When I was a little girl, I was obsessed with miniatures. Tiny dolls, tiny pets, tiny spaces.
I guess it's no surprise that I ended up living in a cottage.
I think it was my dream from childhood.
It was the upstairs attic portion of a centuries old house in a nearby village and it was filled with treasure.
Small mice dressed in small outfits, positioned among small furnishings. It was dreamy.
There was also another shop in town that sold dollhouses. Stunning kit homes with front porches, balconies, tall ceilings and stucco facades. I wanted one desperately.
Well, one lucky Christmas, Santa obliged and when I came down the stairs to a wonderland of toys, there was the dollhouse of my dreams showcased in the center of it all.
I remember spending the next few weeks gathering wallpaper and rugs, shopping for furniture and an electrifying kit in anticipation of my daddy-daughter dollhouse project.
Unfortunately, a short time later my father got very sick and passed away.
Not having developed any DIY skills of my own at the tender age of twelve, beyond stapling cloth around my Barbies, that dollhouse sat dormant for years. It was relegated to the basement storage room, where it sat until my mom sold the house, decades later.
That's when it moved to my house.
With a family of my own to care for, moving and renovating twice when they were small, teaching Sunday school, making theater costumes, volunteering for PTA, class mom, Daisy troop leader and the relentless carpooling, who had time to play with dollhouses?
Every now and then, when we cleaned out the basement, my husband would bring up the albatross in the corner. Broken and tattered from years of neglect, poor storage and moving, he would say, Are we really still keeping this?
To which I always reply, My dad gave me that. I'm going to redo it.
Well, two summers ago, on a ridiculously hot day, we did haul it out of the basement to assess the damage...and it was bad. It was missing windows and parts of the structure itself. It was discolored from exposure to dampness.
It was brittle, dusty, old. And magnificent.
My husband was certain that this would be the moment I would finally be convinced to let it go, or just buy a new kit since the exact house is still for sale.
Instead it just galvanized my determination to keep it.
And bring that tattered mess of wood back to life. I guess I have a thing for underdogs.
Of course, the work didn't start that day.
So back to the basement it went.
Fast forward to this past week when my daughter saw something online that caught her eye.
Apparently, young homeowners are decorating their houses with their old Calico Critters collections. Yup, dollhouse furniture and miniature animals are part of the grannycore movement and, as a fan of miniatures herself, she wanted to hop on the trend.
As my mother used to say, apples don't fall far from their trees.
Anyway, since we still have her old Calico Critters dollhouse and crates full of accessories and fuzzy families (and mama has drawers full of crafty supplies) it was a super simple request to fulfill.
I even had a one dollar, thrift store shadow box that I knew would be perfect for this purpose.
We started by mapping out the wallpaper and floor. We cut the paper to size and then glued it into the box.
While I was doing that, my daughter was arranging the table and people and gluing them in place.
She then glued some pictures on the wall, including one of her boyfriend and herself for a little whimsy, a touch I thought was genius.
And then I added strips of ribbon around the front edge to frame the scene and hide the unfinished wood edges.
It was a ridiculously quick craft and we had so much fun making it together, that I naturally thought about my dollhouse.
The fact that I now have an empty nest and empty rooms, any one of which would make a great workshop.
So far, I'm still in the planning stages. I know this will be a long term and huge undertaking. I need to think about my setup. I need a lazy susan and a large table.
I need to either make or find replacement parts for a 40 year old kit house and talk that DIY guy of mine into a little bit of renovation.
But I also get to start dreaming again.
Dreaming about decorating another cottage.
With a Victorian flair.
And one that brings me back to a lovely time.
Long ago.
Playing with miniatures.
And hanging out with my dad.
And there's nothing small about that.
♡
Do you have any crafty childhood tales?
Happy Crafting, Friends!
Awe I remember those stores too! I can’t believe you still have Calico critters too! Adorable! Can’t wait to see the finished dollhouse!
