If you found the doll hanger tutorial that I posted last Wednesday to be fun and exciting, then this DIY American Girl closet should be right up your alley. Those of us that are trapped in the never ending cycle of doll and accessory purchasing know that any way to save a buck or two on this stuff is totally worth it. And you can make this whole closet for less than $15 and in about 30 minutes. So let’s get started!
I was originally inspired to make this closet from a photo that I found on Pinterest, but I could never seem to find the source. If anyone knows who this photo belongs to, please, please let me know!
It seemed like a straightforward enough project though and I just happened to see some of these wood crates at my local Michaels store. I used my 40% off coupon and purchased it for less than $8. I grabbed a box of big and colorful thumbtacks and a dowel from Walmart and let my daughter pick 1/4 yard of fabric and coordinating ribbon from Hobby Lobby. (We made the shopping rounds that day!)
After cutting my fabric to size and hemming the edges, I started by measuring the inside of my crate and cutting the dowel to fit, then I used hot glue to hold the dowel in place. After holding a hanger up as a measuring tool, we chose to glue it more towards the upper back of the crate. And because I know my kids are super tough on their toys I also used my brad nailer to shoot a couple nails in both ends as well, but this is an optional step.
Then I got to work with the thumbtacks. I just held one end of my fabric in the middle of the crate opening and pushed the first tack in to place. Making sure to leave enough fabric to “drape” I used four more tacks to hold the fabric all the way to the edge of the crate. Then I repeated the same process for the other side. As drape hold backs, I cut a small piece of ribbon for each side and wrapped it around the fabric. I then tacked it to the sides.
My daughter happened to have an extra locker chandelier (these can be found at craft stores), so we added that for some extra pizazz, because her dolls are nothing if not fabulous.
We also added a couple of thumbtacks to the side to store some hats and larger accessories easily.
And the bottom is a perfect place to store shoes and earrings!
This was such a fun and simple project that took very little time or effort but saved me boatloads of money and made my girls super happy. It was definitely a win-win for me.
Now if only I could get my daughter to hang her own clothes up as neatly as she does her dolls!
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