Thursday, November 3, 2011

Dollhouse from dollar shelf

I picked up this shelf from a yard sale a while back for a dollar.  I knew immediately what I wanted to do with it.  I had seen this Petshop Playhouse at Kiki Creates.  She used a wooden shelf to create a “home” for her daughter’s Littlest Petshop toys.  Mine doesn’t have drawers to store the pets/dolls in, but it will keep the toys off of the floor and will be a fun place for my daughter to play with her little people and animals.

It all started with this:                  

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and this is the after:                                        

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Yes!  I see the 1992 heart themed cut-outs!  And I totally planned to cover them up somehow.  But my daughter saw the hearts and thought they were “cute”.  So they had to stay :(  

The shelf had been primed white.  So, I just wiped it down and spray painted it with Krylon’s Ballet Pink.  Then I cut a piece of cardboard to fit the back of my shelf.  I then cut a piece of pretty pink floral fabric from my stash about an inch larger than the cardboard all the way around.  Then I just stapled the fabric to the cardboard with a regular stapler.  I stayed close to the edge so that the staples wouldn’t show later. 

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After my fabric was stapled on, I nailed the cardboard to the corners of my shelf.

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Now that the back of my shelf is covered, it’s pretty, and no toys will fall through to the other side :)

My daughter asked me to add a dressing room with “curtains” for her dolls to change their clothes.   I didn’t want to have to sew, so I got creative with this one. 

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This pair of 9-12 month overalls had been somehow left behind when most of the baby clothes were given away. My daughter is now 6 years old! 

   
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Anyway, I cut the overalls just above the pleats and used them for curtains.  I ironed them and hot glued  some ric rac at the top, and they came out great!

I then decided that I needed to add a door or gate to the house as well.  I spray painted some popsicle sticks a bright pink and hot glued them together to make a wooden gate.  For the hinge, I stole the hinge from a wooden plate stand.  These little hinges were the perfect size to attach my little pink gate.

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It seems that I forgot to take a photo of the gate before I painted a little birdie on it and attached it to the house.  But here it is up close.

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I just love this little button that I used as a handle for the gate.  I found it in an old sewing box where I used to keep all of my barrette making supplies when I was in the 4th grade.  The little birdies on the button are just PERFECT!

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This is everything together.  At the moment all of our little critters and people are trying the house out to see who gets to live here.  I’m hoping that it will help keep all of the small toys off of the floor and keep a smile on my little one’s face.  She is so excited over her new dollhouse!  That’s a lot of bang for a “buck”!

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Linking up to these great parties:

Catch as Can at My Repurposed Life, DIY under $5 at A Little Tipsy, Crafty, Scrappy, Happy Me Thursday, Share Awesomeness Thursdays at 36th Avenue, Time to Shine at A Diamond in the Stuff, The Idea Room linky party, Weekend Bloggy Reading at Serenity Now, 30 Days Pity Party, Feature yourself Friday, I'm lovin it Fridays at Tidymom, Show and Share with Just a Girl, Weekend Wrap-up Party At Tatertots and Jello, Weekend Showoff Party at Ladybird Lane, Frugalicious Friday at Finding Fabulous, Friday Flair at Whipperberry, Whatch Got Weekend at LollyJane, Think Pink Sundays At Flamingo toes, Sundae Scoop at I Heart naptime, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Get your Craft on at Today's Creative Blog, November Before and After Party at Thrifty Decor chick, Nifty Thrifty Tuesday At Coastal Charm, Show and Share at Southern Lovely

Sunday's Best Linky Party!






Chic on a Shoestring Decorating




21 click here to comment:

Jaime Lyn at Crafty Scrappy Happy

Ohhhh this is SO perfect! I want to play with it! :o) Orrr maybe I just want a 6 year old to play with and make stuff like this with! I love how you did everything and how much fun I can imagine your daughter is going to have with this!!!! :o)
Jaime from crafty scrappy happy

Sarah

That is just too cute! Your daughter is lucky to have such a creative mom! :)

Leasa

Way to cute. You are really coming out of your creative shell now. So glad you finally are.

Roeshel

Awe, it's adorable! I love miniatures! So fun! :)

Have a wonderful weekend, Kim!

Kim Rosema

Super cute! What a clever idea!

Crafty Mischief

What a fun dollhouse! I love everything about it! I just wish I'd seen it years ago when my daughter was little! I found you through TT&J. THanks for sharing!

Calypso In The Country

That is so cute! I would have loved that as a kid! I am always drawn to pink things because I have two boys so nothing is really pink in my house! I wish! So sorry to hear you lost your father. He looked like a sweet man in the photo. Thanks for stopping by recently. I am finally getting back to everyone after our snowstorm/power outtage! Have a nice weekend!
-Shelley

Nicole@Thrifty Decorating

What a cute idea! I'll be featuring this over the weekend sometime on my FB page! Thanks for linking to Thrifty Thursday!

Michele Smith

awww this is too cute! I might have to do something like this when my girl gets a little older!

gail@My Repurposed Life

Your little dollhouse from a dollar shelf is sooo sweet! :)
girls love to play with those small pets!
gail
ps catching you this week. Thank you for linking up and linking back to catch as catch can

Boden

How adorable!?! You sure stretched that dollar mighty far! I'm sure this little petshop house will be used plenty for quite some time! I'd love to see you link this fun project up to my new link party, the Head to Head Showdown at www.icantstopcrafting.blogspot.com

~Jen

Andrea @Oasis Accents

That is the cutest little dollhouse. I love the pink. Thanks for sharing at Sunday's Best =)

Erin of Salvaged Whimsy

This is so cute, your daughter be thrilled. My little girl just turned 1 and seems to be into everything her older brother likes...hopefully I'll be able to make a dollhouse someday :) Thanks for stopping by my blog. Yours is so cute!

Cathy @My 1929 Charmer

The dollhouse is really so cute. Love the pink color, and really love how you made the curtains. How creative is that! Your daughter will always remember this gift you gave to her. Thanks so much for sharing at Sunday's Best1

Lisa

So cute!! This gives me an idea for some wooden shadow boxes I purchased at the dollar store!! Thanks for sharing!!

Maggie Lamarre

this is so kewl.
Would luv for our readers to see this at
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-showcase-tutorial-with.html

Thanks for joining the party,
Maggie
http://Passionatelyartistic.com

Kindra-At Home With K

HI Kim,

Thanks so much for joining in on Terrific Under Ten Tuesday! What little girl wouldn't like this?!! What a creative way to repurpose for the little pets! Love it!

I'm your newest follower!

Unknown

That is one of the best bucks I have ever seen spent!
I am going to feature you later this week on my blog "More Bang for Your Bucks"-perfect, right?

Marie

Super cute and you can't get better than $1! Great job! So glad you linked up with us! Hope you're having a great weekend!

Marie
mylilpinkpocket.blogspot.com

Chris

Hi Kim, what a wonderful job you did in converting this shelf into a playhouse for your daughter's little toys. Fabulous that it already had hearts on the top of it. You created a beautiful thing and I'm sure she was thrilled to bits with it. Thanks for sharing. I have recently found your blog and am now following you, and will visit often. Please stop by my blog and perhaps you would like to follow me also. Have a wonderful day. Hugs, Chris

Savannah Granny

This is so cute. I really missed not having a granddaughter. I bet you two are having some fun. Ginger