Preamble: The Dollhouse

If you are a reader of the Darlyblog, you might remember a quick post on a dollhouse that I gave my girls last Christmas. I've had a few requests to share my steps/tricks/ideas on how it all came together. For some of you, this will be of absolutely no interest. But that's ok.

These are a series of posts with my rambling instructions on how to make this a reality for your kiddo (hey, you could do a boyish one, too!) this holiday season. I had an absolute blast making it, and wish I had something comparable to do this year. Don't you think each girl needs her own? (HA!)

So without further adieu, the DOLLHOUSE DEMYSTIFIED series.

Dollhouse Demystified--Part 1

In time for the holidays, I thought I'd share with you a tutorial-of-sorts {although it's not much of a tutorial, because I didn't photograph the steps} of how I made my girls' Christmas dollhouse. I had as much fun -- or more? -- in making this dollhouse as they do playing with it. I think you will, too.

**sources will be listed at bottom of post

I started with these Foremost brand modular shelving units. I purchased 3 in white (exactly like the top picture), without any dividers. If I were doing it again, I think I'd choose the honey color (bottom). Then I could've left some of the floors plain for the wood look. I also might have chosen to use a divided one for the top floor (again, bottom). But maybe not.....I built my own divider, which I think works well for flow (they don't go all the way to the edge, so there's a Barbie "walkway" in between spaces).

These modular shelves are a cinch to put together (my husband did three in 1/2 hour or less). I didn't connect them together (there is a peg system to attach them to each other) until Christmas Eve, when I assembled/staged it.

But before I started mod-podging, wallpapering, carpeting, flooring, etc, I worked on a lot of my furnishings and accessories. This was actually my favorite part of the whole process. I scoured thrift stores, dollar stores, ebay, and craft stores for things I could use; a huge portion of the dollhouse accessories were items not intended for dollhouses. I had to really expand my brain every time I went somewhere to think outside the box.

Example of thinking-outside-the-box: My bathroom sink is made from a tiny cut crystal dish (a little salt dish?) from the thrift store, glued to a "crystal" candlestick from the dollar store. I then glued a clip-earring post to the sink for a faucet, and used regular metal earrings backs on each side of the faucet for faucet handles. That just may have been my most glorious moment.


Let's talk about flooring:

I tried to use as many things as I already had to economize. On the bottom floor, I used papers from my favorite company, SassafrasLass. I'm not much of a scrapbooker anymore (at all), but I had picked up some paper because I found it positively lovely. That was mod-podged to the floor. On the second floor, in the kitchen, I had a scrap of Black Paradise Lace oilcloth and decided to put it to good use. I first tried to transform some bamboo placemats into flooring for the dining area, but that didn't work out so well, so I scrapped it and remembered I had some real cork paper with gold flecks from my book-binding days. That was perfect! For the top floor (bedroom and bathroom), I wanted it to be cush and fun. I knew that my girls would LOVE carpeting, even though it's not my first choice of flooring. So, I went to a local carpet store and bought a small sample. I also got some wood-floor-looking linoleum. Combined total? $10.00. They were very friendly and happy to help with the project. I am especially thrilled with the carpet. So are my girls.

Now, wallpaper: I went again with favorite scrapbook supplier, SassafrasLas for most of my papers. I also used some SEI and American Crafts. It's a bit tricky because a scrapbook paper is 12x12" and the house was 15" deep by 30" wide. So there was a fair amount of patching, figuring out borders to add to make the space work. Look at the bottom of this photo. You'll see that there's a coordinating color of graphic floral-print paper filling in the space between the bottom of the trike girls and the line of the floor. You can leave that just white, but I really wanted to have full coverage.
You can see in the picture, that there are seams that don't match and a whole lot of pattern going on for one space. Obviously you wouldn't overlook these things for a real house; but that's why I think it's so incredibly fun to decorate a dollhouse.....you can totally go over the top! This wallpaper is particularly fun because I have three girls, and there are three little girls on the trikes....

