How to Make a Chair for Barbie

Customize your Barbie's furniture by creating it yourself.

Barbie doll accessories allow children to customize the look of their doll by mixing and matching articles of clothing to create unique styles and also creating trend-setting hairstyles for the doll. Clothes and hairstyles are not all that are customizable, however -- creative children can make their own Barbie doll furniture, including beds, sofas and chairs. Custom-made Barbie doll furniture turns a store-bought or custom-made Barbie dollhouse into a truly one of a kind home for a Barbie doll.

Things You'll Need

• Craft foam
• Fabric
• Scissors
• Needle and thread
• Wooden beads
• Glue
• Dried beans or small polyurethane balls

Instructions

Simple Foam Chair

1. Cut a piece of craft foam into a three-dimensional square that is four inches wide, four inches long and two inches high. Cut a second piece of craft foam that is four inches wide, four inches long and one inch high.

2. Place a piece of fabric at least eight inches wide and 14 inches long on a flat surface. Place the 4-inch-by-4-inch-by-2-inch piece of foam one one side of the fabric and fold the fabric over it, like the cover of a book.

3. Fold the top edges of the fabric over the bottom edges of the fabric, as if wrapping a present. Sew along the three open edges of the fabric using a simple stitch. Cut away excess fabric if necessary. Repeat Steps Two and Three to cover the second piece of foam.

4. Place the first piece of covered foam on a flat surface. Glue a wooden bead to corners of one of the 4-inch-by-4-inch sides of the foam. The wooden beads are the chair's feet. Allow the glue to dry.

5. Turn the piece of foam over, so that it is resting on the chair's feet. Sew the second piece of covered foam to one side of the first piece of foam to create the back of the chair.

Beanbag Chair

1. Cut a piece of fabric that is five inches wide and 15 inches long. Cut two pieces of fabric into circles that are six inches in diameter.

2. Sew the edge of one circle to the top edge of the rectangle. Sew the edge of the second circle to the bottom edge of the rectangle. The only opening will be where the two ends of the rectangle meet.

3. Turn the fabric cylinder inside out, so that the seams are on the inside of the cylinder.

4. Fill the fabric cylinder about 3/4 full with dried beans or small polyurethane balls.

5. Sew the edge where the two ends of the rectangle meet together with a simple stitch.

Tips & Warnings

• Glue the fabric covers onto the craft foam instead of sewing the edges together.

• Glue the back of the chair to the seat of the chair before covering the foam with fabric to create a more durable chair. The process of covering the foam after the pieces are glued together is more challenging.

References

• Let's Build a Dollhouse: Let's Build a Dollhouse Sofa
• sewing.org: Bean Bag Chair

Resources

• Sew Dresses and More: Sewing how to: Sewing Easy Sewing Stitches