Hobbies And Interests
Double Bed
To make a bed for your Barbie, make two pillows approximately 10 inches by 12 inches when finished. You can use fabric you have purchased or have on hand, or recycle previously used fabric. Choosing a neutral color will give you more options for dressing the bed. The pillows do not have to be very thick. Quilt the pillows in a few areas to keep them relatively flat and to keep the stuffing from shifting. One pillow will serve as your box spring, while the other will serve as a mattress. Make several pillows from small pieces of fabric. You may want to make two large pillows about 5 inches wide when completed, as well as a few smaller pillows. Using a fabric that coordinates with the pillows, cut a piece about 12 inches by 15 inches. You can finish the edges of the fabric with stitching, a product designed to prevent fraying, or a decorative trim. This piece of fabric will be your bedspread. Change the look of the bed by changing the pillows and bedspread. Depending on your sewing skill, you might want to make reversible pillows and a bedspread. If your mattress pillow is flexible enough, you can fold it in a fashion similar to a futon.
Ottoman
You can easily make an ottoman for your Barbie using a small square object as the base. Use a small piece of wood or another available object. You need something to pad the ottoman: Top the base with a few cotton balls, use stuffing or foam, or wrap the entire ottoman in a thick fabric. Top the stuffing with another layer of fabric and secure it to the base with glue or a staple gun. The fabric should cover the top and sides of the base. Decorate the ottoman as desired. To give the ottoman raised feet, insert four evenly spaced push pins on the bottom.
Couch
Plastic canvas is a readily available material that can be used in a number of ways to create furniture for your Barbie. Purchase a piece of plastic canvas used for needlework. The number of holes per inch doesn't matter, though you should choose a relatively stiff piece. You'll need to cut pieces for the seat, front, sides and back. You may want to put arms on your couch as well. The plastic canvas can be easily cut with scissors. To assemble the plastic pieces, piece them together using yarn and a craft needle, or even hold them together with twist ties. You can use needlepoint to decorate the canvas, or cover it with a form of padding and fabric as described with the ottoman. You also could make a cube of plastic canvas to create an ottoman to match the couch. Commercial patterns are available for making Barbie furniture from plastic canvas.