Renovating a dolls house!

DonnaP

Hi

I have been offered an old dolls house (complete with furniture) from freecycle. It needs a complete overhaul and I would like this to be a project I can do in time for Christmas for my 5 year old twin DD's.

Does anyone have any experience ideas about doing this? Or know of any websites that can offer help?

Many thanks

Donna

THIRZAH

There are quite a few dolls house websites-just google something like "making dolls house furniture" or "free dolls house printables"

I have a dolls house and belong to a minatures group-we meet once a month.
There are usually books on dolls houses in the library in the craft section which you may find helpful and there are dolls house magazines although you may have to get them from somewhere like W H Smith rather than a local newsagent.

A lot of independent dolls house shops seem to have closed over the past few years.There are still quite a lot of dolls house fairs around-usually at weekends. Hobbycraft sell dolls house furniture plus wall paper etc although a lot of it is more for collectors than for young children. IKEA had some basic dolls house furniture last time I looked in their childrens department.

angelavdavis

What a great project to do! I loved my dolls house that my Dad made for me and used to decorate it and make things for it all the time (I was a bit older than your twins!)

I would also look on ebay as there are loads of furniture kits on there which are reasonably priced (eg a master bedroom kit for£5.75 already cut out and ready to put together). If you are a dab hand with a jigsaw you could have a go, but my skills for microprecision are limited!

I remember making some salt dough bread chicken/meat joints and vegetables for my kitchen and painting them - hours of fun!

Wrapping paper is great for wallpaper, carpet tile samples and sticky backed plastic is good for flooring.

Use emulsion as its fast drying and water based, seal with some clear beeswax to make it more durable.

I think if I would you, I would set a budget as I know I would get carried away!!!

I am sure your twins will love it!!!

hilstep2000

Try: http://www.dollshouse.com/

They are for collectors, so the furniture can be expensive, but they do wallpaper and carpets in the right scale.

Cinny91

angelavdavis wrote: »

Wrapping paper is great for wallpaper, carpet tile samples and sticky backed plastic is good for flooring.

Or scrap paper paper. If you have a hobbycraft nearby they always have a great range of designs, about 50p a page. Or try a local craft shop.

Either that or get some tester pots and paint all the walls one colour and the floors a lighter shade. keep some extra of the colours so you can do touch up jobs.

Good luck! I looove dolls houses, my mum painted me and my sister one for christmas when I was about the same age as your girls, it's in the garage atm but it's moving out when I do

jfennell

Hi.
I have decorated a new dolls house from scratch. I found a website called www.printmini.com which has lots of things you can print off and make in various dolls house scales. I have make a desk, stereo unit and speakers all from paper. There is also wall paper and flooring on there although you have to be careful when glueing as the ink from an ordinary printer can run when wet. I have also taken sample pieces of wall paper from DIY stores that has a very small patten and used that. Some of the bits and pieces for making cards are useful as well. I found a mixing bowl and rolling pin for my kichen that way. You can find some useful items on ebay and the Dolls House emporium, www.dollshouse.com has loads of stuff but is can be expensive. I hope you have fun.

kitschkitty

If the dolls house already has paint on any parts of it be aware that could have lead in it. Just a thought.

angelavdavis

jfennell wrote: »

Hi.
I have decorated a new dolls house from scratch. I found a website called www.printmini.com which has lots of things you can print off and make in various dolls house scales. I have make a desk, stereo unit and speakers all from paper. There is also wall paper and flooring on there although you have to be careful when glueing as the ink from an ordinary printer can run when wet.

I want another dolls house now!!!!:D What a great site!

Larumbelle

I buy up 'wrecks' then sell them on as a hobby. Dolls House Emporium are great but expensive. You can get some great books on how to make furniture etc from bits and bobs lying around the house - think blue peter only WAAAY classier! Check out your library - mine has loads of these books!

Fimo is good for making bits, and if you get skilled at it you've got a lucrative new hobby - it sells well on ebay.

Do be careful as kitchkitty said of lead paint, it's not unknown, also be careful if you sand down chipboard or mdf - you need a mask really to do it.

Our local market has a stall that sells cheap dolls house furniture. You get bargains at carboots / jumble sales as people do not really realise how much good dolls house furniture is worth. Also our local Sue Ryder charity shop sells lovely dolls house furniture very reasonably - worth asking about it if there's a branch near you, I'm not sure whether it's just a local thing.

chrisbethany

DonnaP wrote: »

Hi

I have been offered an old dolls house (complete with furniture) from freecycle. It needs a complete overhaul and I would like this to be a project I can do in time for Christmas for my 5 year old twin DD's.

Does anyone have any experience ideas about doing this? Or know of any websites that can offer help?


Hi Donna - I did up a derelict Sindy house years ago for my DD2 and enjoyed the making more than she did the playing! Let your imagination run wild - I stripped it out cos it was quite 'tacky', then used small print wallpaper & wrapping papers on walls, plain velvet curtain scraps for carpet, etc. You can make furniture very easily using mount board, although you're very lucky getting it thrown in.

I decorated the sitting room for Christmas, complete with garlands, cards on the mantelpiece - the lot. A miniature Christmas tree in the corner (formerly a decoration) with parcels underneath completed the effect.

You can make all sorts of accessories with toothpaste lids, and so on. It's amazing how much potential you see once you start looking! I'm currently doing up a house that my brother found in his attic, and am trying to do it as cheaply as possible. Match pots are a great help. I 'pebbledashed' the outside, using sand mixed in emulsion paint - very effective.

The Sue Ryder shops have a dolls house club (Hickleton Interiors) which sells accessories on the net and in some SR shops, including dolls, I think. Well worth looking at.

If you really get the bug and want to continue making things for it, I'll pass on any other tips I discover.

Chris

Larumbelle

Hickleton Interiors! That's what they're called! Thanks Chris!