A word on Mod Podge here: There are websites and blogs devoted to its use . . . and it's really quite simple. Apply a small amount to both the wall or floor and to the paper. Carefully hang paper on wall or lay on floor. The trickiest and most crucial part is to get as many air bubbles out at this stage. I used a dry dishtowel to try and wipe them out. Apply a layer of Mod Podge on top of the wallpaper. Let dry. Apply at least one more, if not two more layers for the strongest and most durable finish. Mine could literally be wiped off with a very damp cloth and there would be no problem.

SOURCES FROM THIS POST:
Foremost Modular Cube Storage System

Divided Foremost Storage Cube

Paper from the bottom floor flooring
Lace Oilcloth Floor
Cork Floor from Dining Room
Bedroom Wallpaper

Darling paper for wallpaper

Other great wallpaper

*Thanks to my friend Jennifer, for giving me the inspiration and basic idea of how to build this beauty.

Dollhouse Demystified --- Part 2

In Part 1, I mentioned "thinking outside the box." Here are some other examples:

1. The couch was the tipping point. I had thought about doing this dollhouse, but wasn't committed. My father-in-law works in the grape industry, and he brought us a big crate of grapes one weekend. As we were talking one Saturday night, I got out a serrated kitchen knife and started sawing the box into pieces. Before I knew it, I had made a bit of an impromptu pattern, and had the glue gun plugged in. I got out some of my favorite vintage yard-sale fabric, a bit of quilt batting, and some ribbon trim, and started constructing, padding, gluing, reinforcing, and upholstering my cardboard grape-box couch. I didn't know what to do with for the legs until I remembered my dear friend Emily had given me a bunch of vintage wooden thread spools for my birthday. I whipped out some acrylic paints and painted them the green of the fabric, and glued them on. Now, if I were a perfectionist, I would have done a better job on the upholstery....maybe done some piping or fixed my mistakes instead of covering them with vintage ribbon. But, I'm not a perfectionist.....so my couch is a little funny and flawed. But I think it adds to the character.




2. For the dining table, I went to a craft store and bought 2 wooden plaques like these. (You can find them at Michael's and JoAnn's.) They come in many sizes and shapes, and I chose a large, almost reverse-scallop one for the top and a small circle for the bottom. I bought a pretty sturdy dowel and we used little wood nails to attach them all together. A good coat of acrylic craft paint and some sealant did the final trick. I found the chairs online at a random unfinished craft seller. Can't find the exact info right now, but they are Darice brand.




3. The bathtub (with cheesy decals) came from the dollar store in the gardening section. I loved how it was galvanized metal, and was the PERFECT size for a Barbie bathtub. I actually displayed it first with the decals not showing, but my girls loved the flowers, so it now stands with the flower-side out. It got the same treatment for faucet and handles as the pedestal sink--- a blank clip-on earring pad and some pierced earring backs. Voila! Also, take a look at the shower curtain/separation between the bedroom and bathroom--- a piece of fabric with lace sewn on the top. The holes in the lace are large enough for the hooks to easily go through. The girls love removing the curtain and putting it back on. More on the bathroom cabinet in the next post.



4. I thought I was going to buy Barbie-sized beds, but then found that the only pre-made wooden ones available were going to be at least $20.00 each. I found some handcrafted beds for ~$95.00 on ebay. NO thanks. And this is kind of a stupid description because you don't even see them under the quilts....but, I'll give you my cheap and quicky way of making 3 Barbie beds for ~$15.00 combined. Go to your local craft store and find the section with wood supplies. There should be a big display with a bunch of pre-cut items. I found a long strip of baltic birch plywood (~4" wide by 36" long) and had my husband cut them into three lengths. That was the base of the bed. I then found some cute scallop-cut baltic trim in the same section. I bought a length of this because I used it as the headboard and baseboard of each bed. To build up the sides of the bed so the mattress and doll would stay put, I bought another plain strip that was essentially a long squared-off shape. I used wood glue to assemble them and it worked like a genie! I added more of my vintage spools to the base of the beds and then spray painted it after it was all dry and assembled. I remember going out into the freezing cold and setting the beds down on top of snow. The next morning, my girls asked why the snow had turned purple. Oops. I didn't cover my tracks. ;)

A note on the quilts and pillows: literally, these took me no longer than an hour to complete. Cut 6 pieces of fabric, pair two together, inside-out, and sew up 3 1/2 sides, leaving a section in the middle of one of the sides open. Add batting which has been cut to the same size, and sew up the rest of the way. Then I just machine quilted over the fabric. I tried to follow the pattern of the fabric, mimicking what the fabric did. I also made quicky chenille mattresses basically the same way as the quilts, only they were made smaller to fit the inside dimensions of the bed. I also didn't quilt them.

