Campfire for Dolls and Action Figures

Little Fire Ring in 5 easy steps:

Here is a simple idea I thought up yesterday. I make projects like this all the time but rarely take the time to document it. I enjoy reading other people's ideas on Pinterest and this site. This is my first instructable and I am doing it quickly on my phone so sorry about any typos and I hope you'll find it fun and inspiring!

There are a lot of Barbie and action figure accessories you can make out of junk laying around your house and save yourself money in the process. I wanted to give my child camping accessories for the Barbies but this could also be great for action figures, Jurassic Park base camp or something. A tiny version of this could be good for your dungeons & dragons etc minis. It's very easy and quick to make. You can substitute several of the materials for other things.

I intend to do a camping tent to go with this next so check it out in the next week or so. Enjoy!

1) a plastic lid from any container the size you want (or cut it to size).I wanted one with a small lip on the edge. This is one from a restaurant from a kids cup.

2. Elmer's glue or modge podge or similar

3. Some Moss or dried up vegetation

4. Little twigs you find on the ground, to the scale you want. (If you're not sure just grab a handful and you can break when you get to that part. If for some reason there are no twigs where you live you can use cinnamon sticks.)

5. Little rocks or pebbles, again to the scale that you want

6. Sand, fine gravel (even table salt would work)

7. Optional: hot glue gun (they are well worth the tiny investment!)

8. Optional: brown Box tape or plain masking tape if you want to cover your lid; alternately black tape or spray paint if you want an iron ring fire pit.

9. Rubber gloves if using a glue gun. (I usually forget to do this but it's a good idea)

10. Red, orange and yellow down feathers. Or you can use streamers/ crepe paper, tissue paper.... Even orange rough crystal beads if you think they would look like embers. Whatever you think would be a cool fire effect.

I used some packaging tape to cover the back and side lip of the lid in case any of it shows through when I'm done gluing the moss later.

*OPTION 2. IRON FIRE RING- for a more modern/ minimalist look:

If you're trying to make this fire look like more minimalist or like it's iron fire ring then I suggest using black electrical tape or black duct tape or black athletic tape. Alternatively you could spray paint the lid with a flat black or a rubbed iron spray paint for a seemless look.....
You then you have the option of skipping past step 3.

Pour your Elmer's glue or modge podge into your lid thick enough to cover the bottom really well and spread it out evenly. I just used one of the sticks to spread it out.

Next pour the sand into it to cover it. Make sure it's a thick enough layer. Give the sand a shake to spread it out evenly and let it sit for a 2- 3 minutes.

First dust off excess sand outside. After you dust off the sand or salt it should still be a good layer covering the bottom of the lid so you don't see the lid color too much. If there is not enough repeat step 2.

Once you're satisfied with the sand layer take your glue gun (or if you are very patient your Elmer's glue- I used a glue gun) and attach your vegetation or Moss to the outside wall lip of your lid to cover it and create a transition between the fireplace and the outdoors.

you do not need this step if you are trying to make it look like it is in a metal fire ring.

This part is easy again if you have a glue gun.
Just glue the rocks around the outer ring. The Elmer's glue on mine was still a little wet and I was easily able to push the rocks down through it to make contact with the lid.

Tip: Try gluing The Rock first and then pushing it down gently into the lid. If you glue the lid first it seems to make more of a mess with the glue. Remember to wear rubber gloves so you are less likely to burn yourself.

After I had the rock ring in place I went over it again with glue between the rock so it would be more stable. to cover those holes and blobs of glue I just smashed some more pinches of moss into the crevices using a stick to push it in gently. If you're making an iron ring instead of one with moss then you can just sprinkle some more sand over the glue as you go. Whatever you can do to hide the glue!

Select the logs you want (sticks or twigs).

I chose five little logs about the same size and some with little branches so they would have a tiny fork on them. I figured out which ones would be the easiest to place first (I used one with a little fork to hold up the other one).
then glue the bottom of it and place it into the sand against one of the stones in a diagonal pose. Lean the other one against it using the same process. Glue them together at the top with a tiny amount of glue.

go around and do four of the logs, leaving the last one open. Figure out which log is going to be log number 5 but hold it to the side till you go into the next step.

The last part is the easiest part. Gather whatever material you want for your fire. I used some down feathers from the dollar store craft section I had left over from something else. I put a little glue at the bottom to pinch them together.
Then I just stuffed it into the logs. I didn't glue but you could if you were worried about them blowing away. Just a tiny dot of glue should work.

Then place your last log over it and wallah! You have a Barbie glamping fire, or perhaps a base camp fire for her anthropology research. Or maybe it's a fire for a military encampment.

I did not go to the store for this project so think outside of the box and try to use things that are laying around your house already! I hope you enjoy this. Have fun and thanks for checking this out!