Raman Noodle Room Boxes

 This is the easiest room box you will ever make!  Especially if you like Raman noodles like I do.  I made it for dolls that are about 5 1/2 inches tall; you can see one of them sitting on the bed.

All you need for this project is a Raman Noodle box, some colored Duck Tape (or for the purist among us, Duct Tape), box cutters, fabric, fusible interfacing, and glue.  If you want join several boxes to make a simple doll house like above, some large pieces of cardboard will be necessary.

First thing to do is even up the edges of your box with the box cutters, then with the duck tape, tape around each edge.  I do this for strength as well as aesthetics - I don't like the raw edge of the box to show.

Next, measure the box for your wallpaper, which is the fabric you chose with fusible interfacing backing it.  I only 'papered' the back and side walls, and left the ceiling and floor with the cardboard exposed.  Cut your fabric slightly larger than your measurements; you can always trim it to fit.

My chosen fabric (making a library here) and the interfacing.  Apply the interfacing to the BACK side of the fabric per the interfacing instructions.  Always use a damp cloth when applying interfacing so you don't scorch the fabric.

Interfacing applied to the back, and what it looks like from the front.  This will keep the edges from raveling and gives you a stiff, but not too stiff, material to work with for your wallpaper.

Next thing to do is to fit your wallpaper to the sides and back of the box.  With the edges covered by duck tape, you don't have to make the fabric perfectly flush with the edges.  In fact, I let about 1/2 inch of tape show.  I hold it in place with clothespins, and measure what needs to be trimmed off.

After you have cut the wallpaper to fit the inside of the box, glue it in place.  I do this by using clothespins to hold one side of the fabric to the edge of the box, fit the fabric into the box and crease the corners with the end of a paintbrush.  Then, pull back the side of the fabric that is not secured to the box with clothepins and smear glue over the back and sides.  I use an old paintbrush after I've applied to glue to spread it thinly but evenly over the surface.  Carefully press the fabric into the glue, creasing the corner and making sure you get right to the edge of the fabric on the side wall.  Use clothespins to secure the glued section to the side wall, turn the box around and repeat on the opposite side

One side pinned with clothespins, all glued in and ready to pin the other side.

I made three boxes, a library...

a bedroom,...

and a parlor (more like a window seat), then glued them together to make a simple dollhouse.  To do this, I placed the library and parlor together and duck taped them on the bottom, back, and top where they joined.  I then cut a pieces of cardboard to fit the joined bottom and top and glued this in place.

I added the bedroom to the top of this assembly, glued it to the top and taped it along the back joining.

Once this glue was dry, I cut a larger piece of cardboard to cover the entire back side of the dollhouse and glued it in place.

Back side of the dollhouse

Front side of the dollhouse!

The bedroom has a small closet with four hangers, made from clothespins taken apart and cup hooks

Once the dollhouse or roombox is finished, then you get to decorate!  I used two inch foam for the window seat, and just covered it with denim from an old pair of jeans.  The rug in the library is crocheted from size 10 cotton; the bed crocheted from sportweight yarn, and the chair in the library from a tutorial on this blog somewhere (this might link you to the tutorial)  Any bits of fabric, foam and stuffing can make some easy furniture.  

Enjoy your new home!

Dollmaking away the New Year

 

What have YOU been doing since the start of the year?  I've been obsessed creating dolls from Sandy Nordwall Eggers' Puddin pattern.  The doll pattern is freely available on Ravelry, and the clothing for this doll is either free or very inexpensive.

The doll is easy to crochet.  And also easy to make minor modifications to.  As you can see, some of these dolls have longer arms and legs...just add rows.  I made several to look like Raggedy Ann and some of her friends...use buttons for eyes (the best size I found was a 3/8 inche button for the iris and a 1/2 inch button for the whites.  Use black crochet cotton to sew to the head and you have the pupil!)

Most of the clothing on these dolls is either Sandy's exact pattern, or modified slightly.

I used size 3 crochet cotton, which is available as Aunt Lydia's Fashion 3 or Knit Picks Curio 3.  100 grams are 280 to 300 yards, so it is like a light dk weight yarn.  With this thread I used a 2.25mm hook (B), and used the same yarn for most of the outfits.  My dolls turned out between 5 1/2 and 6 inches tall.  Knit Picks has a wonderful selection of colors, and Aunt Lydia a great selection of skin tones:  Chocolate, Copper, Natural and Bridal White.  You can sometimes find size 3 crochet cotton at Thread Art...they have a very pale pink that works well for skin tone.

Puddin Pattern on Ravelry

Enjoy looking through Sandy's wonderful collection of dolls, doll clothing, and other delights!

Enjoy the day, and enjoy the crochet!