Homemade Doll Closet Craft

Build an armoire (with hangers!) for Barbie's budding wardrobe!

Submitted by
Kayla Chong

Is your child's idea of putting away her clothes tossing them in a pile on her bedroom floor? Have her build her very own closet and hangers for her dolls' clothes. If she practices enough with her dolly's little outfits, she might just catch on and start hanging up her own with this clever craft.

Shoebox:
It's not exactly a walk-in closet, but it'll do! The bigger the better. A kids' shoebox will make for a closet like yours—but a box from a pair of knee-high boots will make a walk-in worthy of Paris Hilton!
Construction or wrapping paper:
Enough to cover the shoebox and lid inside and out.
Tape
Glue
Hot-glue gun and glue sticks:
Remember, kids and hot glue don't mix, so make sure you do all the gluing!
Rug remnant or felt:
Optional
Hole punch or scissors:
If you're using a really thick shoebox, you may need a screwdriver to punch your holes.
A wooden dowel or chopstick:
Yay! Chinese takeout tonight!
10 pipe cleaners:
Makes 10 hangers.
10 coffee stirrers:
Nab a few extras next time you're at the coffee shop!

Have your child "wallpaper" the closet by covering the shoebox and shoebox top with the construction or wrapping paper.
You can either have her cover the whole closet in paper, or to make a plusher closet, she can glue a piece of felt to the floor. If you happen to have a carpet remnant lying around, hot-glue it to the bottom of the box. (Depending on which size box you're using and the size of the clothes you'll be hanging, you'll have to help your kid determine if the floor is the horizontal side or the vertical side.)
Next, a grown-up should poke two holes on either side of the top of the shoebox for the chopstick (or dowel) with the hole punch or scissors. If the hole punch or scissors won't get the job done, break out a screwdriver and use it to punch your holes.
Fit the chopstick (or dowel) into the holes to create the hanging rod.
Help your kid cut the coffee stirrers into 2-inch pieces.
Have your child twist one end of a pipe cleaner around and around one of the 2-inch pieces. Cut off the excess and save for the next step.
Have her bend the remaining piece of pipe cleaner once around the center of the coffee stirrer and then into a hook on the other end for hanging on the dowel and—voilà! You've got a hanger!
Get your child to hang up her dolls' clothes. When she's done playing with them, have her put the shoebox top back on to neatly put everything away. Imagine that, a craft that makes cleaning up fun! Fabulous!