DIY : Make a Doll Cradle from a Salt Box

If your home is anything like ours you have so many dolls and action figures that there is not enough room for them all to sleep. Here is how we made empty cradles for ours using an empty salt box.

Start with an empty salt container. You want the kind that are shaped like a cardboard cylinder. It will have a small metal spout on one end. Don't worry, we will be cutting away the part that has the sharp metal on it.

Begin by cutting a slice halfway into the container. Your slice should go into the cylinder part of it, (not the end), and it should be about two thirds of the way down the tube from the end that has the metal spout in it. Lay your tube on your counter top or table so that it is laying down on its side, and then roll it until the metal spout is furthest away from the table (pointing towards the ceiling).

Steadying it with one hand, find a place two thirds of the way along the tube away from the spout, and cut a slice halfway through the tube. Just as you stop your knife will be inside the tube right behind the metal spout.

Now starting on the end that has the metal spout, you are going to cut the opposite way down the tube. Your first cut will split in half the circle on the end that has the metal spout, and then continue straight down the tube on both sides until it meets the first cut you made. Lift that piece out and throw it away. What remains should be a full length of the tube on the bottom and only one third of the tube on top, with no metal pieces left on it.

If you had any trouble shaking out the very last of the salt, now is the time to do that. It's much easier that trying to get those last grains out through the spout!

Now you are ready to paint or decorate your cradle. Time to let your kids get creative! You can paint or decorate the inside and the outside of your cradle. You can use paint, magic markers, or stickers, whichever is most appropriate for your child's age and abilities. You can also glue on decorations. Be sure to let any paint or glue dry completely before you move on to the next step.

Finally, put a few bits of fabric in your new cradle. A piece running all along the bottom will serve as the bedding, while a smaller piece can be the bedding for your doll or action figure. Tap it lihjtly and you'll see that because the cradle is a cylinder, it will actually rock back and forth.

You can repeat this project with any cardboard cylinder box that you have available. For a larger doll you might want an oatmeal box, for instance. This is a fun project to let your children help build, as well as a good developmental tool to let them practice taking care of their imaginary families.

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