Abe is ONE today! This is nearly impossible, and yet it is totally and completely true. The post with his one year pictures and all the gushy stuff about how he’s unbearably adorable and charming will be coming up next week. And his party’s not until next weekend, so there’ll be more about that in the near future, too. But for today….
I think Keeping It Real Week is starting to get a little bit out of control here. “Look! My coat rack is messy!” “Hey! I can’t get anything done!” And now for “This would be a really impressive present for Abe….if his eight year old brother had made it for him.” I hope to return to writing posts about things that don’t suck next week.
Before Christmas, I had this idea that maybe we would make Abe an awesome DIY activity board. I pinned some great inspiration pictures like this:
Then it got really close to Christmas, and this plan started to seem too ambitious.
“We’ll make it for his birthday,” I thought.
Then THAT plan started to seem too ambitious, too.
“Maybe a doll bed!” I thought.
I found plans for a really pretty doll bed on Ana White’s site.
Dave thought it looked too hard.
I found plans for a less pretty, but still nice, doll bed, also on Ana White’s site. This one was intended to be a kit one can make for kids to put together themselves. What could be easier, right?!
Well. Here’s what it looks like when Ana White makes it:
And I’ve made a handy Pinnable picture for you of what it looks like when we make it:
Note the shims on the bottoms of the legs. Note how the footboard is sort of leaning away from the headboard as if the headboard has bad breath. Also, knotholes and drippy stain. You’ll have to just imagine its wobbliness since the picture can’t demonstrate that for you.
And what would a wobbly doll bed be without a crooked mattress? So I made one:
I think the only place I really went terribly wrong here is in not having anything good to cut the foam with. I just googled, and it seems that electric knives are a popular choice for this. Actually, I think we might have one of those. I guess I should have googled before hacking my foam up with a pair of scissors. Or, alternatively, I could have bought thinner foam, and the scissors probably would have been fine.
Anyway, I traced around a piece of plywood Dave cut to fit the bed (we ended up not actually using the plywood on the bed, as it was plenty strong for a doll with just the mattress):
And then:
Hmm….
Then I just kind of wrapped it up like a present in this orange gingham and hot glued it all together:
We also got Abe a cute doll to go in his weird bed. We did not attempt to make the doll ourselves:
(the blanket is just a piece of fleece cut to the right size)
So what have the rest of you been up to? Anyone else do any inadequate woodworking this week?
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SO SWEET! and you know what, emmy and abe share a birthday! emmy is 7 today!
I saw that! It’s a pretty awesome birthday: Benjamin Franklin, Betty White, Michelle Obama, Emmy, and Abe 🙂
Gretchen, I love you, so so much.
🙂
Your doll way kicks Ana’s doll’s butt. Her doll kinda scares me. Yours makes me want a hug.
Protip… if the bed is solid enough, staple or tape a couple sheets of sandpaper to a board, and rub the whole thing back and forth until all 4 legs are making contact. No more shims.
He is definitely a very huggable doll :). Thanks for the tip–if we can bring ourselves to have anything to do with working on that bed again, we’ll give it a try ;).
LOL, you really crack me up! Love the title and I think I’m your biggest fan of the “keeping it real week”
Have a great weekend and HAPPY BIRTHDAY Abe.
thanks, Julia!
🙂 The title!! And, seriously, your “keeping it real week” ist just plain awesome!
I’m pretty sure, Abe will still love his doll bed, so don’t be afraid! And say him “Happy Birthday” from me!
Oh, the “ist” is supposed to be a “is”. That was your German lesson of the day. You’re welcome 😉
ha ha–thanks! 😉
I think it looks great!! I need to make Ramona one, but that really is an ambitious though for me!
If we had it to do over again, I think I’d just keep an eye out for a cradle at the thrift store 😉
It looks a lot better than I would come up with. I think it’s cute. What does Abe think?
Related: My friend made her son one of those activity board and he refuses to play with it. Because kids like to rip out our hearts.
We just gave it to him last night; he’s very mildly interested in it…mostly the doll part 🙂
Ha! You crack me up!!! Seriously friend! Lets just say that we all have these weeks! Me…all the time…I am still without a couch in our main living room with picture frames piled up on the floor! I think the bed is perfect and sweet! And you made it for him! I can not wait to see pictures of your cutie! He is one! That is nuts!!! Enjoy him and his birthday!!! And have a great weekend with your crew!!! Nicole
I saw the title of your post and had to look. You always make me laugh and that’s part of the reason I love your blog. Thanks for sharing – I’m sure more than 95% of us can relate! ~Resa
Thanks, Resa!