ReplyDeleteWeren't they great shops? There's nothing like that around here anymore. I wish there were...or maybe not, since I'd be broke! And yes, Calico Critters still reside here. My kids were like please don't toss them, we want them. I'm presuming for their own children, someday, but in the meantime, my nieces and nephews and some of my great nieces and nephews have all enjoyed them.
DeleteI love miniatures. Ever since I went to the Museum of Science and Industry when I was a child and there was an exhibit of dollhouses.
ReplyDeleteI didn't get to own one( a kit) till I was 25 and didn't build it until I was 30.
I bought dollar store furniture and got discontinued wallpaper books from the local hardware store. I painted and papered...a 2 story ,plus attic dollhouse....it has a turret too. I am actually getting ready to give it a makeover as I will be 60 next month. It currently lives in our guest room, empty. Because my cats like to knock things out of it. The makeover will include a frame to attach a plexiglass door. One of my favorite things I love to do with it is decorate it for Christmas!
It's not electric so batteries it is!!
Enjoy redoing your mini house!! I did! And still do.
Margie, I can hear your enthusiasm in every word! I love that you carried the passion for miniatures with you into your 20s and 30s and finally realized your crafty dream!! I also love that you're getting ready for an update. How exciting, seems like we'll be on this journey together! I love the idea of the plexiglass door and decorating for Christmas. I might have to put a rush on it to get at least one room semi ready for the holidays!! Thanks for the encouragement!!
DeleteI definitely want to follow your journey to restore the dollhouse!
ReplyDeleteThanks Donna! I have high hopes, my fingers are crossed that it works out well. ☺️
DeleteOh my, this post really grabs me!! I became besotted with miniatures as a teenage and into college (during the 70's ) I never had an actual doll house, but I joined the House of Miniatures club from Xacto and made a number of really pretty pieces of furniture. It was a monthly subscription club and I'm pretty sure most of my allowance went to paying for it, lol. I also bought several booklets from Michael's back in the day - making doll house furniture from balsa wood. I crocheted little thread rugs, and sewed little table cloths. I tried making plates and bowls from clay, but they were pretty rough, lol. I also had a booklet on making furniture from tin cans - painted white, they looked like wicker. I think what started my love of miniatures was the 1969 Family Circle holiday issue: they had a doll house made from cardboard boxes and showed how to make all the furniture from everyday items like boxes, plastic bottles, and such. Their version was a very late 60's modern looking house, and I was in love! It even had a 'swimming pool' above the 'garage' made from a plastic painters tray filled with pale blue gelatin, lol. Unfortunately I've long since lost the miniature furniture I made and most of the booklets. But I still have that Family Circle magazine and the tin can furniture book :-) You might have inspired me to get those out and try to make some little room vignettes! I might have to order an actual house now that my 'allowance' is big enough to afford it lol.
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ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful memory you have of your dad and I understand the "I need to keep this to keep the memory alive'. I forgot that your dad died when you were so young. My father was sick from the time I was 11 until he passed away when I was 21. There is just that overwhelming urge to remember all the good things about a healthy dad --and let the rest go.
Hugs to you, sweet lady. xo Diana
It's a bittersweet piece of memorabilia for sure, Diana, but one - for some reason - I can't let go. I'm so sorry your poor dad suffered for so long. I'm sure that was not easy to deal with for you either. Hugs right back to you my friend. xxoo
DeleteNow that you have the space to work, restoring that dollhouse is a must. And I'm sure your Dad will be watching over the restoration! I can't wait to see what you do!
ReplyDeleteThanks Ann! I really would like to restore it. I hope I’m up for the challenge. It really is a giant mess!
