So, I'm very excited about this week's craft! To round out our mini-series of ballerina/dance crafts, I thought it would be fabulous to make a barre -- there are almost no tutorials online about how to make your doll a ballet barre, and this version is sturdy, looks great, and goes together pretty easily!
**Giveaway update** We have a winner! It's Rena, who said she loves all kinds of dance, but specifically Fancy Shawl -- "when the dancer mimics a butterfly’s movements". Sounds like a really beautiful dance, and a great part of your cultural heritage Rena! We'll be in touch via email soon :)
Want to get started? All you need is a few things from the hardware store.
I'm using 1/2" PVC pipe for this project. One 5' length should be plenty! You'll also need two T joins, two 3-way elbow joins, two 45 degree joins, two straight connectors, and two end caps. This goes without saying, but make sure all your fittings are the right size for your pipe, and that they're all 'slip joins', not threaded.
Next, cut your pipe into sections. You can use a hacksaw for this, but I like to use a ratcheting pipe cutter. It's much cleaner, safer, and tidier. (And you can do it in your living room, instead of having to resort to the garage!)
Cutting the pieces above will get you a basic barre. If you want to add the second, lower barre, you'll need another piece of pipe 17" long.
I wanted my barre to look rather fancy, so I painted my pipe and fittings.
If you want to add the second, lower barre, now's the time to add some extra, special fittings! You'll need something that looks and works rather like this (I believe it's called a 'split ring hanger'). Drill a hole in your straight connectors, and attach the split ring hanger.
Next, lay out all your pipe pieces, as shown in this picture. Start putting everything together!
And, if you're doing the second barre, go ahead and attach that using the other half of your split ring hanger fittings.
And there you have it! A finished ballet barre, just the right size for your 18" doll!
Happy dancing, and be sure to let us know in the comments if you make this!
149 Comments
I’m as clumsy as they come, but I love to watch any dance moves and pretend to be graceful! I guess my favorite would be the dances from the Nutcracker, from the start to the finale of the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. At least every other year since she was old enough to sit and concentrate, I’ve taken my granddaughter to see it locally produced, even though she’s 21 now! We have a movie version for the years it isn’t produced that we watch at Christmas. But—I also enjoy all the new dance moves in the movies she takes me to see! All dance is amazing!
This barre is just beautiful and much more affordable than the brand name pieces like you could get with Isabelle last year. I’ll be giving it a try as I’m trying to set up a “studio” for Isabelle w/o purchasing the big cabinet or the equipment. Thank you for this freebie and for all of them!
This is so cute! I love the silver clamps for detail! It looks easy to do too! Great job!
My favorite dance move is the electric slide
My favorite dance move is a pirouette with a double twist and jump! When someone does this dance move it just looks so elegant that it makes my heart beat faster than anything in this world! Thanks for having this giveaway and good luck to everyone who enters!!
My favorite dance move is the twist. It’s the first dance move I remember doing as a little girl……..too many years ago to tell you what year! LOL