Taking Stock (Again!)

I have been very busy NOT making clothes!!! If you have more than a couple dozen dolls, you know the problem. As your doll collection grows, so do the number of garments, shoes and accessories. At first you can control it. And maybe, like me, you build a cute little closet from one of those wonderful tutorials on Pinterest. But then the day comes where you need more storage.

A modest beginning in 2013!

In 2013 for my first tutorial, "Taking Stock," I built a lovely little closet out of balsam wood and dowels, fashioned adorable little clothes hangers out of wire. And everything out of season, I put in a box and placed on a shelf in the basement. And then chain migration began.....

More dolls meant more clothes, more shoes, handbags, lingerie, bathing suits, stockings, hats, jewelry and.... boyfriends!!! I found an old drawer which I converted into a closet for the guys by standing it on end and adding dowels. I bought plastic cases to store their shoes. I

Meanwhile in the basement... I couldn't find anything because there was no system And when I did locate the right dress, it was wrinkled! So two years ago, I proposed  "Closet Boxes," an organized way to store dolly's out of season gear upright in a cardboard box and out of the way. And while I am still faithfully storing doll clothes in this fashion, I found that some (many) items needed to be in full view. I was blaming the dolls for stealing borrowing items and losing them. Since that post, I have been reorganizing, building and rebooting....

A hidden camera revealed much activity in the vicinity of the closet while I am out of the room or asleep!

I needed something more practical than "pretty." This time around, I made racks and shelving inexpensively using...3/8" (4mm) foam core board, 3/8" dowels, a straight edge, hot glue gun and toothpicks. It's not difficult, it's not costly and best of all...it is fast!!

My needs now are multiple. I have gowns of varying lengths...from ankle length to trains, pants and shirts. I have lots of black and lots of white. I have spoiled my girls--both the Barbies and the Fashion Royalty clan--with more shoes than I possess for myself! My dolls' needs are very specific. I am showing you 2 shelving units, which is all you need because you can configure the dimensions any way you please according to you own needs. Foam core is super light, but then again, so are dolly's clothes and accessories. You can use wood, but I chose this material because no hammer or drill is necessary. But if you really need to make it "pretty, feel free to paint, cover with auto-adhesive paper, or add trim.

Shelving Unit

I'm using this unit to store my dolls' wardrobe of boots. The unit was made from a single panel of 30x20" foam core board. The back and sides (cut in one piece where it's marked "cut") measure 18-3/4" from the right edge. The bottom panel is 3-3/4" from the bottom edge and the top is 3-3/4" up from the bottom panel. The resulting board is cut into 4 equal panels. You will need to trim a scant 1/8" off the side edge (so they will fit inside of the unit).

1. Measure and draw your lines directly on the board. Use a single edge blade, box cutter and a steel ruler. Cut through at the vertical line to separate the shelves, top and bottom panels from that of the side/back panel.

2. For the back panel, you will need to draw a vertical line 3-3/4" from the left edge and the same from the right edge. Using a straight edge razor or box cutter, score along those two vertical lines. That is, you will cut half way through the board without completely severing. Fold each side inward, in the direction away opposite the cut.

3. Shows what this should resemble.

4. You can use hot glue or some other glue along the top edge of the unit. Lay the top panel on.
Turn upside down and repeat, gluing the bottom panel to the unit.

Lay the shelving unit on its back.
Now let's plan what kind of spacing you will need depending on the accessory. In my case, I have boots of varying lengths. And boots and spats I made out of fabric.

1. Place the objects inside of the box and place your shelves around them.
2. Mark the placement with a pencil. Use a ruler to make sure, from side to side, everything is level. Add glue to the edges of each shelf and slide them in place. You can use 1/2 toothpicks on both sides to keep the panels in place while the glue is drying and as added support.
3. Here, I had fabric boots I chose to suspend so I poked a 3/8" dowel near the top.
4. I made separate hangers using dolly sized clothes pins and wire poked through the wire joint, bent into a S curve.

Note: I cut the dowel so that it would extend away from the shelf which allows me to hand boxes of shoes on each side. These are small translucent boxes I found at the Dollar store. They are normally used to store hardware items like nails, nuts and bolts! I organize the boxes of shoes by color.

In addition to these shoe boxes, I also rummaged through my dad's stuff and found an old storage box, normally used to store nails, nuts & bolts and the like. They are sold at hardware stores.

