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One of the most popular, readily available and easiest materials to use for homemade Barbie furniture is cardboard from boxes. Rectangular tissue boxes are ideal for couches and beds because of their proportions, and the cube-shaped tissue boxes lend themselves well to chairs. A few scissor cuts to remove the center top and front of the box gives a basic couch or chair shape, and adding some stuffing and fabric makes cushions and upholstery. For a basic bed, you don't even need to cut---just cover the tissue box with batting and fabric, then add a pillow, sheet, and bedspread from more fabric.
Cut larger cardboard boxes, like cereal or cracker boxes, into smaller pieces and secure them together into different furniture shapes with masking tape. You can make chaise longues, tables and more elaborate couches, chairs and beds (even canopy beds). - Use small metal cans---such as 6-oz. crabmeat cans---to make interesting Barbie furniture pieces like pet beds, ottomans and round coffee tables. Because of the possibility of sharp edges, fill all metal cans to the top with stuffing or cotton balls, then completely cover them with batting and fabric. Also, only an adult should clean, dry, and upholster the cans. Once you have covered the can, and no sharp edges are exposed, kids can help glue on trim like beads, sequins or lace.
- Tiny matchboxes are ideal for drawers in Barbie furniture. Glue them into short stacks of three or four, then glue two or three stacks together side-by-side for a dresser. Small beads make good drawer pulls. You could also use the matchboxes singly to add one drawer to a cardboard end table or nightstand. The boxes take paint well, or you could cover them with adhesive-backed contact paper.
- Use rectangular food storage containers to make trundle beds. Find two that are only one size apart, turn them upside down, and upholster and decorate them as beds. Turn the larger one back over and glue wooden dowels or other sturdy supports into the inside corners. When it's dry, stand the larger bed on its supports and trundle the smaller one underneath it. Before you glue in the supports to the top bed, make sure that the smaller one will still fit underneath. If not, you'll need to use different supports that take up less horizontal space.
