Doll stands from craft stores?

I've read through the various threads on doll stands, but wasn't really able to find a definitive answer -- are there any doll stands at Hobby Lobby or Michael's that would be suitable for use? I'm not sure if they have any saddle stands, but would one of the regular ones be usable to grip the doll's thigh?

 

I may order one of the Cool Cat ones at some point, but I was hoping to find an alternative locally. Thanks for any suggestions!

Well being in the UK i don't know those shops but for cheap stands i got a old porcelain doll that was broken and took that one. it holds them very well.

The ones that I came across don't seem very stable. The dolls tend to be too heavy and the stand topples and falls over. Maybe there are some better quality ones that I never managed to come by in the stores.

I've read through the various threads on doll stands, but wasn't really able to find a definitive answer -- are there any doll stands at Hobby Lobby or Michael's that would be suitable for use? I'm not sure if they have any saddle stands, but would one of the regular ones be usable to grip the doll's thigh?

http://www.hobbylobby.com/Crafts-Hobbies/Dollmaking/Tools-Stands/9%22-Doll-Stand-with-Coated-Gripper/p/20774

 

These work just fine and they don't cost a fortune. I have several DD's standing long term with their assistance. You will of course have to pose the doll so the body is balanced. No one-legged, leaning over, ballet/dance poses. The ones with the wooden bases are a little fancier and have a bit more weight. If you find tipping is a problem you can use a large binder clip to secure the metal base to the front edge of the self.

 

 

You can also tighten up the "wire gripper" part by crimping the two tabs in the middle of the vertical post a little bit with a pair of pliers. You can see one of the tabs just below her knee. This can help keep the gripper from slipping down.

Those were the kind that I found, but mine always fell over. I will have to look into making those modifications you mentioned. Thanks for the share!

I've used them as thigh-holding stands for DD but as other folks mentioned they aren't terribly stable. The smaller ones work ok for MDD. For DD stands I started making my own with a wood plaque, dowel and wire and those are really sturdy and cheap (once you have a small drill anyway).

For DD stands I started making my own with a wood plaque, dowel and wire and those are really sturdy and cheap (once you have a small drill anyway).

 

The above statement interests me. Can you share any pics of these sands, especially closeups of where the wire is attached to the dowel? I need more stands and I'm pretty handy with making things out of wood so if I could see how you did the wire bit, I think I could probably make my own too.

 

 

Billy

For you crafty folk, here's a home made "stand" for multiple dolls. This stand would just sit on top of a shelf in a regular shelf unit, desk top, dresser, etc.

 

Edited March 4, 2016 by Guest

For you crafty folk, here's a home made "stand" for multiple dolls. This stand would just sit on top of a shelf in a regular shelf unit, desk top, dresser, etc.

 

 

Right click on "View Image" to see the entire image.

(or someone PM me the tag to shrink images to fit. I've forgotten it. Doh!)

 

It's

It's

Thank you!

The wire bit of the stand is the tricky part- the prettiest solution I found was drilling a hole into a wooden bobbin, sticking the drilled hole onto the top of the dowel, and then threading the wire through the bobbin. But for an adjustable height stand I just use a small, strong clamp to hold the wire onto the dowel, or duct tape for a really unpretty solution. Wrapping the wire in a felt or fabric casing would probably be the nicer looking than bare wire too, but I haven't tried it yet.

 

To prettify the stands I also sometimes add felt onto the bottom, paint the base and dowel, and modgepodge some patterned scrapbook paper onto the base.

 

At one point I took some photos of the beginning of the process, but got distracted and forgot to photo the rest. Since folks are interested I'll see if I can do a better process shoot sometime soon.

 

All the materials are pretty cheap and easy to find. The electrical wire is a bit pricey in bulk (like $20 for the spool) but I'm sure there are some cheaper alternatives if you look around.

 

 

 

 

Edit: and here's my first stand, painted and with the bobbin on top. Drilling the bobbin is risky without a clamp :/

I want to thank everyone that responded to this thread.

 

I actually wound up picking up a few cheap stands from Hobby Lobby, and they work very well for my girls, even though I kind of have to position them in a way that is balanced.

 

I think in the future I would like to try my hand at making my own, though -- the instructions jadepixel provided here are excellent.