I cannot count my day complete
'Til needle, thread and fabric meet.
~Author Unknown

Sharing a common thread with those who love the art of hand embroidery

Thursday, January 9, 2020

A few years back......

I posted about an old dollhouse that I found at an estate sale.
The lady's estate home was full of beautifully decorated dollhouses......
but this one was in the back of an old garage on a dusty floor.
I fell in love with it and dragged it home. 

After cleaning it up, I decided I wanted to fix the dollhouse as a
1940s farmhouse and chose red and white for the kitchen with a rose
wallpaper.

However......it wasn't long before I noticed that the dollhouse had 
a terrible odor which ,when placed inside, made the whole
area smell.  Friends advised me to coat it in a primer made to 
get rid of stains and odors...........

so  I had to destroy the red and white kitchen.......but
it was worth it.  The dollhouse now has no odor and is a blank
canvas once again. 

I have shown you the kitchen in one of my latest posts that I chose to do in yellow....but for now
I decided to work on the living room/dining room section.
I chose paper with green prints and a dark hard wood flooring.

I had had this little bench and chair set for a while, 
which I thought were perfect forms .......

and I made the set into a lovely little couch and chairs 
Happy with this, but still I knew I wanted a fireplace somewhere
in this room

Using one of our vintage cedar shingles that used to be on the 
roof of our home, I made a fireplace frame on it, using Popsicle sticks.
You will see why I needed the shingle as a background in a few moments.

I then gathered rocks on a walk with Sophie and created a 
rock fireplace.

I had found these battery flickering tea lights, and 
covered the front of one with twigs from the yard, 

and now the fireplace looks like it has a cozy fire in it! 

Now the reason for the shingle background. To make 
a space for the fireplace, I covered up the side window 
with the shingle to make a solid wall.  I also made lace curtains
for the other window.

I also decided to wall paper the other rooms so that it 
will be easier to work on furnishings as I go. And speaking of 
furniture and accessories, 
I have gathered a few pieces of lovely dollhouse furniture
here and there at estate sales........but I really enjoy making
a lot of things as best I can.........


Now the living room......looks cozy

I fixed some tiny mantle decorations
And now, I will start working more on the dining room side.  
I still need to add photos and wall hangings to the walls and I need to paint the 
dining room chairs.
I have enjoyed working on this little house. Not sure how 
it will all look when I finally complete it......but for now
it looks inviting.........don't  you think so?
So tell me...........did you have a doll house when you were a child........
or do you have a doll house that  you are working on now?
Do  you purchase your furnishings or do you make them?
I would love to hear!

11 comments:

Faith said...

I do remember having a doll house when I was a young one. Maybe that is why I love the miniature things so much. I sadly...do not have one now, what a find you made. I'd be happy to
find one, although my husband would just not understand. But what fun decorating, and you did a lovely job. It is charming.

lil red hen said...

Kathleen, your dollhouse is adorable! That has always been a dream of mine, to decorate a dollhouse. When I was a child my sister gave me a metal house with plastic furniture. It came from Sears, Roebuck. Over the years the metal tabs broke off and I guess my daughters played with it until it was no good anymore. Then my middle daughter made a dollhouse from an old TV cabinet with a stairway and rock fireplace. We still have it in the tool shed; it's much too large for any room in my house. Currently I've furnished a shelf in a bookcase for my clothes peg dolls. For now it will have to do. Thank you so much for sharing your great project!

drafter29 said...

That is adorable. When I was really small, I had a metal one. I played with it for hours. Then I got a generic Barbie doll. Mom taught me to sew for her, and make furniture from Kleenex boxes and other stuff that was going into the trash. Lots of memories.

Prims By The Water said...

You are so creative! I never would have thought to make a fireplace lit like you did. Looks perfect! Janice

Tammy@T's Daily Treasures said...

Oh my goodness. That is absolutely adorable. The living room is so cozy. If I could shrink myself I'd plop myself right there in front of the fire and crochet away. Ha! Really lovely work. Don't think I ever had a dollhouse. But I do know a few people who are currently working on dollhouse makeovers and I enjoy seeing the process.

Carol- Beads and Birds said...

OMGosh, didn't you have FUN with this project. I always wanted to give decorating a doll house a try. Honestly the only thing that kept me from it is lack of space on where to keep it. Please show us the next room when you decorate it.
xx, Carol

Hill Top Post said...

My doll house was one of the metals ones too. I loved that doll house even though everything in it was plastic including the little family. I love what you are doing with this old house and like best the things you create for it.

Snowcatcher said...

What a treasure, and what a magnificent project! I cannot wait to see your progress; you are very talented with what you've already accomplished!

I had a scale Barbie doll house when I was about 12 years old. My dad built it for me after being disgusted by the plastic doll houses at the department stores. I treasured that doll house for many years! I built my furniture out of things that would have been thrown away long before the recycling fad. I used plastic pop bottles and cardboard cereal boxes to craft furniture, and I sewed the blankets, pillows, curtains, towels by hand from clothes my siblings and I outgrew. I crocheted rugs for the floor. I've always been into photography, so I painted one of the bedrooms black and made it into a darkroom! Built a little enlarger and sink from cardboard boxes cut to size.

My goodness, you brought back some wonderful memories!

handmade by amalia said...

This is simply fantastic and so much fun - I may want to move in when you're done.
Amalia
xo

Debra said...

Hello! I LOVE dollhouses-love yours! It is very cozy and charming!
I played with a dollhouse my mom had when she was little. Now my brother has the house displayed in his beautiful barn/museum. I can still remember the feeling of believing I was really inside the house.

Varla Lee said...

Just speakless!! Adorable!!