glue the tubing in place. Allow the glue to dry and decorate your stand however you wish. Mine was a tight fit, so I didn't need the glue.

You can also make a different type (as you see in the 1st photo) using dowel, however, this doesn't have a "U" saddle for the doll to sit in, it just runs up the back underneath the dolls clothes. It works quite well with some dolls, but not for those with very loose joints.

I know sometimes dolls don't come with stands, especially if you pick one up on the secondary market, so I hope this tutorial helps in some way and you have fun making a few stands of your own.
Big hugs,
X

Alternative Reality

"Life is full of choices! Having stepped into a mysterious mirror portal, her reflection is caught between two worlds and she must decide to which reality she belongs. Should she enter the hurly-burly of Victorian London street life that feels so familiar to her, and yet so distant? Or perhaps the eerie neglected buildings, which are all that remain of a palace where once she was a princess." ~ Josaphine Wall

I can so relate to this painting . . . I often feel as though I am caught between a rock and a hard place. Like this week, wanting to work on my Nutcracker project on one hand, and catch up with blogging and friends on the other.

However,  having so much to do at home and knowing full well that taking on five dolls at once will need a lot of concentration and considerable effort, I decided to put the Nutcracker project on the back burner until after Christmas (hopefully I'll get them all finished before the following one).

That leaves me free to complete as many of the tasks I really feel like doing, while I'm in the mood to do them (ones that are simple and quick). :)

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Big hugs,

X

Project Mc² Knitted Clothes 4 Sale

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Well here's a few photos of the new knitted dresses.

WINE

If you are interested, they are $15 plus Economy Air (no tracking) postage = $3.
If you want tracking, it would have to be sent as a parcel = $21.20.

United Kingdom, United States  approx. 7 days

Rest of the World it takes up to 14 days 

BLUE

Please the contact form at the bottom of this page to send me your email and address, so I can send you a PayPal invoice. Let me know the colour/s and I will ship the first working day after receiving payment.

LILAC ~ GREEN ~ YELLOW SOLD

The dresses were all looking lovely and straight on all the dolls when I began the shoot, but these girls are a real pain in the butt to stand, so hair got in their faces and the dresses twisted around when I handled them. oh BTW they close with two buttons at the back.

Thanks for looking!

Hugs,

X