projects - dolls DIY plates

 Pretty as a Picture

Plates for the Dolls House Dresser! 

A project made with TransferGlaze and an 8 year old assistant.

  It was a great exercise in working with pattern, assessing sizes, fine motor control and more.

  But more than anything else the delight in observing the final result was glorious.

We found a magazine with loads of small designs which we drew around using a glass just a little bigger than our plate.  Later, we cut out each patterened circle.	There was excited exclaiming as each of the different designs was placed on the A4 sheet of paper.   After much shuffling about we were satisfied with the placement, and glued them down with a glue stick.	We photocopied the completed A4 sheet on a laser printer.  Thereafter we popped it into a bucket of water and left it for a couple of hours.  In fact we went shopping.  The aim is to leave it soaking for long enough to soften the paper on the back.

We took it out and dried it briefly on an old towel.  Thereafter using a soft cloth we gently rubbed away the paper on the back.  Fingers were used too.	Like magic, when the paper was rubbed away, the design appeared on a plastic film which was see though.  The great advantage of this technique is that the film can curve it's way around rounded items.	This is all we needed: a jar of Applicraft TransferGlaze, a small sponge brush, and our cut out pieces of plastic film.  The paper plate was just a useful place to work on.

A layer of TransferGlaze was painted on to the front of the little plate.	One of the cut out pieces of the plastic film was placed on top of it.	We then completed a whole lot of the plates.  Remember assistants are very excited to "move things on".

Many of them needed a little neatening up once dry.	Thereafter,simply nip the film up to almost the edge of the plate.  In some cases it may be necessary to cut the edge a little more so that there is not so much of a fold over.	Put a thin layer of Applicraft TransferGlaze around the back edge of the plate and start folding over the film piece by piece.  Turn it over, and you have a new designer plate.  Lightly paint over the film if you wish.

Time to place the new dolls house plates into the dresser.  This of course takes much discussion and planning!	The dolls take the opportunity to relax and enjoy their newly stacked Dresser!  And if you're thinking that they're not enjoying this happy moment, don't be mislead.  They're watching a serious documentary on TV -  which is obviously out of sight.