Got the winter blahs?
Cold weather got you down?
Are you looking for a project to keep you busy and put a bit of Disney into your life?
Here’s a suggestion for you . . . build some racks to display your Disney antenna toppers!
Are you like me; married to a Disney fan who is also a compulsive collector? Or perhaps you are the collector . . .
Whichever is the case, you probably have boxes or bags full of Disney antenna toppers. My dear wife Carol swears she will never buy another, but then she spots that new one, Mickey in his yellow rain poncho, and she just has to have it! Naturally it goes home with us and is soon tossed in the box with all the rest.
Last year she said to me, “I need something that will display my toppers. What can you build for me?” We talked about how and where she wanted to put them and then I went to work.
Here’s what I came up with:
So here’s how you can display yours too. It’s easy, it’s inexpensive and it’s very flexible. Everything you need is at your local lumber store. You do it all with 1″ X 2″ spruce or pine strapping and 3/16″ dowels. The only tools required are a saw and an electric drill with a 3/16″ drill bit.
There are only two dimensions to worry about, cut the dowel into 2″ lengths and drill the holes for the dowels so that the centers are 2 3/4′ apart. That’s all there is to it!
You can sand, stain, paint and finish the wood in any color you like, to match your furniture or décor.
So the first step is to cut the 1″ X 2″ boards to the length you need. I have various lengths to fit different locations
If you want a rack for two toppers cut the board 5 3/4″ long and leave 1 1/2″ clear at each end.
To display three toppers cut the board 8 1/2″ long and leave 1 1/2″ clear at each end.
To display four toppers cut the board 11 1/4″ long and leave 1 1/2″ clear at each end.
You can do the math; just add another 2 3/4″ in length for every post you want to add.
The next step is to measure and mark the boards and then drill the holes. Be careful to keep the drill perpendicular to be sure that your posts are straight up and down. If you have access to a drill press this makes it easy to do a good job, but it can also be done easily by hand, just be sure to keep the drill straight and square to the board.
Do not drill all the way through the board, drill your holes about 1/2″ deep.
Now cut enough dowels, 2″ long, to fill the holes you just drilled. Do not put them in the holes just yet. That part comes after you have sanded, painted or stained and finished all the wooden parts.
Once everything is sanded and painted or stained you can use a hammer to gently tap the dowels into the holes. That’s it; you are done!
Aren’t you proud of yourself? Give yourself a pat on the back!
OK, now it’s time to fill-up those new topper racks. Here’s how Carol has used a few of hers.
In the Jack Skellington Shrine!
On a tabletop.
Along the top of a bookcase.
On top of the stereo components.
So why don’t you get creative and see how you can display your antenna toppers?
You’re sure to shake those winter blahs!
These are all great ideas. Can’t wait to get to work and soon have the toppers displayed. Thank you Gary for getting the ball rolling.
Great idea, I thought this was very cute! I also love the bouquet idea. I love the toppers, but I usually don’t get to change them on my car often–as my favs seem to “go missing” 🙁
So I tend to place them on the tops of my pens or pencils. Its a great way to keep track of them at work 🙂 and its a fun conversation piece.
I put our extra antenna toppers on dowels and stuck them in our potted plants. Our own version of “hidden Mickeys”.
My son began collecting antenna toppers on our last trip. We bought three foam circles — 2 small and 1 large and glued them together to make a Mickey. We used dowels cut to differing lengths and filled our Mickey with the antenna toppers. It was a great and fun souvenir for him as we also do not have an antenna.
I have a bunch of antenna toppers that I bought on a trip to Disney World. When I got home I realized that my car does not have an antenna!! Your display is a great idea for me.
What a great idea! I too have a bag full of antenna toppers stuck in a drawer. Thanks for reminding me to pull out the Happy Birthday one!
Here’s a unique idea: Put them on your car antenna! As easy as Minnie’s apple pie. I change them out in a timely fashion – right now before I put the Valentines day on, I have a white Mickey head that looks like he is a snowman,so cute! Am I missing the point here? Are we supposed to COLLECT these and not dirty them up as nature intended?? Plus, by actually using them on our vehicles, we can proclaim to the world that we are DISNEY FANS!! Are there any Groundhog day antenna toppers out there???
Aren’t we a creative bunch!
I’ve seen those spool racks used for antenna toppers and they look great.
The “antenna topper bouquet” is intriguing, we might have to try that!
Are there any other ideas out there?
Gary Cruise
I have an even easier solution. I went to a fabric store and bought a thread holder which looks very similar to what you made. I have all my antenna toppers on it and it can be stood on a table or mounted on hangers over a door.
Oh, this is such a fun idea! I have a ledge above the front door that would be a perfect place to use a strip of maybe antenna toppers! Now all I need is to start collecting. And Bernard has enough extra dowels to make tons of these. Thanks for making me smile today!
I have found a great solution for my collection. I found that spool holders used by people that sew work great, the only thing is you have to used every other peg because they are close together. There are various sizes. I bought mine at Walmart pretty cheap.
Thanks for the idea, Gary! Although I have so many of them that I don’t think a single row of them would work… maybe have the dowels much closer together (as tight as they would fit) but have them be of alternating lengths, so you can fit twice as many?
I love the idea of a bouquet of them, too!
Oh my gosh. I love this. My 10 year old loves doing projects with his grandpa and I have a burgeoning collection of toppers so this would be great.
I do the same as Erin – a bouquet of Mickey! Which reminds me, it’s time to take down Christmas and stick on Valentine’s.
I have mine on skewers in a vase on my kitchen table. I have a bouquet of toppers.
Hi Gary,
I love the idea…mine are on a window sill and they’re always falling over.
Thanks,
Wendy
I love your idea for antenna toppers. I also have that same phone! So cool.