5. Last word on "thinking outside of the box": SCOUR your local thrift stores. You'll find fabulous little trinkets that will make your dollhouse unique and amazing. I found a miniature plastic vintage Japanese clock that has flowers painted on it for $1.00 (kind of looks like a grandfather clock, but way awesome-er). When my grandmother died this summer and we were going through her things, we saw that she had the same exact one. Also, don't be so literal. I found cute crocheted doilies, and they became rugs. A crystal candle-holder is our toilet.

6. Have fun with this aspect. It was actually my favorite part of the whole process. I wish I could make another house just so I could start all over again.....

Dollhouse Demystified Part 3: RE-MENT

For the last installment of my dollhouse craziness, I'm going to talk about some of the things that I just had to BUY. Like, couldn't resist.

I searched high and low for a cool Barbie kitchen. Everything that came up was cheap, or made of cardboard, or super expensive. I wanted a cool, modern kitchen for my girls' Barbies, dang it, and I wasn't going to stop at nothin'.

***A little note on scale: Barbies are considered 1:6 scale. When you do your internet searching for Barbie paraphernalia, make sure you google "dollhouse 1:6 scale." Most avid dollhouse makers and collectors use the 1:12 scale. So if you think you've found the perfect Eames chair for your dollhouse and you order it, it will arrive more the size of a Polly Pocket. Eek!

Anyway, in my hours of searching, I finally came upon something called REMENT. Made in Japan, like almost everything else irresistibly darling, they are miniatures in the 1:6 scale. Let me share with you some of my images:

Let me present the perfect modern kitchen:

The Rement items here include the actual kitchen (purchased for $20 on ebay....the price seems to have gone up since I purchased last year!), the mixing bowls, canisters, orange utensil holder on counter with utensils, vintage-looking Pyrex, "swanky swig" vintage cups and cup lazy-susan, and Jadeite salt and pepper shakers. (The green cupboard was only $1 at Michaels in unfinished wood. They have a few varieties and did even last time I shopped there.) The drawers and pull-outs are fully functional and store a bunch of rement plates, utensils, pots and pans, platters, etc. Yes, I went a little crazy on the kitchen.....but, I really wanted this to be a star part of the house.

This bathroom cabinet was also from the Rement lines. I loved the print on it and the fact that the opaque, textured-plastic door opens and closes. I also scored some Rement beauty products (tiny perfume bottles, lipstick, nailpolish, etc.) I'm pretty sure those items are long-lost (I have a 2-year old!), but it was a fun effect.

I also used rement to accessorize other parts of the house; I bought a stand mirror that I set on the bedroom dresser, a set of donuts and pastries with a cakestand to go on the kitchen table, plates, tea set, and a little pink dresser/sideboard for the downstairs, and 2 cute cats complete with heart-shaped food bowl and little tiny food.

I think it was very fun and effective to mix/match the Rement stuff with the thrifted "out of the box" items.

Here are a few of my favorite rement items:
BlueBird's Tea Party
Red Kitchen (only $20)
Princess Tea Party
Vintage Tray/Serving Stuff
Mushroom Jars
Elegant Fruit Tart
Retro Chairs
Little Red Riding Hood Plates

There seems to be a bit less available this year than last, and it seems more expensive, too, but I think if you look hard enough, you can still find some great deals. The key is really putting in a bit of time.....the Little Red Riding Hood Plates were $2.99 on ebay, but $7.99 from a store. So do a bit of searching to get the best deal.

