Doll Trunk by Sandy Trefger

Hello everyone! Sandy here today with this adorable little doll trunk that I created using the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts kit # BD10B 8" Steamer Trunk.  How many of you had a doll trunk similar to this one when you were a kid?  I did.  Mine was pink.  I decided to make this one blue as that color was so pretty with the paper I chose for the inside.

These steamer trunks are so easy to put together and easy to change out to become a doll trunk.  I'll show you how but first let's go over the supply list.

• Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts 8" Steamer Trunk Kit #BD10B
• White Glue - Art Glitter Designer Glue with Metal Tip
• Glossy Accents
• Light Blue Acrylic Paint
• Light Blue Cardstock, 1 sheet 12x12
• White Cardstock. 1 sheet 12x12
• Kaisercraft 12x12 Designer Paper. 2 sheets
• Distress Ink
• Metal Latches, 3 (2 will be cut apart to create pieces for the handle)
• Metal Hinges, 2
• Metal Corners, 8
• Small Metal Brads, enough to attach your hardware
• Pink Hug Snug Seam Binding Ribbon
• Wood Cuticle Stick
• Eyelets, 2

Let's get started...

Step 1:  Layout all your pieces from the Steamer Trunk kit and wipe off all the edges with a damp cloth or baby wipe to remove the laser burn residue.

Step 2:  Select the pieces needed to convert the steamer trunk to a doll trunk.  I did not use 3 of the chipboard pieces (2 drawer shelves and the drop down desk).  Lay out the pieces on how they are to go together as shown in the photo below.

Step 3:  Use white glue to assemble the two sides of the trunk.  You will put glue into the valley of the notches for each piece.  Assemble both sides and add in the drawer shelves to accommodate your doll.  Leave a place for clothes to hang.

Step 4:  Select the drawers that you will need to fit into your doll trunk. I only needed 2 of the taller ones and 1 of the shorter ones.  Burnish along each fold line to assemble the drawers.

Step 5:  Apply glue to the tabs and glue the drawer sides together. Hold until glue grabs and sets.

Step 6:  Select your acrylic paint color.  I used light blue.  Paint the insides of the drawer areas, the sides, back and bottom of the drawers and then paint about a 1/2" area along all edges of both sides of the trunk and the drawers.

Step 7:  Select your patterned paper for the inside of the trunk.  I went with a small rose floral pattern from Kaisercraft.  

Step 8:  To tone down the light blue color and to give the trunk a more vintage look, I inked the painted edges of the trunk with Iced Spruce Distress Oxide Ink. It also made the blue more like the blue in the patterned paper.

Step 9:  Measure and cut patterned paper to cover all the inside sections of the trunk and drawers.  Leave the sides of the trunk on the inside unpatterned until you have finished the outside and added your hardware.  The pattern paper on the inside will cover up the brads you will use to attach the hardware.

Step 10:  For the papers that will cover the front and inside front of the drawers, lay it on the drawer front and mark the notch with a pencil . See photo above.  Then use a small circle punch to punch out the notch.  Glue the papers on to the front of each drawer and to the front inside of each drawer.

Step 11:  Measure and cut solid cardstock pieces (I used light blue) to cover all the exterior sections of the trunk.

Step 12:  Cut 12x12 white cardstock into 3/4" strips.  Score the strips in half lengthwise to create trim for the outside of the trunk. Cut into 4 each 8" strips, 4 each 4" strips and 8 each 2" strips. Burnish and fold in half.

Step 13:  Glue the white trim strips to all of the outer edges of the trunk.

You do not put trim on the inner edges. See photo below.

Step 14:  Lay your metal hinges on to the left back side of the trunk.  Create holes for the hinges  with either a drill and small bit or a brad piercing tool.  Attach the hinges with small metal brads.  Open up the prongs on the inside of the trunk and make sure they are flattened down well.  You can add a bit of glue to secure them in place.

Step 15:  Attach the metal latch to the right front side using brads.

