Solid wood construction, and fabric of your choosing make this the perfect little accessory for your perfect little girl! This stroller will fit an 18″ doll, so for all of you American girl Doll loving folks out there, this is a perfect choice. For all of you non-sewers, not to worry, you can make the seat using Fabric Glue or Hem Tape and your Iron. You can modify this to suit your particular needs and taste preferences. Cut the ends in an angled manner, or rounded, use square dowels if you prefer and you can even purchase rubber tire wheels if you like that sporty look or you are concerned about bumps and dings. I will also throw in instructions for making this into a fold up stroller, if space is a concern, please note the original (allegedly) does not have any of those custom options! Of course it costs quite a bit more as well, and naturally as is the way of the specialty retailer, you have only 1 option for fabric and wood tone. I present you with Options! Options! Options! Nothing less will do…
As with all of our plans, you are building at your own risk and you should have a firm understanding of building in general before you attempt many of our plans (some are easy as pie and perfect for beginners). With that, go forth, have fun, take lots of pictures and share them in a showcase on the site or on social media with the hashtag #builtTDCtuff and we will share our faves! Be sure to tag @thedesignconfidential on Instagram / FB and @thedesconf on Twitter / Pinterest. If you are a blogger and you post about your build, don’t forget to include a link to your post on your showcase here. Don’t forget… for all of our newer plans, clicking on the images will let them expand to enormous sizes with much greater clarity. The older plans may need updating so please let us know if you need one fixed!
Under $25
- Tape Measure
- Saw – Jig Saw, Circular, Table, or Miter Saw​
- Drill
- Multi-Square and Carpenter’s Square
- Sander
- Kreg Jig – if you build frequently, invest in this one.
- Nail Gun – optional
- Router with Patterning bit – or bit set – optional
- 1 – 1×2 at 10′
- 3/4″ Diameter Round Dowel at 6′ – each store carries different sizing options…you need 52″ of this including saw blade cut away.
-  Spade Bit Set (1″ and 3/4″ Spade bits
- 1-1/4″ Wood Screws
- 2″ Wood Screws
- ** Wooden or Rubberized Wheels (these will likely come with an axle pin or specify a particular size to purchase)- optional and you can cut out a circle and use for a wheel or use small bun feet (meant for furniture legs, this is what I chose) and dowels for axles.
- 1/3 Yard of Fabric in a style and type of your Choosing.
- **Fabric Glue or Iron On Hem Tape – Optional and will depend on whether or not you are a Non-Sewer
- Pocket Hole Plugs – Paint Grade, Pine, Oak – optional
- Clamps
- Safety Gear
- Wood Filler
- Wood Glue
- Sanding Supplies
- Paste Wax
- Finishing Supplies
- 2 – 1×2 at 28″ Long Single Legs
- 2 – 1×2 at 6″ Upper Short Legs
- 2 – 1×2 at 12 1/2″ Lower Short Legs
- 5 – 3/4″ Round Dowel at 10 1/4″ Rails
Before beginning to build, always check in on my site to make sure you have the most up to date set of plans, I occasionally update and change the plans to make the building process easier or to allow for less expensive purchasing of materials! Read through the entire set of instructions and all comments before beginning this project. If you print out or save plans, be sure to check in on my site to be sure you have the most up to date set of plans, as I occasionally update things for ease of building or buying. If you are new to building, read through the GETTING STARTED section and other articles found under the BUILD tab in the menu on my site, it has valuable information about how to get started, tools and techniques. If you are unfamiliar with the finishing process, visit my Finishing school for some tips and tricks for painting like a pro and for special finishing practices. Use glue to secure your joints and Consider Painting or Staining individual sections prior to assembling. This makes the paint application virtually flawless. Coat with a spray on Poly or Wipe on Poly to protect your finish and your piece and it will last for ages. Adhere to all safety standards and guidelines, and be sure you follow safety protocol throughout your build. If you are unsure about whether you are building safely, run a quick online search for the tool or technique you are using, or contact me via email or post to the forum before you move ahead. My contact info can be found in the menu of my site.
Cut your Boards to Size as indicated by the dimensions above. If you plan to round out the corners as shown, you will want to create no more than a 1/2″ radius for your arc. Anymore than that, and you will actually be changing the overall measurements of your stroller, which is obviously a-ok, assuming you were planning to do so! This diagram indicates all of the measurements required for each piece, prior to rounding out the corners. Hopefully, if you are careful, the dimensions as measured from right down the middle of each board won’t change, you will just carve away the corners a tad.
This diagram outlines an easy way to lay out your boards to ensure precisely placed pieces and cuts, however, it is more than likely that a smidgen of an error here and there won’t affect this too terribly, so don’t fret to much about this, you will do just fine!
Drill your holes for the Wheels prior to fastening the boards together, it will be easier. If you are choosing Wooden Wheels and Dowel Rod Axles, use a 1″ Drill Bit or hole saw bit and place your holes at least 1″ from the bottom of each leg. Be sure you place your wheels in the precise same position for all 4 Bottom Leg Pieces. Then go ahead and Attach all 3 leg pieces together, for both sides, using your Kreg Jig Set for 3/4″ stock and your 1 1/4″ pocket hole screws and glue. Fasten the leg pairs together by attaching the Rails to either side. Be sure you mark off your attachment site so you don’t end up with a lop-sided stroller. Countersink and pre-drill using a #8 Countersink Bit, then fasten with glue and 2″ Wood Screws (#8).
Use 3″ Wheels with a Wooden Axle made from 3/4″ dowel rod. You can either cut out your wheel from a 1×4 board or a 2×4 board and using a 3/4″ drill bit or hole saw bit with a depth collar set for 1/2″ drill a hole part way into each wheel that the dowel rod will fit into. You will be gluing the dowel rod into each wheel. In my case, I purchased small bun feet and removed the screw that protrudes. Then I used a 3/4″ hole saw bit to drill out a hole about 1/2″ into each bun foot for the dowel rod to fit. Glue the dowel rod into one wheel and once it’s dry slide the dowel through the holes in the stroller legs then glue on the opposite wheel. Do this for the front and back wheels.
Go ahead and sand and finish your stroller and while your finish is drying, you can begin the Seat cover. For those of you who sew, this is a no brainer, for the rest of you folks who are on My Team of Non-Sewers, click the image below for some very simple instruction on creating this using Fabric Glue.
Fill any Screw, Nail or Pocket Holes, Sand and Finish as Desired. For Finishing Tips and Tricks visit my Finishing School
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I’d love to see the images, all the links are broken. Thanks!
i shall get them fixed on up! stay tuned…