How to Make Dollhouse Sofa & Chairs
Doll furniture doesn't have to cost a week's paycheck to be beautiful or fun. Making a chair or sofa for a doll can be entertaining, and by recycling items found around the house, it can be "green." The doll chair and sofa can be recycled again once your child's interest has waned. This doll chair and sofa can be decorated in many ways. Instructions given are for a chair. Follow same instructions on a longer box for a sofa. Model chair measures 6 1/2 inches high by 4 inches wide by 4 1/4 inches deep suitable for 9- to 12-inch doll.
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Things You'll Need
- Box (model box for chair is 3 ¾ inches high by 6 inches long by 4 inches wide)
- Packing tape
- Scissors
- Ruler
- Piece of cardboard at least the width and length of your box
- Paint
- Fabrics, assorted laces, trims
- Glue gun
- Glue
Instructions
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How to Make Dollhouse Sofa & Chairs
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1
Tape the bottom of the box closed (if not already done). Cut flaps from open top.
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2
Using a ruler, draw a vertical line down the middle of both long sides of the box. Measure exactly. (This should be around the width of the box, not the length of the box.)
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3
Cut the sides along the line. Do not cut the taped bottom of the box. Turn the box upside down, so the taped bottom faces up, and fold the bottom of the box up in half like a puppet mouth. The bottom of the box, or the inside of the "puppet mouth," is now the front of your chair where the doll sits. The box should begin to resemble a lowercase "h."
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4
On the top half of the box (the top of the "puppet mouth," or the chair back), measure 1 to 2 inches out from the fold (where the bottom of the box met the sides) on all three sides and mark a new line.
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5
Leaving the 1- to 2-inch portion, cut off the remaining strip. The 1- to 2-inch portion will stick out from behind the chair. This is used to balance the chair and will be hidden if covered with fabric.
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6
Position the box so it resembles a lowercase "h." It should have a narrow chair back projecting 1 to 2 inches from the back of the "puppet mouth" and a larger three-sided bottom.
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7
Measure the width and height of the back portion of the box (the back of the "h").
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8
Cut a piece of rectangle cardboard to measurements. (For model, cardboard is 4 inches wide by 6 1/4 inches long.)
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9
Insert the rectangle of cardboard into the open section of the chair back. It should be an exact fit and hold the folded portion of the chair up. Trim if necessary. Your box/chair will resemble a lowercase "h" but with a solid bottom, not legs.
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10
Secure the inserted cardboard by taping around the box. The frame of the chair is now finished and the "puppet mouth" should no longer be able to move.
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11
Paint or decorate with fabric and trims. Secure with glue gun.
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Tips & Warnings
If you have sewing skills, small cushions measured to fit the chair and sofa can be sewn and glued on top of a fabric base. The size of your box will determine the size of the furniture, so compare the box size to the doll or dollhouse.
