Hi!
N is no stranger to Doll Mag, having contributed both during Halloween and near the holidays {one and two}, so we were quick to say yes when she inquired about helping with our birthday celebration. Her paper doll sized garden is a perfect addition to our festivities, and we are glad that smaller friends can join in on the fun! :) She wrote up detailed instructions with step-by-step photos, so making one for yourself is easy with the help of a few supplies.
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YOU WILL NEED…
- Hot glue gun
- Turf square (usually found at stores such as Home Depot and Lowe’s)
- Plastic tree branches (found in the floral section of craft stores)
- Acrylic paint in shades of brown
- Paintbrush
- Craft knife
- Museum board or cardboard
- Plastic table (usually found on takeout pizzas – optional)
- Moss (also found in the floral section – I don’t recommend using what’s in your backyard)
1. Place tree branches on turf to determine where you want to attach them.
2. Cut holes in the turf to insert the tree branches.
3. Glue the moss to the tree branches.
4. Apply glue to the bottoms of the tree branches and insert them in the holes. If desired, glue down more moss for bushes.
5. Measure on the museum board the size you want the tree house to be. If you don’t have museum board around, cardboard is a fine alternative.
6. Cut out the shape traced on the museum board.
7. Score the lines drawn on the museum board and fold in to create the sides of the tree house.
8. Paint it with the different acrylic paints to resemble wood. When the paint is almost completely dry, lightly draw in lines with a needle to simulate wood texture.
9. Glue the sides together. Paint a long thin piece of museum board and glue it to the bottom to form a balcony. Glue the tree house onto one of the trees.
10. If you decide to make bushes, add some flowers with colored tissue paper. I chose to color white paper with makers to get just the right color, but regular colored tissue paper works just as well. Cut the tissue paper into strips.
11. Twist the tissue paper into flower buds and glue onto the bushes.
12. At this point the garden is technically complete. However, the blogoversary theme is “secret garden party,” so to make it more festive, I decided to add a string of lanterns. To make the lanterns, use a glue stick (not white glue or hot glue – the results will be disastrous) to spread glue on a piece of tissue paper and fold it in half. Let the glue set and then cut the tissue paper into strips.
13. Color the strips.
14. Fold the strips in half lengthwise and make a series of short vertical cuts all down the fold.
15. Place glue on one end of the strip, then wrap it around a paintbrush and glue it together. Cut off the excess and fold in half to make the sides come out more.
16. Hot glue a thin strip of stiff paper to the top of the lantern to form a loop from which to hang it. Repeat steps 14-16 with all the other strips.
17. Thread the lanterns onto a piece of string or thread and glue the two ends to the trees.
18. In keeping with the party theme, set out a table with food. I made mine out of some scrap museum board and painted it to resemble a wooden picnic table, but in a pinch the little table that comes with takeout pizza will work just as well if you trim the legs. Sketch out the food for the table, color it in, and cut it out.
Set out your dolls, and enjoy the garden party! Happy three-year anniversary to Bella and Lulu from everyone at Paper Doll World.
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Thank you so much N! We’re so delighted that she helped out this week, and we can’t wait to make a garden {or, at the very least, those fun lanterns} ourselves. Be sure to pay her a visit at Paper Doll World HERE.
Have a lovely night!
Bella and Lulu
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