Beginners Project - Create your own Shabby Chic Cabinet

Materials Required

• 1/12th scale cupboard of your choice
• Plasti-kote Crackle Glaze spray paints (Gold Base and top Coat)
• Gold Paint
• Fine nylon tulle
• Small wicker basket
• Assortment of small scale fabrics
• Assortment of 1/12th scale braids
• Assortment of ribbons and lace
• Sewing cottons, embroidery and tapestry threads - various colours
• Lightweight card
• Drinking straws
• Glue
• Paper & life-sized dressmaking patterns
• Tissue paper
• Two small glass headed pins

Tools Required

• Scissors
• Tapestry needle
• Computer/Scanner/Printer to make the dress patterns

Step  1

• Remove the glazing from the inside of the doors.
• Remove the drawer.
• Spray outside or in an area with good ventillation.
• Spray the two part crackle glaze onto the piece using the instructions on each tin.
• Start with the gold basecoat - apply evenly to all areas and leave until tacky/almost dry.
• Spray with the top cot as evenly as you can.
• Allow to dry, as it dries you will see lovely cracks appearing.
• Paint the door knows and drawer handles with gold paint.

Step 2 - Filling the Cabinet

• Use the fine nylon tulle in a cream colour
• Cut 2 pieces the same size at the glazing panels you removed before spraying.
• Glue into the doors where the glazing panels were.

Step 3

• Take some small pieces of fabric.
• Fold to make the edges neat

• Place your fabric randomly into a wicker basket.
• Overlap the edges with the odd pieces.
• Add lace and small pieces of ribbon for extra interest.
• The basket will be fixed inside the cabinet later.

• Do the same with more pieces of fabric in the drawer.

Step 4

• Scan the cover of some life-sized patterns.
• Scale down to a height of 2 cms.
• Cut away the surrounding paper, and angle as per the first picture below.
• Fold and glue the envelope together.
• Fix some tissue paper inside each one to give substance.

Step 5

• Cut the drinking straw into pieces slightly shorter than the depth of the cupboard.
• Mine are 1" long.
• Cut some pieces of fabric to wrap around.
• Roll the fabric and glue to the straw.
• Tuck the ends/edges into the middle.
• Repeat until you have enough to fill one compartment in the cupboard.

Step 6

• Make reels of cotton - cut shorter lenghts of drinking straw.
• Glue the end of the thread to the straw.
• Wrap the cotton around the outside.
• Fix the loose end with glue.
• These were then glued into the drawer with the fabric.

Step 7

• Cut some oblong pieces of card 3/4" x 3/8".
• Cut a small 'V' shape at each end.
• Wrap the braid around the length and secure with glue.
• These are easier to fix into the cupboard if they first fixed onto another piece of card at an angle.

Step 8

• Cut a small section from the straw.
• Thread a tapestry needle with some tapestry silk/embroidery thread.
• Secure the end to the outer side of the straw.
• Loop around the straw until you have covered it completely.
• Fix the final end into the middle of the straw.
• Make a band with a peice of paper and write a name on the band/decorate it.
• Push a pair of glass headed pins through one ball to resemble knitting needles.

Step 9

Everything can now be fixed into the cupboard. I have placed some folded fabric on the lower shelf with rolls of fabric next door. The filled basket is above on the next shelf, with the paper patterns fixed randomly to the side. On the top shelf I have put the card of braids on the right. The balls of knitting wool have been fixed on top of a folded piece of lace.

www.dollshouseinterior.co.uk

Please see Carol Carke’s website for ideas, materials and many delightful items for sale.