Step 16:  Use Glossy Accents to glue the metal corners to each outer corner of the trunk.

Step 17:  Create a handle out of cardstock and metal cut from two latches.  Attach to one side of the trunk with brads and glue.

Step 18:  Finish patterning all the remaining sections of the trunk including the drawers.  Paint a wood cuticle stick to create a dowel for the clothes/hanger side of the trunk.  Cut wood dowel to size and insert ends into two eyelets.  Glue into the clothes section of the trunk.

Step 19:  Cut the prongs off of small brads and use Glossy Accents to attach brads into the holes of the metal corner pieces.

Step 20:  Attach a ribbon into the doll section of the trunk.

Your doll trunk is completed and looks just like the vintage ones.

Thank you for following along.  I can't wait to find a small doll to put inside my doll trunk.  She needs to be about 5.5" tall.  This will sit on a shelf in my quilting room where I have other vintage toys.

I'll be back on October 18th with something spooky for Halloween.  Please visit my blog/website at:   www.sandytrefger.blogspot.com for more of my crafty creations.

Happy Crafting!

~Sandy

Coffin Box Trio with Susan

Hello crafty friends!  Is it Halloween yet?  Are you done with all these spookies and skellies?  Hopefully not since I have a little more for you today.  If you couldn't tell by now, spooky-themed projects are my year-'round fun.

Today I have a trio of Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts miniature coffin boxes.  Finished, they are 4 1/4" x 2 1/8" x 1 1/4", with two coffins per package.

The first thing was to bend up the edges, then glue.  I did one tab at a time and used clothes pins to secure while the glue worked it's magic.

 Next, I edged the coffin with brown ink and filled in the scored indentation with a brown pen.  I traced the top, bottom, and sides onto scrap paper, cut them out, and inked the edges.

You can use any glue for this step, but the trick I can share is to go slowly and glue one section at a time.  Make sure the paper is staying straight since it can be difficult (impossible!) to fix once you get around to the end.  I know this from experience... which is why there are only 3 coffin boxes out of 4.  ::grin::

Since I succeeded on the bat box, I continued with the other boxes.

These are fun!  I'm not sure how I'll use them yet.  For now they are a resting place for George to supervise my work.  

This design is also available in 7 1/2" long coffin box and a 6" long coffin box.  Happy crafting!

Cheers,
Susan

GYPSY SOUL LASER CUTS USED
Coffin Box Miniatures RB5


OTHER SUPPLIES USED
Graphic 45 Rare Oddities paper
Ranger Glue 'n Seal medium
Brown ink and pen

Dying to get out

Hi Gypsy Soul Fans,
I have a fun Halloween decor project for you today.

This project was so fast and simple to create, but the results are pretty creepy.
Cover your Coffin Box with your choice of paper.  I went with something that looks like weathered wood.

On the underside of the lid place another small piece of the same paper and cut through the chipboard using a craft knife.

Glue your skeleton to the top of the box so his head pops out of the hole. I cut an addition tiny hole so a hand could peep out.  Add brown ink to the edges of the coffin and the hole. Flick on black paint and wrap the box with chains.  Do not wrap them all the way around.  You want the back to remain flat so you can attach it to your frame.  

Paint a frame black and highlight with brass paint.  Glue your coffin to the center and cover the frame with moss. 

You're all done!

Jess

Save

Crazy Cat Lady Haunted House Collage

Okay I admit it. I'm one of those crazy cat ladies you hear about.  I mean it's not like we're outnumbered or anything. We have an equal pet to people balance. But if my youngest who is in college now decided to move onto campus...well....he'll have to take one of the cats with him lol.
I created this collage inspired by haunted houses.

 It may have turned out more cute than spooky.  I like it either way.

I didn't plan ahead enough to order the actual chippie shingles...so I had to create these out of paper. My advice is order the chippies!!!!! You will thank me later. They look much better and are far less work.

Also I thought for sure I had a door????? Once I was in there was no turning back so I used this arch top window as a substitute and added some faux boards across to give it the look of an abandoned house.  The fence is given a crackle finish to give the appearance of age.

