Maryellen longs to stand out but often feels lost in the shuffle of her big, busy family. Her favorite TV shows include Davy Crockett and The Lone Ranger, and she dreams up episodes where she gets to be the hero. Maryellen had polio when she was seven years old during the Polio Epidemic of 1952. This resulted in one of her legs being weaker than the other, and she also has cold-sensitive lungs.
It’s a slow day at the Seaside Diner, a favorite local hangout. It’s the best place in town to eat breakfast and lunch, or sit at the counter and drink coffee with your friends!
This diner was a project that I’ve been wanting to build for a long time; not for me, but for my mom’s dolls. I got the chance to do it this month when I went to visit my parents, after not being able to see them for over a year. Throughout this entire pandemic, we’ve been brainstorming about what we’d do when we were together again after they received their COVID vaccines. The entire time, I’ve had lots of ideas rattling around in my head about how I would make this project happen.
Within the diner, there’s a counter with two barstools, a corner booth with seats and a table, a pie display case, storage shelves for newspapers and to-go boxes, and a cash register. All of the structures are glued onto the sturdy base frame.
I based this on the American Girl playset produced for Maryellen Larkin’s collection. Maryellen’s historical year is 1954, and this set is meant to represent the diners that were popular at the time.
I also incorporated Maryellen’s diner bakery set (AG’s is sold separately) into my reproduction.
My mom doesn’t actually have Maryellen and probably won’t ever get her, so this is mostly for Melody, Julie, and her modern characters to use.
Usually when I reproduce AG products, I can look at a few pictures to get a basic idea of where to start. I also watch review videos to see close pictures of the details and the construction. I took note of what I wanted to reproduce and what I wanted to change. There were a few things about AG’s products that my mom didn’t like–mainly, the small size of the set in comparison with the price. She wanted something a little more proportional for a lot less money, because both the diner and the bakery together will cost around $450. I was able to make this reproduction for around $20.
For some of the smaller graphics and accessories, I used printables from AmericanGirlIdeas.com, including the menus, guest checks, paper hats, and newspapers. I used the tutorial for barstools and the booth table and chairs from that same site.
The book gives instructions on how to make a no-sew server uniform and roller skates. Most of the posters and logos came from the craft kit.
This is going to be a really long post showing all the components, so keep reading to see the details and find out how I made everything!
I’ll start by giving a tour of the diner before it opens for business, and then I’ll show all the small details that keep the diner caring for its customers on an average day. And I hope that my inclusion of instructions inspires some of you to consider opening your own 50′s-style diner for your dolls!
here’s an introduction post for the dolls i’ve gotten since i’ve been inactive :)
first we have lovely corinne tan. i preordered her when she came out and i’m obsessed with her! she’s gorgeous in real life and i love her collection. my favorite part is her hair (it’s so thick!) and i’m not sure how i feel about her painted eyelashes. overall, she’s beautiful, and i love her!
next is gwen (tm 81). i’ve wanted her ever since she was released, and i got her as a christmas present from my dad !! i absolutely love her hair and eye combo, and she photographs really well. i’m in the process of developing a backstory right now…
third is maryellen! i’ve always loved her, and i feel like she’s really underrated in the historical line. she’s in samantha’s dress because i feel like pink looks great with her red hair. i bought her with my ag rewards points a few months ago.
next is emily! i never had her on my priority list because i didn’t think she was unique enough, but seeing her in person, i am in love. my boyfriend gave her too me because his sister was getting rid of her dolls. she came with her full meet outfit and looked as though she was never played with. i love her red hair with the green shirt, and she’s quickly growing on me!
finally, we have nanea. i am obsessed with her look. her hair is absolutely gorgeous and super bouncy and soft. i want more of her collection, but its hard to find at the moment. i bought her when my boyfriend and i took a weekend trip to ag place nashville. i also got these adorable pjs which look great on her ! definitely one of the prettiest dolls ag has released.
not pictured, i also got a second caroline from a thrift store and a second beforever samantha. caroline is in perfect condition and was only $60! she also came with her holiday gown outfit (minus the gloves). samantha was a gift from my boyfriend’s sister.
Hopefully by the next holiday season I’ll have Kaya’s winter accessories and Josefina’s Christmas outfit, and maybe even Felicity/Elizabeth outfits for Caty and Abigail.
I’m just glad that the painters finished before the end of Hanukkah, so I could access everything and have somewhere to put them all.
My aunt’s lifelong friend Susan recently gifted me her childhood Ken, Barbie and Midge!!!
Susan said Barbie is from about 1959 and the Ken and Midge from a few years later. They are in pristine shape and I will continue to take good care of them.
In their new life, Barbie and Ken will be Mr. and Mrs. Larkin, parents of Maryellen Larkin of the American Girl series, in Daytona, FL, 1954. Midge is happy to be Joan Larkin. I have some modern Mattel child dolls to be Maryellen’s younger siblings. I still want to find dolls for their sister Carolyn and for Joan’s boyfriend.
Their world will be somewhere along the lines of 1:6 and 1:9 to some 1:12 items…I’m resolving all scale discrepancies among my dolls and furniture with dolly magic.
I want to create the Larkins’ midcentury side table and TV!! and make some additional clothes!! This will be a fun new project and I’m excited about it. More to come!!!
A little outfit I made for Maryellen!! She has been having lots of pool days with me to fade the marks on her skin, but she’s about 90% cleared up now!!
