Magnetic Paper Dolls

Supplies:

Metal Tin container w/a lid
A magnet sheet
Modge Podge
Sponge brush
Picture printouts
Assorted paper and cardstocks
Tulle
Buttons (optional)


Step 1:
You will need several pictures of your "doll" in different outfits. One picture should be of her in something fairly tight and neutral colored. I had Taya, my sweet model/doll and adorable daughter, put on a pair of bicycle shorts and a cami. You could also do a swimming suit for this part.


It is important that your doll has the basic same pose, with the feet the about the same distance apart and the arms/hands in the same position. To make the cutting part easier, I would suggest making sure her hair is pulled behind her shoulders, that her chin is up and that her hands are not directly against her clothes.



I took the pictures of Taya over several days, as she wore a particular outfit. On the day I was ready to put the tin together, she only had to put on two outfits, which made her much more cooperative then if I would have had her doing all six outfits at once.

If you choose to take the pictures over several days, I would suggest that you make a note of were you are standing so that you are always getting the same basic proportion to your picture

I made sure that I was always about even with the door opening when taking the pictures.

Some fun suggestions for outfits: School uniform, church clothes, work clothes, play clothes, dance uniform, sports uniform, PJ's, Snow suit, Halloween Costume, Tutu...there really are so many you could do.

Step 2:
Next you will want to edit the pictures. I just do this in Windows Photo Gallery, because I don't have Photoshop. But whatever works for you.
This is what the picture looks like right off my camera.


I crop it in closer, brighten it up and then print it. (And yes, she is rolling her eyes at me!)


To fit my tin I printed in 4x6 on regular printer paper. It is much easier to cut and stick to the magnet sheet if you do it on regular paper as opposed to cardstock or photo paper.

Step 3:



Once you have printed all your outfits, you will cut them out. There was a reason I choose to take her pics against a white door, it made it alot easier to tell where I was cutting. It is better to cut ever so slightly over the picture, to remove all the white.

On the above picture you can see that there is a little shadow of her shoes on the scraps.

Basically, you are removing anything skin and just leaving the clothes. The arms, head, feet and neck all come off. I used a pair of manicure scissors to get in really close.

Then use modge podge to glue the outfit to a sheet of magnet. Allow to try for a few minutes, cut out around the outfit again and apply a top coat of modge podge.

Repeat for all the outfits.

Decorate the tin with paper how you would like. Once done apply a top coat of of modge podge. Cut out the main doll, leaving the body intact. Then secure to the top of the tin with modge podge.

Attach pieces of magnets to the back of the buttons with hot glue. Place all the outfits inside the tin.

Enjoy and thanks for voting for me!