Devon’s great new dollhouse begged for a closet, so I converted an unfinished wood crate we had been using for storage. I also made a blue-green closet for our 4-year-old daughter, who doesn’t know she’s getting a doll for Christmas. She also can’t read, so I’m not worried she’s going to find out here.
We had the crate, dowel and fabric flowers already, so the only cost was the paint and vines. The closet in the picture (above) is meant for 18-inch dolls, but you can easily size it down for smaller dolls.
Supplies:
Unfinished wood crate
Dowel from your local hardware store
Sandpaper
White primer
Paint (spray paint or at least 8 ounces of acrylic paint in whatever color you like)
Paint brushes in assorted sizes
Electric drill
Scrap wood
Clamps
Matte or gloss sealant
If you’re using an old crate, make sure it’s structurally sound. You can repair minor imperfections with wood filler if you want, but I left them alone. Our kids won’t care, and it’s a crate, so I embraced the rustic look. Clean the crate and sand it enough to eliminate the roughest parts. You don’t need to polish it smooth.
Measure both sides of the crate to determine where you want your dowel. It helps to have a doll hanger with clothes on it so you can make sure the hangers fit properly. Mark your spots with a pen or pencil.
Clamp a piece of scrap wood to the inside of the crate, opposite to where you intend to drill. This will give you a neater hole and prevent damage to the crate. Size your drill bit to your dowel and drill your first hole. Repeat the process for the second hole. Insert your dowel to ensure that it fits properly. If your dowel is too long, cut it with a pull saw so the edges are flush with the side of the crate. Don’t worry if it’s a little wiggly. You can fix that later.
Wipe off any sawdust. Give the crate several coats of white primer, on the inside and outside, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next. My crate was a paint sponge, and I used the whole can of primer for this step. If you’re priming with spray paint, do this in a well-ventilated area, preferably with a good mask. Sand between coats to smooth any excessively rough parts. Prime the dowel if you intend to paint it.
Once the primer is dry and you’re satisfied you got good coverage, paint the closet and dowel with your choice of paint. I used Folk Art Chalk Blushed Pink Rose for the closet in the picture. I love the soft, ultra-matte finish. Let the paint dry, then give it a second coat. You might need a third coat and a few touch-ups.
Paint the dowel if you like. You can match it to your closet or go for contrast.
When the paint is dry, give the closet and dowel a couple coats of a matte or gloss sealant, depending on the paint you used.
Insert the dowel through the holes. Add a little hot glue or wood glue on the edges to make it more secure if it jiggles too much, but I didn’t bother. The coat of paint on the dowel made it fit snuggly.
You can call it done here or decorate it with your own touches. I used faux vines to give the closets a garden vibe, and I hid the ends of the dowels with tiny fabric flowers. You can personalize it further with paint, decals, beads, etc. Go nuts!
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