DeleteI love, love, love this! The sweet memory of your Dad, your daughters craft and the vision of the restored doll house. You made me remember making a doll house when I was a kid. My cousin lived across the road from us when I was a kid. She's 3 years older than me and was very crafty. She helped me make this doll house from objects around the house. We used a cardboard box, cut strips of cardboard from cereal boxes and flipped them backwards to use as house siding on the box. We used spools of different sizes to make chairs and tables, fabric scraps for curtains, rugs, bedding. What a fun memory!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a very fun memory, Mari!! Those were great days filled with imagination and creativity. I know my girls had days like that, before phones invaded childhood and I know your grands have a lot of it in their lives, too. It’s truly the best part of being a kid…and I’m ready to dive back into a bit!!
DeleteI just love the special memories that this dollhouse kit from your childhood has kept for you, and how you are able to remake these memories into new and special ones. I'm glad you had some time with your dad even if you weren't able to finish the project. And now, it can be a special memory for you, of you and him. I just love the new creation you and your daughter came up with, it is so adorable! And I had a dollhouse too as a child, one I made out of a cardboard box. Hours of fun were spent with it. So much fun and good memories! You will have fun with this project :)
ReplyDeleteDollhouses are the best, Marilyn. They come in so many different shapes and forms, but they're all powered by imagination. I am excited for this makeover. I just hope I have the patience since I'm usually a quick and easy DIY girl and nothing about this challenge looks quick or easy!! Haha!!
DeleteKim, if you love mice check out Wee Forrest Folk, I've collected them for years.
ReplyDeleteOh they are darling!! I'm following them on Instagram now and I shared them with my daughter, as well. Thanks so much for the introduction...I might be in trouble!! Haha!!
DeleteI encourage you to make the room to work on the dollhouse. It will bring you so much joy. When we bought our current home. There was an estate sale in it. I bought a very old Tudor style dollhouse with a box of vintage Strombecker furniture. All had seen better days and mice had explored the box. My husband couldn’t believe I would even consider buying it, but I did! $25.00. I carefully cleaned and repainted glued the house to make it sturdier. And started decorating it. I enjoyed it so much! After it was done my husband laughed and asked if it was a house for the grandchildren to play with or mine. They have loved playing with it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing your experience! It's very encouraging. It sounds like a lovely, lovely experience that brought you (and your grands) tons of joy. I think I'd enjoy this DIY, too. I just hope I'm up to the task. Your house sounds like it was comparable shape to mine, though, so I'm going to keep that in mind as I go through the process. Wish me luck!!
DeleteI can't wait to see how this turns out!
ReplyDeleteDeanna Rabe
Thanks Deanna! Me too!! Haha!!
DeleteI just love this Kim, I cannot wait to see what your dream home looks like. I know several gals who are making over their dollhouses from childhood. I had a Barbie dream home, but not a dollhouse, which I wanted so badly. My best friend growing up had a mansion, made from tin and the home was printed on it. Her parents were antique collectors, my mother said it was a popular dollhouse when she was growing up. Oh, I wish I had that home now. :) Enjoy your home dreaming and making over, and the sweet memories of your father..
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to dig in, Cara! This one has been on the back burner for far too long. I had so many dollhouses when I was small. I had a large Holly Hobby cardboard version (my favorite since I could fit inside!!). I also had a Barbie Dream house and then there were the Lego ones. I wish I had them all back now!! That tin one sounds pretty cool, too!
DeleteOh Kim... keep sharing... I love this.
ReplyDeletexx oo
Carla
Thanks Carla! I'm excited for this DIY!
DeleteThis is such a sweet post--from the fond memories with your dad to creating new memories with your daughter--love it! Years ago, I bought a very similar dollhouse at a yard sale that I restored and redecorated for my firstborn's Christmas present. I was so careful to keep it hidden, and only worked on it after she went to bed. My plan was to bring it out on Christmas morning as a big surprise. Well, wouldn't you know it--my precocious 3-year-old blurted out, "But, where's the big dollhouse?!" before I could present it to her! We had a good laugh and she enjoyed playing with it for years. <3
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