If you look closely at the photo, you'll also notice I also used different sizes of plastic drawers. One set holds lingerie, tops and scarves. Another for handbags. And the larger holds jewelry, hair stuff, and more shoes for the guys. (My craft drawers are on the other side of the desk.)

Ken's shoes fit into one of those drawers, but my FR guys' shoes are  larger. I found this box (designed to hold beads, thread, etc) at a crafts store. It's kept on the bottom of the guys' closet.

More (Planned) Closet Space

This is really, the same closet I built back in 2013, except I've used foam core instead of wood. Again, this was created using a single panel of 30x20" foam core. It does not have a closed back. But you can always cut another piece of board or poster board if you want it contained.

Here's a variation of the above shelving. In addition to re-positioning the shelves, I added "pegs" to suspend the shoulder bags.

Lengthwise, I divided the board into 4. The top two panels are sides and are cut separately. The bottom two panels are divided in half. This creates the top/back and the bottom/back of the unit.
Cut along the lines marked "cut." and score (or slice lightly and bend) where indicated.

1. When cut apart, it will look like this.
2. The top/back and the bottom/back are scored and folded.
3. Glue along the top edge of the side panels and place the top/back panel (folded 90 degrees) as shown. Turn around and repeat for the bottom. You can insert toothpicks cut in half and pressed into at the corners as extra support.
4. Hold the garments to the unit to determine where the dowels should go. You can use 3/8" or 1/4" dowels.
5. Again, if you want to close off the back, cut a piece of poster board and glue to the back edges.

For this size of closet, I can usually get 3 rows of racks comfortably within. You could add a fourth rack if you have lots of tops and shirts.

Me, I really needed a closet for those black tie dresses and ballgowns. (My girls go to so many glamorous events!) Here, there are only two rows. Perfect!

Hang On!
More closets mean you'll need LOTS more hangers! I made more of the variety I posted in, "Closet Boxes." Only this time, instead of recuperated cardboard, I used sheets of white foam: 3mm is nice but 2mm will do as well. What's nice here is that you create them to fit your doll.

 What's nice is that you can alter them to fit the garment. And you can pin the matching accessories directly onto the foam.
1. Place your doll on a sheet of paper. Trace around her body from her neck to the widest part of her hips. Don't draw the arms.
2. Remove the doll.
3. Smooth out the lines and transfer onto cardboard so that you use as a template.

You don't have to make them all the way to the hips. You could stop just below the waist if you need something to hang a top. You can also cut out the top of the legs so that you can hang matching pants, for example. You can make the hooks yourself...but even better...use Christmas ornament hooks sold in bulk! Cheap and easy!

Closet in My Pocket

MyStuff2 App can be configured to document all of your collections of dolls, clothes & accessories.

While the closet and storage boxes provide a tangible view of  what I have, I also have an inventory system on me at all times. There are a number of very helpful apps on the market for your smart phone or tablet. I use an iPhone app, "MyStuff2." It is a database which can be customized according to your need. I use it to keep track of all my dolls (names, dimensions, "date of birth" and price as well as a detailed account of all their clothing and accessories.  You create the categories and subcategories of your choice, then add pictures and comments. You can view everything at once, or separately. This way I know exactly what I have. Unfortunately this is only for iPhone users. You can download MyStuff2 Lite for free. It allows you to make 15 entries. If you like it, you can buy the full version for $4.99 which allows unlimited entries. For those of you with Android phones, look for an app that allows you to create your own categories and enter photos.

Oh my goodness. Is it September already??!!! Where on earth did summer go. Red carpet events start with the Emmy's (US Television Awards) and Fashion Month begins in New York!!! It's going to be a busy month ahead!

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Closet Boxes

It should come as no surprise but...my dolls have too many clothes and I have too little space!!!! In fact, they have outgrown the closet I built three years ago. In this, a period of transition when I change my dolls into Fall clothing, I had to stop and solve a growing problem.....how to store their mountain of clothes in a way that is organized and easily accessible.

When I first started making doll clothes, I bought lots of Barbies to "display" the clothes. I thought spending $8-12 on a doll was cheaper than, say, buying a mannequin. That excuse wore thin when I ran out of space for the both the dolls and their clothes! So....three years ago, in a post entitled "Taking Stock" I built a simple closet and purchased a skirt rack for more storage. Still... I still ran out of space. I began wrapping clothes in tissue paper and putting them in boxes down in the cellar. The problem was, I couldn't find anything and when I did...everything was wrinkled!

