How to Make an American Girl Bean Bag Toss Game

My granddaughter suggested this project after she saw my floating wine bottle pillar. She said all I needed to do was add more holes for a bean bag toss game for her dolls.

Supplies and Equipment for the Bean Bag Toss Game

• 8½" x 11" x ¼" piece of  Baltic birch plywood
• ¼" dowel rod
• Proxxon Table Saw FET
• Proxxon MICRO Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Disc Sander TSG 250/E
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E
• Proxxon Bench Drill Press TBM 115
• Proxxon  Scroll Saw DS 460 or hole saw
• Proxxon Profession Rotary Tool IBS/E and Drill Stand MB
• Wood adhesive
• FolkArt Ultra Dye and Ultra Dye Satin Varnish
• Template for Bean Bag Toss Game

Directions for Making the Bean Bag Toss Game

1. Use the table saw to cut the plywood to size using the auxiliary stop as necessary.
   
2. Use the bandsaw to cut two 2½" long pieces of ¼" dowel.
3. Use a quarter to mark the rounded corners of the game board.
   
4. Round the corners using the disc sander.
   
5. Use the template to mark the centers of the large holes and the position of the ¼" holes for the dowels.
   
6. Use the drill press to drill the ¼" holes and the centers of the large holes.
7. Use the scroll saw or a hole saw to cut the large holes. If using the scroll saw, mount the pattern onto the board, thread the blade through a center hole, and cut out the circle following the pattern.
8. Mount the rotary tool in the drill stand, and rotate it 90°. 
   
9. Use a sanding drum to sand the insides of the large game board holes.
   
10. Sand the surfaces with the Delta sander using progressively finer grits of sandpaper.
    
11. Glue the dowels in the ¼" holes at the top of the game board.
    
12. When the glue has thoroughly dried, paint and finish the game board.
    
13. Optionally, add numbers for scoring.
    

Note: I made tiny 1¼" square bean bags from fabric scraps and filled them with rice. Alternatively, you could use a small bouncing ball or jack ball.

Carole

How to Make an Adirondack-style Lounge Chair for an 18" Doll

Any little girl will be thrilled to be the recipient of this doll-sized Adirondack-style lounge chair. Their dolls will enjoy hours of relaxation as they lounge on the chair.

Supplies and Equipment to Make the Doll-sized Adirondack-style Lounge Chair

• 1" x 2" length of lumber cut as follows"
• Two 7" lengths
• Two 9¾" lengths
• Four 1" lengths
• 11 paint stir sticks cut in 6" lengths
• FolkArt Outdoor acrylic paint (I used Luau.)
• Strong liquid adhesive
• Proxxon Table Saw FET or Proxxon Chop and Miter Saw KGS 80
• Proxxon Bandsaw MBS/E
• Proxxon Delta Sander OZI/E

Instructions for Making the Doll-sized Adirondack-style Lounge Chair

1. All of the 1" x 2" pieces are cut at a 35° angle on each end. The angles are parallel with one another. If using the table saw, adjust the angle stop to 35° and set blade height. 
   
2. If using the chop and miter saw, release the table and move to 35°.
   
3. These are the pieces from the 1" x 2" length of lumber.
   
4. Sand the lettering off the paint stir stick with the Delta sander. You will only need 6", so there's no need to sand the entire length of the stir.
   
5. Cut the stirs into 6" lengths using the bandsaw.
6. Use the Delta sander to sand any rough edges on the 1" x 2" pieces
7. Assemble the chairs, keeping the slope of the 35° angle. Glue the 1" legs onto the bottoms of the 9¾" seat supports. Let the glue set.

   

   Legs glued to seat supports

8. Glue the 7" back support to the top of the 9¾" seat supports.
   
    
9. Glue the 6" stirs in place. A.) Begin at the back of the seat, then position the front seat slat followed by the center seat slat. Glue the last two seat slats in place. B.) Turn the chair so it rests on the back. Begin where the back meets the seat, then position the top slat followed by the center back slat. Glue this in two stages, letting the glue set after the seat slats are positioned.
10. Glue the last stir to the front of the chair.
11. Paint the lounge chair.
    
12. Plan a picnic or a pool party!!
    

Note: I found the pattern for this doll furniture at 100 Things 2 Do.

Carole

18" Doll Accessories

My six year old grand daughter is deep into her American Girls doll and accessories. It's so much fun, and so much more affordable, to create our own accessories. Our latest project was a set of colored pencils—doll sized. These tiny pencils measure 1¾ inches.

We started with a set of  3 ½ inch pencils from the dollar store that were sharpened on one end. The first step was to sharpen the other end. Then, I measured the length, divided by two, and set the guide on my Proxxon scroll saw.

With the guide in place, it was an easy task to cut each pencil in half—down to doll size.

I love the fact that the Proxxon scroll saw is so easy to set up and use. It's as handy to use as a pair of scissors.

Now Kit (the doll) has a set of colored pencils that fit into her backpack and are ready for her to use at her desk.

Carole