My middle child is my creative one. She loves crafts, dolls, and make-believe. And did I mention she also loves American Girl dolls? What I mean to say, she loves 18-inch dolls of the American Girl variety. She is most fond of the Our Generation brand from Target for their close similarities to the real thing while being budget-friendly.
Along that same line, authentic American Girl Doll accessories are pricey. Even knock-off versions can take a hefty chunk out of her meager allowance. When she wants to expand her dolls’ accessories, we typically scour Pinterest first. Then, with ideas swirling in our heads, we head to Michael’s. This time, she wanted a tabletop desk with storage, similar to the vintage school desk in their toy room. We purchased enough materials for 2 desks with seats for a total of $22! This is how we made it.
What you’ll need for your American Girl Doll Desk:
- Wooden book with hinges
- Legs (we used clearance wooden letters)
- Seat (we used a 99c wooden planter box)
- Paint and paintbrushes
- Wood glue (on hand)
- Sanding block (if necessary)
- Clamps if you have them
What you do:
- We did this activity with a friend. Both girls selected paints colors and painted the desktop (wooden book) and seat (planter box).
- The letters (legs of the desk) were already painted. I sanded down the edges, where we would glue them to the desk for the glue to adhere better. We also kept a strip of the bottom of the desk free of paint.
- Using wood glue, we applied glue to the letters and placed them on the bottom of the desk. We borrowed clamps from my husband to help keep the desk and legs firmly pressed together. After a day or so, we released the clamps and Voila!
Both girls were thrilled with the result. They were amazed at how simple the project was. I loved the budget-friendly aspect and how it allowed them to incorporate a dash of creativity. As for longevity, they have held up well.