While there are plenty of DIY ideas floating around the internet on how to build a bigger, better closet (my favorites are the ones on Suzanna William's blog, "The Building of...THE PRIORS." And though I'd love to make one of these, I simply don't have the wall space. So I needed a quick and easy solution which is the focus of this post. The two ideas featured here are neither new nor  original. What is different here is that I have taken a common concept and adapted it to a simplified, inexpensive and time saving storage method. The materials are free (recycled packing boxes from ordering dolls). And no special tools or skills are required.

No More Wire Hangers!
Originally this idea comes from Mattel and the way it packages its stand-alone Barbie fashions which are mounted on a cardboard or clear plastic shape conforming to her body. But it was Suzanna's blog that  really planted the idea in my head. It is really brillian and solves lots of problems when it comes to hanging up outfits, particularly those consisting of several items.

1. Lay the doll down on a piece of paper and trace the length of her neck out to the widest part of her shoulders. Then trace around both sides of her body down slightly past her hips.
2. Slightly part her legs and trace inside. This allows you to create a template which accommodates trousers and bathing suits.
3. Remove the doll and connect the top shoulder point with the rest of the body. Trace this off onto a stiffer cardboard which you will use as a template. I have made two of these, one with the legs and another without.
4. Now trace the template onto a stiffer cardboard. I've recycled much of the cardboard packaging that comes into my home. My favorite is the thin corrugated cardboard used for the post office (priority mail) boxes. It is easy to cut with scissors, allows you to still pins in it, yet provides a sturdy form for the garment. Punch a hole in the neck and add a little bit of wire bent into a small hook. Hint: If you don't feel like making your own hooks, Christmas Ornament hooks work really well!

What I LOVE about these hangers is that you see the entire look at a glance. It keeps individual elements from being displaced. Even better, it saves space and it makes it easy to hang odd shaped clothes like strapless dresses and asymmetrical garments! If your form is too wide or too narrow, simply modify the hanger to fit the need! (I'll also be making these for my guys!)

Accessories can be draped over the form or clipped on. (I've used those miniature clothes pins to attach the gloves in the middle photo.) And if you have a top or dress with spaghetti straps, cut slits into the shoulders of the hangers to accommodate the style!

The Closet Box
Again, a super simple idea that is VERY practical and can be stored anywhere!

Choose a cardboard box suited to the dimensions and quantity of the clothing. It should be broad enough to accommodate the garment, shoulder to shoulder, plus about 1/2 inch (1.5cm) on either side. Add a little contact paper to spruce things up if you feel inclined. Poke a wooden dowel near the top and voila! You're good to go. I've organized my clothes by type and color. In this box: dark toned evening gowns.

After hanging up all the dresses, you can add some tissue paper to the "floor" so that it folds over the clothes as you close the box. Be sure to mark the contents (and the direction) on the outside of the box. I've used some old belts to keep the boxes shut.

It's not furniture, but it solves a problem!

The advantages to this system is that, the clothes are hanging upright as opposed to laying flat and wrinkling. And...when you need either a single item or the entire wardrobe, the box becomes an annex closet that can be transported anywhere for quick access. When not in use, it's like storing a miniature closet on your shelf.

The Closet Suitcase

In my cellar I also have some old luggage I'm not using. I simply installed a rod inside this carry-on and hung up my dolls' fur coats. On the outside of the bag, their fur accessories (stoles, trim, handbags and hats) are placed in the pockets! Then it's back down to the cellar and onto the shelf!

While we're on the subject.....this being the season of "Back to School," now is the time to look for all sorts of handy containers--like pencil cases-- to store tiny objects. This helps keep the interiors of drawers organized.

(Top photo) I found these really great little pencil boxes with small compartments on both sides. One side I used for glasses and tiaras and the other for a variety of belts.

(Middle photo) Like everyone else, I use those plastic drawers on my desk top. At the dollar store I found small, clear containers normally destined for nails, nuts & bolts. I use them to store jewelry. The nicest thing is to be able to see what's inside without having to open the box up. 

Bottom photo) At the local craft store, look for bead boxes. Here, I'm using one to store doll shoes. Again, you can see what's inside.

I have a ways to go before everything in the house is sorted and completely organized. But at least, I know I'll get there quickly and inexpensively!

It's so much easier to find exactly what I'm looking for now!!!

(Note: There is an update to this article: Taking Stock (Again). Sept. 2, 2018.)

All text and images property of Fashion Doll Stylist. 2016. Please do not reproduce without prior permission. Thank you

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