Antique theaters

Welcome!

All kaleidoscopes by inkspired and KaleidoCam app

I was browsing through some of my Pinterest boards

looking for fairytale ideas to share.

I found some wonderful posts of

antique paper theaters.

I thought perhaps you have never seen one,

or don’t know what they are?

Bloomberg.com

These paper theaters were made to entertain and keep busy children and were quite popular in the Queen Victorian era.

Since they were made of primarily paper we have some good examples to treasure; unlike the beautiful ornaments of that time that were made of wax and stored in attics.

(‘I’m melting...I’m melting!
Oh! What a world, what a world!”)

 - the Wicked Witch of the West

By using copy/paste we can print out many 

of these antique examples of Victorian theater play.

Here are a few examples:

Courtesy of Open House Miniatures, Pinterest

The above reproduction is sized to go in a dollhouse!

Similar to Auric’s Illuminated Toy Theater, type Orphee.

Yes! You can even print out full orchestras to go with your paper theater, along with audiences and

tons of accessories to go on stage or off.

French Opera Theater, courtesy Ruby Lane

The above theater looks like it has used 

a cigar box for the base.

Good idea!

Posted by geheugenvannederland.nl

To make your own reproduction theater you will need:

Color print outs of-

*several back drops of scenery

*actors printed and cut out

*the decorative front of the stage

*optional accessories such as piano, side tables, potted plants, or anything to help tell your story

You will also need:

*a sturdy base

*a support of some kind to hold the backdrops

*thin cardboard like a cereal box

*glue or spray fixative

For fun embellishments you might want:

*fun flocking

*glitter and a fine tip glue dispenser

*decorative pens

*glitter glue such as Stickles

*tiny buttons, ribbons, embroidery floss

*stickers, assorted

Really, anything you want to make your theater special.

Perhaps you want a fabric curtain to open and close

instead of a printed one.

Maybe bottle brush trees at the sides would suit you

better than a paper one.

Let your imagination

run wild!

Tiffinboxdesign.blogspot.com.ru

This one uses an old suitcase as its’ base.

Great for storage when not in use!

Janinasdesign.blogspot.com

Ideally your bottom platform should have grooves in it, 

running from side to side.

You can mount your characters onto thin pieces (like balsa wood) that you then slide back and forth in the grooves.

Posted by Craftsman on Pinterest

If you look carefully you can see the thin slats 

that the actors are mounted to.

If you would rather move your actors around like chess pieces,

using spools (decorated or plain) works fine.

I would probably glue a paper clip partially down the inner hole of the spool. That way you can change actor pieces around, but won’t have so many spools to store.

Found on Pinterest

Another option that is especially fun with

action scenes or ballet & dance

is to glue a metal thumbtack or a small weaker magnet

to the bottom of each actor.

Then mount a stronger magnet onto a piece of thin wood, sturdy cardstock or even to the end of a wood spoon.

Having a longer handle is helpful.

This magnet goes under the stage floor.

As your actors with the metal ‘bottoms’ are placed on the stage, you can move the under-stage magnet

and your characters will dance and twirl!

This simple stage would be perfect for dancers:

By French Laundry

You can build your entire theater from cardboard

that is sturdy, like from a box.

Use strong, wide tape and glue to keep it all together.

I would then cover with decorative papers

or printed antique theater papers.

If spray fixative is your friend, use that to place papers.

Unfortunately spray fixative is not my friend

so I use a combination of double stick tape

(Viva Las VegaStamps has the best -

vlvstamps.com)

and Aleene’s Tacky Glue in the goldish bottle.

From Salaludica imagery, June 6, 2017

The above colorful theater is a great example!

You can see the decorative papers on the front and sides;

 and the grooves on the inside floor 

to move actor pieces around.

You also can see how multiple backdrops really

give the whole scene a lot of richness and depth.

One thing I haven’t mentioned is 

I suggest that you glue ALL paper pieces 

onto thin cardboard, such as what cereal comes in.

It will drastically reduce your frustration 

over torn or ripped pieces.

Antique theater backdrops
shared from different sites and museums.

That’s all I have time for tonight.

More pieces and diy directions coming!

‘Til then,

inkspired

Truth, usually experienced before 10am

or coffee...

Stay at the door and watch The Dog when you let her out. Otherwise it may be an hour before you wake up again and realize she has been outside the entire time.

Being the Good Dog she is,

she is too polite to bark to come in.

However, bad weather will make her grouchy,

as will an empty stomach.