Materials Required
One cigar box
white paint, or the color of your choice
4 empty wooden thread spools
4 wooden, slip-on type clothespins
hot glue gun and glue sticks
craft knife or exacto knife, or small hand saw
very fine sand paper
small paint brush, disposable foam brushes a

This week we will work on turning our cigar box into a doll bed. So, I went to my local tobacco shop and asked if they had any empty cigar boxes. They had a few that they were willing to give away. I assured them I only needed one...save the rest for the other doll makers out there! I was able to find my treasure in no time and for no money.

Once home I got out my craft knife to remove the top and discovered that it was easy to remove without any tools. The lid on my box was secured with only paper and tape. If yours is the same it will be easy to remove. If yours is on more firmly, use a craft knife or small hand saw to cut the joining.

Pull off all labels and discard. This took a little time, but was also very easy to do. As you pull the labels off the box, try to keep them in one piece, as much as possible because any paper left sticking to the box must be sanded off.

Once all the paper is off your box, use the finest grit sand paper you can find to gently sand the edges of the box. I found an old piece in my husband's tool box which had already been used and was worn to perfection, so it was very gentle. You want to make sure the rim and all the outside corners of your box are nice and smooth.

Wipe off any remaining saw dust, with a dry cloth. Paint your box, the clothes pins and the thread spools. Most cigar boxes seam to be dark in color, so plan on 2 coats of paint, but allow each coat to dry completely. If you prefer a shiny finish, try enamel paint instead of craft paint.

Once all the paint is dry, and you are happy with the color, apply the thread spools to the bottom of the box, one under each corner, with the hot glue gun. Decide which sides of your box will be the head board and foot board. At each end of the head board and foot board slide a clothes pin on and add a little hot glue if necessary. You now have a lovely little four poster bed for a special little doll. Next week we will make the bedding.

To Make the bedding for your Cigar Box Bed Click Here.


Making and Dressing Cloth Dolls
Ebook with patterns and instructions to make 5 cloth dolls as well as chapters on general doll making techniques.The book includes 21 inch Lalena Doll, 21 inch David Doll, Bear Dolls, 9 inch Destiny Doll and 15 inch Annie Doll, all together in one handy book. 53 pages.Making and Dressing Cloth Dolls.