Dollhouse Demystified--- Part 4: Ideology and Clothing

{I said Part 3 would be the last. I lied. Here's another section. Please forgive.}

I'll be the first to admit that my husband and I decided that our girls would NEVER play with Barbies. We didn't want the self-esteem issues that come with the women-are-one-size-fits-all and the hoochiness of the Barbie image in our household.

But then one day, pregnant with my second daughter, I was browsing the aisles of KMart with my first daughter, and we saw a Barbie. But it wasn't any Barbie. It was Midge. And Midge was pregnant. She had a magnetic tummy and a cute maternity dress, and a little tiny baby curled up underneath that magnetic belly. And there was a crib for the baby, and ..... I caved. I bought the Barbie for Leah because I knew that had I been her, I would've wanted that very Barbie. I justified it as a great teaching tool. But we all know that our tummies don't pop off with magnets, leaving us back in perfect form. (Wishful thinking!)

I played with Barbies for years on end. And yes, I had body issues. But who's to say that I wouldn't have had them even if I didn't play Barbies? I know plenty of non-Barbie-playing girls who have felt that there bodies aren't just right. So, we have Barbies.

Anyway, I've opted to let my girls play with them; the truth is, they don't even play with them that much. One way we've felt okay with this is that we buy them home made clothing off etsy---clothes that aren't so creepy, metallic, showy, sleazy. And I'm going to show you some of my faves right now. Many of them are made by grandmas who want to earn a little extra moolah; a lot of them are made from vintage fabrics, or at least have a vintage sensibility. Most of them are darling. All are affordable.

Gray Hand-Knit Dress
Red and White Polka PJs
Red Orange Dress
Cute Striped Pants
Black and Pink Polka Dot Dress
Black and White Striped Lipstick Dress
Kaffe Fasset Fabric Dress (Mustard with Dots)
Apple Dress
Salmon Hand-Knit Dress
Little Red Riding Hood Cape (Hand Knit)
Pants and Top
Rosebud Dress
Brown Polka Shirt and Skirt
Yellow Polka Romper
PJ SET: Robe and Short set

OKAY. That was more than you bargained for. Now you better not beat me to that Romper, Kaffe Fasset dress, and Little Red Riding Hood Cape!

Nail Polish of the Year

OK, so I'm not really the type of person who always wears nail polish. But I like it. I just hate how it chips off in 20 minutes, or 20 seconds for that matter. Last Monday, I went with my sis and sis-in-law to get manicures in SLC that we'd scored off of Groupon. I chose a cool OPI gold color. It was scrunched before I even left. I was bugged, but determined to keep it on for a few days. And I did, but not without being mildly to moderately bugged. But then I went to Walgreens to pick up a prescription and perused the nail polishes. (I have a weakness for buying new ones, even though I have crappy nails that don't justify it.)

Anyway, I found Rimmel Nail Polish in Steel Grey. Went home that night and removed the old, applied the new. Since I did it at night, I fully expected to wake up with creases in my new nail polish from where the sheets or my hair caused creases. Oh wait, I don't really have much hair anymore. I digress....but that usually happens.

Let's just say I'm going on day 3 and there's nary a chip, crease, or sign of wear. I'm hooked. Who knew that a $3.99 bottle of nail polish could outshine the $8.99 ones? My nails feel great, they look great, and I'm going to have to buy some more Rimmel.

Note on the color: awesome opaque, mauvey grey. A little less grey than this picture portrays, but not much less. No shimmer or sheen. Just straight. If you purchase at Walgreens or Rite Aid, you can return it even after using, if you're not satisfied. Just thought I'd share the love....

DarlySurprise Goody Bags are BACK!

Hi friends!

I just listed the DarlySurprise Goody Bags.....there are only 40 s0 far (last time I sold 150 in a week), so if you're interested, I'd snatch one now. I intend to make at least 20 more, but that might be it. I'm on the verge of adding tons of new and great stuff, so that's where I'm spending most of my time these days....and I might say, these just might be the best yet!

Oh yeah, if you're not on my DarlyMail list, you might want to add yourself. I send at most 1 email per month, but usually less. In those emails, you'll get exclusive coupon codes that I don't always mention here. So....just sayin'. Click here for the DarlyMail link.

Happy Shopping!

--R