How to make a “boombox” for your 18″ dolls

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Finished 18″ doll sized boom box from the 1980s.
A crafted toy like this would be so fun for a Courtney
Moore historical doll to play with.

       The boomboxes of the 80s were portable, played cassette tapes and the radio through loudspeakers. Later models also included CD players as well. 

       Where I grew up a boombox was considered very necessary at school social events, sporting events and dances wherever these occurred . . .

Supply List:
  • recycled soap box
  • two milk carton lids
  • extra light weight cardboard
  • black construction paper (One sheet should do it.)
  • 1 wooden skewer for the handle.
  • acrylic black paint
  • Mod Podge
  • silver tape or aluminum foil
  • magazine clippings of digital buttons
  • mesh fabric or woven plastic mesh
  • one silver/black button (radio dial)
  • hot glue gun and hot glue
  • white school glue

Step-by-Step Instructions:

  1. Tape and then cover the soap box with black construction paper using white school glue. In doing this step, the surfaces of the black paint will become smoother and professional looking. 
  2. The speakers of our doll’s boombox are shaped by inserting and gluing the backsides of two milk caps through two cut holes inside the soap box. These holes may be cut out using tiny scissors or an Exacto knife.
  3. Glue foil paper to line the interior of these caps, shiny side up.
  4. I pasted on a few layers of extra cardboard to extend the length of my doll’s ‘boombox’ a bit because the proportions needed to be improved once the speaker were glued in. So the entire ‘boombox’ measures approximately one inch longer compared to the length of the standard sized soap box. If you use alternative caps from some other recycled container to be the speakers, you may find that enlarging the soap box is unnecessary.
  5. Next, I glued a plastic mesh over the silver speakers and then glued a cardboard ring over this ragged edge. The cardboard rings were also covered with silver foil before these were glued to frame the “woofers.” (speakers)
  6. Poke two holes into the top of the boom box to glue in a long narrow handle made from a wooden skewer. 
  7. Now decoupage the magazine clippings of digital buttons wherever you would like them to be on your doll’s boom box.
  8. Hot glue on the button to act as a radio dial. 
  9. Paint the finished ‘boombox’ black and seal this with Mod Podge.

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