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Originally posted 5 years ago and now updated with
Lots of Easy ways to do portable walls or even permanent ones for your doll displays. We are working in playscale, 1inch to 6inches or Barbie sized rooms, but some of these techniques can be used for any scale.
When thrift shopping, I never pass up on wood divided or small shadow boxes. They are usually cheap--and definitely worth the little bit of work to transform.
I've also used them in permanent settings, such as Vickie's Vintage below. The infamous Shoe wall. This one was super easy; all I did was remove the two wood and glass covers and then hinged the boxes together with the lid hinges. The sparkle behind is the mirror that backs each of the boxes...perfect for maximizing the shoes for viewing!
Upside, I can use the hinge in the middle to make a corner also, as it is in Vickie's now or as an entire wall.
My dioramas that are not in plastic Mattel structures or Vickie's, are set up to be portable. I can break them down and pack the insides away, usually into a small tote or large shopping bag. Quick flat walls are folded and set along my lower walls on the covered concrete block wall bases we have in the craft room. Adjoining pieces are either velcroed or T-pinned to each other.
Usually I use foam core cut in 15" x 20" pieces--you get two from each board that way. But for Vickie's storefront I needed a much higher wall for the exterior of the shop.
Storefront door was an interesting thrifted picture frame that was the perfect size and structure to go with an old building. The repainted Door was inserted and taped into the brick front covered in scrapbook paper over foam core. The matching silver molding is actually duct tape. The wall on left is covered in silver poster board (concrete) as is the 'parking lot'. Florals are assembled from odds and ends and thrifted containers.
A Vacation Cabin/Hut in Costa Rica-there has another shadow box, which was rough sawn wood with paper cut to fit each cubbyhole. It holds the hut supplies. All walls are foam core, T-pinned togethre, and the floor is thick foam cored with decoupaged paper tiles, the under side is covered in silver poster board and reused for other dioramas.
A huge banquet Party Venue was built entirely of covered foam core pieces. I could still set this room up in less than 15 minutes. I used black contact paper for most of the walls. (Advantage to covering foamcore with contact paper is you can tape or pin items to it and then remove them easily.
I use the same gray/silver poster board for my floors/streets/and sidewalks. Bases are done on the thicker foam core/ or (multiple pieces glued together)so I can move a set-up if need be, and this gives a firm foundation for pinning the walls to. Half of my doll stand bases are covered in the same silver poster board, making editing the edges out easy in my photos.
Creating that venue--with blank walls and printed additions!
Another historical setting, with scrapbook paper walls over contact paper covered foamcore.
Another background for a speaking engagement, quotes from Pinterest and book covers were pasted on paper that had European architecture on. James Baldwin, though American lived in Paris most of his life!
The complete pumpkin farm, really four different materials; upside down painted foam trees on foamcore , with placemat fencing, and a scenic backdrop from a toy box. More placemats cover the ground---this was set up directly on my table. the brown is scrapbook paper earth.
I've used this often as a park scene...my right side up foamcore Chicago backdrop. Bushes or treetops (I've used this for a roof scene also) and is currently used behind the Flowershop and Greenhouse. Pieced together and taped scrapbook paper grass is super handy and works well for outdoor shots.
Now back to furniture walls!
Joe and Vickie's Condo is set up on two wall shelves, a 10" deep shelf and a 12" deep shelf, one above the other in my craft room. The back walls are actually the white-washed paneling from the craft room. The grid poles are the bracket holders. Often, if I remember I can wipe these out with editing. This is being moved and then I will redo the walls and cover the grids.
On the center of the wall is another shadow box used as a built-in and focal point in Vickie's living room. Again, this one had mirrors, which can be tricky taking photos, On this shot, my camera is in there along with the opposite storage wall, LOL.
Another cubbyhole box acts as the kitchen wall and cupboards. This one did not have moveable grids, so I left it the stained finish. I filled it with colorful kitchen ware and food items!
Now, back to the DIY for the bedroom diorama. This glass covered shadow box was particularly clean and cheap---and the upside was the removable grid came out in once piece. I knew I wanted a white unit for the bedroom, so I started dismantling to prepare for painting. I wiped down the entire piece with alcohol to remove oils and dust.
Next thing was to remove all the hardware and hinges!
Luckily these are cheaply made and just prying off the hanger was easy. Many of these pieces are stained with a light sealer. Often the stain will bleed through light colored paints. I used a spray
stain blocker/primer and then could either hand paint or spray with a satin enamel. Why satin enamel? Because it is a tighter finish than flat paints or craft paint; with satin enamel museum wax, tapes, and scratch marks are easily wiped away. Also sticky foam tapes work well on this finish.
The cover with glass will probably become a picture window in some future diorama.
Since the grid was removable, I added a piece of scrapbook paper behind. This is just put in with double-faced tape---so I can change it.
It matches another fake wall--the back-end of a Barbie plastic closet with the same paper. You can see a bit of pink at the top in this photo. After looking at this photo, the look of wallpaper is good and the scale is the proper. I added a strip for wall trim at the bottom and raised it to cover the closet. I've also used wrapping papers for back drops, as well as contact paper.
Here, Vickie and Joe on the first night they moved into the condo, and using their still unfinished bedroom! The carpet is a placemat from IKEA, though I bought a set of 6 in a thrift store for $2.00.
My latest diorama was the huge Holiday Party themed diorama HERE almost 20'feet long. The foam core walls were basically the white finish...but lighting and additions made it look like a huge party venue. Enjoy!
Old New Green REDO Barbie
Happy DIY Dioramas!
What do you use for walls?
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Thank you for your cooperation, Sandi
