Thursday, July 30, 2009

Bonnet Stands

Several ladies have asked me about the bonnet stand you got a glimpse of in the last post. So here they are.







On my Bonnet Stands and dress stands, I wander around the Home Improvement stores and Craft stores looking to see what I can put together to make a display stand. Sort of like Tinker Toys for Smockers! :-)


Here are the stands without any decoration or bonnets. They're Naked!






These stands are made up of
  • Wooden candle stick holder
  • small wooden plaque (base)
  • Wooden Spool of Thread
  • A small dowel (you can't see)
  • Styrofoam ball (your choice of size)
  • strips of white or cream cotton
  • Tulle
  • ribbon
  • Craft glue

I start out by gluing the candle stick holder to the wooden base. I like to use Tacky Glue.



The Base is so the Bonnet stand won't fall over.



Before you glue the candle stick holder, turn it over and see if it it looks more interesting upside down


I then glued the wooden spool to the top of the candle stick.




Changing the subject....... I have enough old wooden spools. I think my next Bonnet Stand I am going to just stack thread spools at top of each other! That would look Cool. What do you think?





You can't see it but I glued a 3" piece of Dowel Rod to the Wooden Spool. I made sure the Dowel rod would fit into the hole of the Spool. Squirted glue into the Wooden Spool and stuck the dowel into the spool.




The dowel rod will help keep the Styrofoam ball on.


If you are going to paint the Bonnet Stand this would be a good time. Painting mine is on my "To Do" List .........going on 6 years! ....... maybe next week.

I have two different size Styrofoam balls for the head of the Bonnet Stands. Well, actually they start out as the same size but I made them different sizes.

FYI ....A new born's baby's head from ear to ear is about 7-8 1/2 inches. One of these measures 12 inches in circumference (about 7 inches ear to ear) and the other measure 13 1/4 (about 8 1/2" ear to ear).

I bought a Styrofoam ball that was close to that size. To make it larger I wrapped them with strips of light colored cotton cloth. I believe this is cream colored Kona Cotton.



I secured the end of the last strip with a dab of glue.


With a chop stick or other small pointy object, I made a small whole on one end of the Styrofoam ball. You don't want the hole to be too big or the Styrofoam ball will flop around on the stand.


I applied some glue to the Dowel rod that is sticking up from the Wooden spool then impaled the Styrofoam ball .


After everything dries I cover the bonnet stand with Tulle, and secured the tulle with a pretty ribbon





Add the bonnets and I am done!



Well, I better show you another Bonnet Stand in my Sewing room. This one displays something that is dear to my Daughter's heart......... Her Ears!






Isn't she cute! If they would only stay little....sigh.





1 comment:

  1. Love it Love It Love it!!!
    I hand smock bonnets and have found that there are NO display stands for retail shops. Soooooo, I have made them and sell them with the bonnets.

    thanks for the idea!

    ReplyDelete