Summer is in full swing! The temperatures are high and the sun is bright. It's the perfect time for a swim!
I've been wanting to make a Barbie swimming pool for a while, and this year I just started measuring and cutting cardboard and finally did it. I knew I wanted to have a pool that was deep enough for the dolls to stand up in, unlike official Barbie pools, but I also wanted something study enough to hold floaties like the giant Barbie donut float (that I didn't even use because it's so huge LOL).
The biggest challenge was, of course, the water. Obviously I didn't want to use real water - it didn't bother me as a kid but it does now LOL - so my first thought was to use clear plastic from packaging, which many people have used. The problem was, I didn't have any plastic large enough to fill the space I'd created. So then I thought of clear acrylic, which my husband can cut to size with a laser cutter. That worked! Then came the task of securing the plastic inside the pool - because of course I don't want anything permanent. Hubby found some clear dowels that he cut to size and secured inside the holes cut out of the acrylic (to hold the dolls) to create little stands, and those hold the water up great!
I then swirled Mod Podge all over the acrylic to give the water that ripple/wave effect, then placed it inside the pool. There are four holes in it for dolls, and a floatie can also be placed over one with a doll inside it. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it looks!
I also knew I had to add a little patio for the dolls to lounge on, and then I found some adorable tropical-colored 1/6 scale drinks on Etsy so everyone has something cold to drink. And don't forget the sunscreen!
So here are a couple of scenes in the pool. Some of the little ones are getting help before going in by themselves, a couple of ladies are sunbathing, and even some splashes are happening. :D
Enjoying drinks poolside and taking a dip during the hot weather:
A little help before getting in - she's kicking her feet!
SPLASH!
Help in the floatie:
Placing the floatie in first:
Lots of drinks!
Second group of dolls:
Time to apply more sunscreen!
Giving one little one a break from the water for a while:
Either he's a bad aim or she's a bad catch - either way, that ball splashes in front of her LOL
She's more comfortable in the water with a floatie:
She loves her unicorn floatie!
