Dollhouse Decorating - Part 2
Here is the continuation of our earlier article on dollhouse decorating.
Bathroom
Use a box from a roll of tin foil or plastic wrap for a bathtub. Measure how long you want the bathtub to be, and then cut a piece of the box to side, making sure that you have one end of the box intact. Either paint white or cover with white contact paper, and glue to one corner of the bathroom (with the open end of the box against the wall).
For a sink unit, use the kind of box that liquid medicines come in (if the box is too tall, cut it down to size). Using a bottle cap as a guide, trace a circle in the center of the top of the box big enough to stick the bottle cap into but not big enough so that the bottle cap will fall through to the bottom. Cut out the circle to form a hole. Paint the bottle cap and what's left of the box top in whichever color you like for sinks. When the paint dries, gently push the bottle cap into the hole. You know have a sink with a counter on either side. For the rest of the sink unit, just paint the box in any color you like, and draw a line down the middle with two dots on the side for door handles.
Kitchen
For the kitchen sinks, use the same idea as the bathroom sink. For cabinets, paint matchboxes (or any other small boxes) in desired color, or cover with contact paper. Draw lines down the center, and draw either knobs or handles on either side of the line. Or, if you prefer, you can go back to your magazines and catalogs for more realistic pictures.
If you have actual doll-sized tableware and you want to store them in your doll house kitchen, you can use popsicle sticks or tongue depressors to make a shelf unit. Using a craft knife, cut the sticks to desired length. These will be the shelves, so cut as many as you want; just make sure that they're all the same size. Using Crazy Glue or blue tack, attach one end of each shelf to the wide side of a tongue depressor. Once all the shelves are attached on one side, you can attach another tongue depressor to the other side. Attach the whole unit to the wall with craft glue, double-sided tape or Crazy Glue (you can also try a glue gun, if you prefer).
Use magazine pictures for a stove/oven. Glue the picture to an appropriately sized box.
For a kitchen table, cut a piece of firm cardboard or flexible plastic to whichever shape/size you like - round, rectangle, square, etc. Now cut two rectangles to the desired height of your table. In the center of each rectangle, draw a line about a ½-1 inch from the top going down to the bottom. Using a pair of sharp scissors, cut along each line, then insert one rectangle into the other to form an "X". Glue the top of the "X" to the underside of the table. Paint or cover with material as desired.
Although I'm very into DIY, for chairs I would use bought doll furniture. However, if you want to make high stools for the dolls to sit on, you can either glue bottle caps one on top of the other, or use inverted disposable shot-glasses. Paint, or cover with material for upholstery.
You can make dining room chairs and tables using the same idea; just make the table a bit bigger and cover with fancier material. Use magazine/catalog pictures for a breakfront.
Household Accessories
1) Curtains. For curtains, you can use lace, or choose a material to match the décor of the room. Cut the material to the size of the dollhouse window. Sew a small hem on the top and bottom of the curtain. Insert a wooden dowel into the top hem and mount to the wall at each end with blue tack or a glue gun. If you want to push the curtains to each side, then measure the material to be a bit bigger than the desired size. Cut in half lengthwise. In addition to the top and bottom hems, sew a side hem as well; mount as above. For café curtains (like in the kitchen), follow the same procedure but with two, shorter pieces of material and two wooden dowels.
2) Lamps. Use a small, empty spool of thread for a lamp base. Cut a small piece of a drinking straw to desired height; paint and insert into the hole at the top of the spool. Paint a toothpaste cap in desired color for lampshade, and put a piece of blue tack on the inside of the cap. Attach to the drinking straw.
3) Wall mirrors. Cut a piece of cardboard to desired size and cover with tin foil. Use plasticine to form a pretty frame, and glue to the wall.
4) Sunshades. If you want to make an outdoor table with a sunshade, follow the directions for the kitchen/dining room table. Using a pin, poke a tiny hole in the center of the table. Insert a cocktail umbrella into the hole, and add a bit of clear glue to secure.
5) Taps/faucets. If you want your sinks to have taps/faucets, cut a small piece of drinking straw on either side of the flexible part. Paint desired color, or cover with tin foil. Glue to sink.
Enjoy the summer with your children, and have fun!