Displays and "Scene" Suggestions?

[chrysa1is]

So...

One of the things I've always admired about this board is all the creative ways y'all take pictures of your dolls and all the beautiful backdrops you have for them.

Seeing as I can't afford to buy all the Scene books to use. And seeing some of the beautiful doll rooms (both small and full size) y'all have made, I'm wanting to make one for myself, to start putting all these beautiful outfits to use for a picture album and also as display of my growing collection.

Question is... Anyone have some suggestions on how to make a "Room" for my girls? I don't have the money to buy a new book case, but have a small table in my room that they sit on now that I can use to put something on.

Are there boxes premade big enough for them to have furniture and stand up? Or I've considered seeing if I can get my brother to take a wood and cut out groves around it for me to put in backdrops painted on ply wood on two sides, so it would be open to arrange and re-arrange and take pictures of.

Though that costs money and forcing a brother to help, so I've also considered getting one of those school project poster boards and "wallpapering" it or painting it and just using the table top (wood) as the floor, until I can afford something nicer.

Anyone tried these two possibilities? I'd love to here suggestions and advise. My girls are just jealous of all the pretty pictures online, especially when their Mom knows how to make web pages.

Thanks...

<font color="#051E50" size="1">[ January 04, 2006 11:28 AM: Message edited by: Ionuin ]</font>

[stepshigh01]

You could ask around for carboard boxes big enough for a doll room. I had one, but flipped a coin to make it a doll room, or a stable. Stable ruled over. I was going to use some left-over wall paper to cover the two of the walls and paint one with acrylic paint availible at any craft store and even Wal-Mart. I was going to cut a rectangle out for a window and make a frame with leftover cardboard. Then I would save up some money and go to the local carpet store and ask if they had any leftover peices. Hope this helps a bit. Can't wait to see pics!

[DaisyDee]

I would recommend using Foam-Core board. It's like two pieces of posterbaord with a thin piece of styrofoam sandwiched in the middle. It's very stable, and comes in sheets large enough to make a doll room wall. Plus, it's not too expensive. I just got Molly's Scenes and Settings book, and its pages are actually foam-core. I would love to get the others too, particularly Kirsten's (I love the snow scene!) but they are just too expensive. The only way I was able to get Molly's is because I found it at a very cheap BIN on eBay. I like it because the scenes are close enough to contemporary to work for AGOT. (My favorite is the outdoor camp scene.) Keep us posted on whatever you and up doing, and post pics! Good Luck!

~Dee

[GreyMyst]

I am using foam core to make a bckground and my only advice is to paint, glue etc whatever you are doing to a piece of standard posterboard, then glue to the foam board.

I tried to draw and paint directly on the foam board and it got REALLY dented quick. So now I am drawing on posterboard and I am just going to glue it on the foamboard and then laminate it.

[chrysa1is]

Thanks for the great advice. I think I'm going to hit Michaels, AC Moore, or Hobby lobby tomorrow and see what they have.

Right now I'd be happy with a simple clean back drop and an evetual goal of painting and wall papering, because I live in an old house that is permenantly under construction and the walls in my room desperately need repainting.

Yes... a 1940s Mill house has charm and a decent price, but it also has lots of work. *groan*

But I'd love to have Molly's setting set, because it would be a lot like my house.

Will definitely post pictures once I have them up ready to go!

[TrvlLin]

If you use foamcore, do NOT apply prepasted wallpaper directly to it. (Dumb, I know, but I actually DID that!) Looked good until it dried...and shrunk! The walls buckled and I ended up tossing them! Lin

[chrysa1is]

ooo.. thanks for the advice. Would it do the same to the poster board if I past it to that before gluing it to the wall?

[MollyMolly]

ok, this is kinda late, but you could also try this: [img]redface.gif[/img]
http://www.geocities.com/dan_and_meg/doll_rooms.html

[chrysa1is]

It's not too late! it's perfect timing. I'm going shopping tomorrow...

Those are AWESOME rooms!

Thanks so much for the link!

[jessicasturm]

I've seen one board member that used a science project backdrop (like a trifold poster) as a backdrop. She did a really nice job and made a couple of rooms.

I've been thinking I'd like to do something simular, so tell me how it goes!

Jessica