Distressing a Sideboard or Buffet for Barbie & Family

       This old, discarded jewelry box will fit into our doll's dining room perfectly. Our twelve inch dolls will love displaying holiday dinner selections on this upcycled, sideboard for all their friends to admire. The grey distressed paint on this pretend sideboard looks classy in a formal dining room setting too!

How do you best determine which jewelry box will fit into your doll's house? Take a tape measure with you on your
 shopping trip. A real sideboard and/or buffet stands approximately four to five feet tall, depending on the age and
style of the piece. The jewelry box pictured here is approximatly 5 1/2 inches. So, my 11 1/2 inch fashion dolls look
just fine standing next to it. It is a bit wide for an actual sideboard but I don't mind the extra width; I will have more
 room for the display of dishes and food items in the end.

       A sideboard, also called a buffet, is an item of furniture traditionally used in the dining room for serving food, for displaying serving dishes, and for storage. It usually consists of a set of cabinets, or cupboards, and one or more drawers, all topped by a flat display surface for conveniently holding food, serving dishes, or lighting devices. The words sideboard and buffet are somewhat interchangeable, but if the item has short legs, or a base that sits directly on the floor with no legs, it is more likely to be called a sideboard; if it has longer legs it is more likely to be called a buffet.

Supply List:

• sandpaper
• masking tape
• grey acrylic or enamel paint
• paint brushes
• acrylic clear sealer
• old, dark stained jewelry box
• terry cloth

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Rub down the surfaces of the jewelry box with an old terry cloth towel. Make sure that you remove dust and dirt from the box's surfaces.
2. Wrap the handles of the box doors with masking tape in order to protect these from paint.
3. Brush on one layer of enamel grey paint.
4. Let the paint dry thoroughly.
5. Use a relatively smooth sandpaper to remove paint from the edges and some flat surfaces of the jewelry box.
6. How much paint you remove is entirely up to your own sense of taste. You want the surfaces to look older and worn, as though the piece were an antique.
7. Rub down the box again with a towel to remove sawdust.
8. Seal the "sideboard" or "buffet" for your Barbie's dining room with clear acrylic.

Above you can see my doll sideboard from different angles and up close.

More Doll Furnishings from Transformed Jewelry Boxes:

• Transform a Jewelry Cabinet with Mirror
• Glamorous Jewelry Box Updo