Creepy little spiders and webs are the perfect Halloweeny detail and a bit of old moss to emulate once homey flowers turned withered and old.

First I decided on the lay out of  the chippies from the Gingerbread House Mini Album Kit and mixed in Halloween elements.

Paper with a brick print was added to the background and snipped out then inked with chalk ink to take the brightness down.

The shingles are created with papers clipped with a scallop edged scissor  then inked and a fine line drawn on.

Once I had the shingles adhered to the base I decided to snip off what would have been icicles on the roof section.

I finished the spiderwebs with a Pitt Pen in black.

The window and door frame are painted in flat white acrylic. The shutters were finished with the Pitt pen. I was concerned the heart cut out was just a bit too cute so I snipped it off.This made the shutter too short. No trouble ...I just stacked 2 to get the correct height.

To age the window and door frames they are given a pounce with the chalk ink.

The windows have a layer of velum and printed paper adhered behind and a bit of detail added to the front with a gray alcohol ink pen.

Gypsy Soul Laser Cut Supplies~ Gingerbread House Mini Album Tall, Spiderweb Shape Set, Rickety Fence With Cats, Creepy Corners 1, Gothic Window Overlay.

Wishing all of you a happy and productive day : ) G

Hidden Drawer Book Box

Hi everyone, its Angela here with you today and I am sharing my hidden drawer book box with you.

I decided to cover this one with paper so I set out all the pieces on my desk just to make sure I knew which bit went where, I wanted to make sure I put the paper in the right place.
These are the pieces needed for the drawer (minus the spine of the book which gets added later)

And these are the Book part:

Use the chipboard pieces as templates for your paper (draw round them leaving out the tabs where they join with another piece):

Here is the drawer with the first 2 paper pieces added for the inside

Those of you out there who are very observant will notice that the top piece in the picture is actually the wrong way round, something I hadn't noticed until I put the paper on the wrong side - oops.

Once I had lined the drawer with paper I glued it together and covered the outside, Remember you do not need to cover one of the long sides as the "spine" of the book glues on the front of it.

I then laid out the pieces for the book bit and covered them (do the sides first and then cut pieces to fit the whole front and back and don't forget the spine.

Lastly place the drawer inside the book and glue the spine to the drawer, careful you do not close the drawer or you will find it very difficult to get it open again without pulling the spine off (ask me how I know that one eh! )

And here we have the finished project:

Supplies:
Hidden Drawer Book box
Kirby Teesdale Studio paper

A Spooky Little Neighbourhood

Halloween is just around the corner so I thought that this month I'd make something spooky for that sweet holiday. Using products from Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts,  Canvas Corp and 7Gypsies.

I've used the Cabana Row Houses as my base. There's 5 in the set and so you can create quite a nice little haunted neighbourhood!

Some of the houses are covered using papers from 7Gypsies. Some are simply painted white, decorated with Architextures™ Parchment Rub-Ons and then distressed.

Each of the houses uses pieces from the Miniature Bookplates Shape Set as windows. Creating the rooves was super simple with burlap pieces from Canvas Corp

There are plenty of embellishment opportunites. I've used Faux Metal Number Plates 1 to 25 but don't forget the larger Faux Metal Number Plates and Gears Shape Set would be super cool for a steampunk haunted neighbourhood. Go check out all the shapes available at Gypsy Soul and I'm sure you'll find some inspiration.

For a final touch I've added plastic spider and ants from the halloween aisle at the dollar store. 

Want to make your own? I've created a walk through with some simple practical tips HERE.

And here are the goods I used in making my own little spooky neighbourhood.

Cabana Row Houses

Faux Metal Number Plates 1 to 25

Miniature Bookplates Shape Set

7Gypsies Paper

Architextures™ Parchment Rub-Ons
Burlap from Canvas Corp
Plastic spiders
Vintage images
Twine/Ribbon
Acrylic Paint
Hot Glue
White Glue