Make a Doll-sized Closet From a Recycled Box!

I love to find unique, fun ways to make things for my dolls. My dad had some cardboard boxes laying around in our garage, so I thought it would be fun to give one of the boxes a new use!

Mia and I were going to turn it into...a doll closet! My dolls have lots of clothes but not many places to store them. We were so excited to tackle this project!

The supplies I started with were:

• Cardboard Box (18.5 inches tall by 10.5 inches wide.)
• Scissors
• Foam brushes
• Acrylic Paint
• Paper Plate
• Wooden Dowels (1.5 by 12 inche size, but I was going to use them for later)

I first cut off the bottom and top flaps of the box to get them out of the way. :)

Then I started painting! I chose to go with white so I could easily put on pretty decorations.

After I painted the first coat I had to wait an hour for it to dry, and then I did about three more coats. It took some patience, but was well worth it!

See? Doesn't it look so different?! I was ready to get decorating!

For decorating I used some $1.99 stencils I got at Hobby Lobby, spongy stencil brushes, and Martha Stewart Gloss and Glitter Paint that was on sale at Michaels Craft Store. (You could also use anykind of colorful stickers to decorate too!)

I carefully sponged on the stencils...

I think they turned out amazing, and it was so much fun!!

As I waited for the paint to dry, I pulled out some glass beads I found at Hobby Lobby.

I thought they would make great doorknobs for the closet.

Using a hotglue gun I glued two of the beads together to form the knob. Then I glued it onto the box!

I loved them! Now that the paint was dry, it was time for me to do the final step to make the closet. I needed to put in the clothes rack.

I marked a hole 2 inches from the top of the box. Using a 1 and half inch by 12 inch wooden dowel, with my mom's help we poked it through the box and pushed it to the other side. There was an extra half inch of dowel sticking out of the box, so with my mom's help we cut off the excess.

Then we were finished!!

Mia was so excited to organize her favorite outfits in the closet!

Lots of clothes to choose from!

I was extremely happy with how it turned out, and my dolls LOVE it! It doesn't even look like a cardboard box anymore! Remember that you can recycle things (like boxes) to make beautiful items for your doll! 

My dolls can't wait to use their closet everyday. If you make a closet for your doll, or do any other creative doll project, I'd love to see it! Feel free to send me a picture at email@americangirlfan.com

Happy crafting!

Comments

[God'sGirl]

Ooh, yeah i made a doll closet for my doll and I used a shish-ka-bob stick for the rack thingy but I don't have hangers :( so I just laid the clothes over it. I didn't paint it becuase... HEY, why NOT paint it??? I just need to find the right paint and stuff... Hm a good project for boring, rainy, days!

P.S. Liz, so this was the suprise you were talking about in your shout-out! Wow! I never would have guessed! You are awesome at making doll crafts!

[spidergirl]

I am goin to so make one when I get a box! Thanks for the great idea, I already have most of the supplies at home!

[Emma :)]

I just finished making a fridge with a old shoe box, and a washing machine with a old tissue box!

[toy amusement]

I love it! I am making my dolls a room with a box that has raping paper wallpaper. Now I will add a closet! =^..^=

[Lydia]

Great idia!

[Delaney]

Wow. I just saw the cardboard box................then I see this beautiful closet! It's so neat! Love it!
I remember you had the Shout Out Your Doll Site, with Mia outside and you said you were working on a project! It's so pretty!

[Emma]

Wow, that is so cool! :) I love how you decorated it as well. :)

[Kassidy]

That is adorable Liz! Great job! I made a doll bed out of cardboard boxes a while ago :)

[Dakota]

That's so cute, Liz! You did an excellent job! :)

[Mattie]

That is soooooooooooooooooooooooo cute! I just got some stuff from American Girl online with some birthday money and an AG gift card, it came today! And I made a new hairstyle on Julie, it's so cute!

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

You.Are.AMAZING! I'm hoping I can find room to put this so I can make it! It's SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

Emma, how did you make a washing a machine out of a tissue box? Wouldn't that be too small?

toy amusement, That's so cool! That must've taken a lot of work!

Kassidy, I totally need to do that! I have so many dolls sleeping on the floor! Sometimes it breaks my heart!

[Kay]

That is such a good idea! I am always looking for ways to store my doll stuff.

[Char]

This turned out great Liz! Love the stencils and the handles - so creative.

[Delaney]

Oh wait, GodsGirl already said that!

[Christian homeschooler]

Does anyone know of or have A life of faith doll?

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

No, I have never heard of that christian homeschooler. Are they like AG dolls?

[Amelia Rose]

I'm going to do that! I use the exact same glue gun! Great project! Thanks a LOT for the idea! I don't have many doll clothes and 1 doll so it will be PERFECT!

[God'sGirl]

I just made one! Now, I am just waiting for the little beads (knobs) to dry!

[God'sGirl]

well actually they weren't beads they were just a smaller version of what Liz used

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

That's awesome God'sGirl! Send in a picture to Liz so we can see it! I hope to make one in the near future :)
~Jaclynn

[Christian homeschooler]

Yeah, Jaclynn they are kind of like that. They are a bit bigger. They were a company selling dolls but they went bankrupt. It was too bad since they were a Christian company.

Oh, i made one of those cardboard closets too. I think it is a good idea.

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

Oooooh! That's cool that they were a Christian company! Are their faces cute? Do you have one?
~Jaclynn

[Christian homeschooler]

Yes I have one. I love the faces of the dolls. And they were very good quality, too. I just love the books about the dolls.
Do you know about the original Elsie books? Well A Life of faith rewrote the Elsie books and and made an Elsie doll and books about, basically the same as the originals, but not with the language and there are only eight of them.

[Christian homeschooler]

They sold 5 different dolls.

[aglover]

I AM MAKING IT watching paint to dry LOL i will send pictures ASAP

[Jaclynn (Bitty Beanies)]

Christian homeschooler:

That's so cool! They had books too? Wow!
No, I've never heard of Elsie books before.
Only 5? Are they 18' dolls?

Also have you ever heard of Our Generation dolls? I don't have one, but their clothes and furniture and such are the perfect size for AG dolls! I hope to get their Salon Chair. I think its only like $15! They sell them at Target! I don't think the dollsare cute enough to buy though. LOL!

By the way, sorry this comment is so late! I hadn't seen your comment until now!
~Jaclynn

[Amelia Rose]

Jaclynn & Christian Homeschooler: I've heard of A Life of Faith dolls because some of our friends had Elsie, too! They moved out of CA, though. But the dolls WERE a little bigger than American Girl, and I think the books are at Christian Bookstore. I never read them, but sometime I might.

I've HEARD of Our Generation but didn't pay ATTENTION to it. It seems not as intresting as AG because I LOVE history and ALL of my friends have a more love of fantasy than me.
I am VERY surprised at how yesterday Rebekah and I were talking about books and how we prefer different types. We both like both history and fiction, but I prefer historical fiction when she prefers fantasy fiction.

~Amelia Rose

[Melissa]

Cute closet! I have one I made from the bottom of an AG doll box but I like this one, too! I love how you decorated it!

[susan]

I love this. About a month ago i started a cardboard box armoir. I covered it with vinyl paper made by Duck (as in tape) I haven't finished. Now I'm inspired!