Brad and Andrea Build

It took a long time, but we did it! We made an amazing doll house!

Brad built a basic bookcase to the measurements of our space. I wanted this to house 12" dolls (aka Disney Princesses, Barbies, etc.) so each room had to have height.

The dimensions for each room broke down like this:
Dining Room - 15" x 14"
Kitchen - 15" x 14"
Studio - 10" x 14"
Bathroom - 10" x 14"
Laundry - 10" x 14"
Bedroom - 15" x 14"
Living Room - 15" x 14"

Brad cut, sanded, and constructed. This is the point when he stopped and I took over.

The first thing I did was paint. I painted the exterior the same gray shade as my daughter's room. The interior was predominately white since I intended to add wallpaper, paper, moldings, etc.

Next came the flooring. 6 out of the 7 rooms have press and stick floor tiles from Home Depot. They are inexpensive and easy to trim. The bathroom has a tile floor. I purchased mini square tile since it is simple to fit. Instead of real grout, I use a silicone caulk. The look is similar, just a little less work.

The furniture was a bit tricky. I searched both online and in stores. Most dollhouse furniture is intended for miniatures and was way too small. I did happen to find a dresser (aka a jewelry box), a table top and base, and adirondack chairs (for $1 each) at AC Moore.

The floors (and felt "rugs") and bought furniture:

The rest of the furniture I made using scrap wood and some craft wood/plaques. I used these plaques (available at Walmart) to make the headboard/footboard of the bed, sides on the couch, and sides to the dining chairs.

Here are pictures of the furniture after I cut and sanded them (pre-assembly):

Kitchen counter:

Stove:

Fridge:

Dining Chairs:

Bath vanity:

Washer & Dryer:

Bed:

Couch:

The furniture fully assembled and in use (just needing some paint and modge podge)!

I had to add more detail to the countertops in both the kitchen and bathroom. Both have "granite" pieces glued to them (floor samples from Home Depot) and a sink. The bath sink is simply a Play Doh container lid. The kitchen farmhouse sink is a piece of wood from AC Moore, painted white, with a screw-in hook for the faucet.

A key piece to the house was the lighting. I actually found the best item at The Dollar Tree. These tap lights stick (although I added some KrazyGlue) and are still able to change batteries.

The night view:

The walls started with basic paint and were transformed with cardstock and burlap. I also added a chair rail and crown molding to a few rooms.

I finished up the furniture by adding cushions, pillows, and a bedspread to the dining chairs, couch, and bed.

In lieu of a bathtub (which really didn't fit) I chose a standup shower. I made a little tile floor piece, glued a faucet piece to the ceiling, and made a shower curtain. The shower curtain was a challenge, but I figured out just how to make it work. I placed two screw-in hooks in the wall, sewed a curtain large enough for the area, put boning in the top and bottom (to give it form), and put grommets on the top corners. It works perfectly!

I made windows using Google Images and powerpoint. I laminated the top of them and then applied them to the wall.

Instead of sewing the drapes, I opted for Heat Bond. It made flatter curtains with a sharper edge. I put them on lollipop sticks and glued them (with Liquid Nails) on top of the windows.

Some final touches:

The artwork. I LOVED this part. It was difficult to find not such princessy princess pictures. I wanted more modern and Google Images did not let me down!