Tess11 Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 I need all of your expertise and experience. I am in the home stretch for finishing up my Laurel and Primrose to give as a gift for a 5 year old this Christmas. I've done the lighting, the wallpaper, the flooring and am working on finishing up the baseboards and trim- stuff like that. I have most of the furniture, but I need to add the little details. I was wondering if you guys could offer some advice on things I could add to really make it a "home." Budget is tight, so I need little things I can make quickly and inexpensively (or buy inexpensively). I'll be printing printie pictures this weekend to hang, and I have a little nifty printie puzzle and box, and I'll be making some printie books. But if you all have any good ideas for adding details, I'm all ears (or eyes as it may be!) Thanks- I'll be posting more pictures this weekend! Oh- I need a good idea for a bathroom mirror. I was trying to find the mini ones at the craft store yesterday like they use at Christmas for a pond, but I couldn't find one. Maybe you all have another suggestion. Thanks!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mselle Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Yikes, you asked for expertise and experience and I'm certainly not that! but I found and fell in love with this cute little pair of shoes as an accessory: I found them thru this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting They arrived quickly and they are even cuter in real life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Oh- I need a good idea for a bathroom mirror. I was trying to find the mini ones at the craft store yesterday like they use at Christmas for a pond, but I couldn't find one. Maybe you all have another suggestion. Thanks!!! For mirros I often look at those cheap compact make up kits, one can pretty easily pry of the mirrors in those kits, it takes a little "umph" to do that but it works wonders... You were talking about printies as well so I suppose you know of Jim's printables as http://www.printmini.com and then there is always boopminis http://www.geocities.com/boopmini40/ that sometimes seem to live a life of its own as to accessebility.... Looking forward to the pics! Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Tiffany, I wonder about putting little things into a house for a 5-year-old. Lost, broken, swallowed are the images that come to mind. Maybe aluminum foil glued onto a scrap of wood for the mirror? Glue the pictures to the wall? I'd not put much in besides some basic furniture. Imagination fills in a lot of gaps at this age. :wub: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToScaleHouser Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Here are few suggestions, I hope they help: Bathroom - Towels ; you can use terry cloth from a real washcloth Kitchen - Pots and pans, plates and cups, food - You could use Barbie or knock-off Barbie gear (May not be to scale, but a five year old probably won't mind), make the mini food from polymer clay Maybe a small dog or kitty cat Curtains for the windows; make them from fabric Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess11 Posted December 14, 2007 Author Share Posted December 14, 2007 Yikes, you asked for expertise and experience and I'm certainly not that! but I found and fell in love with this cute little pair of shoes as an accessory: I found them thru this auction: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...bayphotohosting They arrived quickly and they are even cuter in real life! Oh my gosh! Those shoes are sooooo cute! While I wouldn't want to put them in THIS house, I want a pair for one of my others. THanks-- SOOOOOO cute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess11 Posted December 14, 2007 Author Share Posted December 14, 2007 Tiffany, I wonder about putting little things into a house for a 5-year-old. Lost, broken, swallowed are the images that come to mind. Maybe aluminum foil glued onto a scrap of wood for the mirror? Glue the pictures to the wall? I'd not put much in besides some basic furniture. Imagination fills in a lot of gaps at this age. Excellent point. I think I'll stick to mostly printies so they won't harm or be missed if lost. I definitely will be glueing the pics to the walls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess11 Posted December 14, 2007 Author Share Posted December 14, 2007 Here are few suggestions, I hope they help: Bathroom - Towels ; you can use terry cloth from a real washcloth Kitchen - Pots and pans, plates and cups, food - You could use Barbie or knock-off Barbie gear (May not be to scale, but a five year old probably won't mind), make the mini food from polymer clay Maybe a small dog or kitty cat Curtains for the windows; make them from fabric I love the towels idea- I could glue them down so they don't get lost. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Paper towels also make nice towels for a 5-YO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToScaleHouser Posted December 14, 2007 Share Posted December 14, 2007 Or Handy Wipes for towels! You may want to make some pillows for the house too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallhouset Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Some times the dollar stores have "barbie doll " type carded room settings. I got one that had a computer, and a flat screen tv. Another had some kitchen stuff. Nothing was exactly scale but for a buck it was woth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonlady1380 Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 here in scotland we have a poundland so i guess in america it would be a dollarland kinda thing anyhow they have lots of crafty things u cud use such as tiny mirrors for creating chimes that u cud use for a mirror in the house and lots of other things. they even do dollhouse furniture that comes on a sheet that u punch out and build urself Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kathi17 Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 When I do craft shows, Fimo food is a big hit with kids of all ages. I expect that by 5 she would understand that she can't eat it, (My three year old graddaughter knows she can't eat the stuff she makes with Playdoh). If you see her often, you could try making things with her out of either Playdoh or Fimo so she gets the idea. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Little things make a home..... dishes in the sink, towels, pillows, made up beds, rugs, bottles and boxes in the cupboards, things cooking on the stove, animals - dogs/cats, books, magazines, toys, plants, the unexpected when you open a drawer! There are so many details you can add to make a house look lived in. A table with a doily, with a lamp, an open book. A chair with an afghan laying on it, a magazine. A coffee table with books, a sandwich on a plate..... Just look around your own house and you will find millions of ideas! I love to fill the refrigerators with the unexpected too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 I love to fill the refrigerators with the unexpected too!Reminds me of the commercial of the kid walking over to the icebox for a snack and finding his roommate's anatomy specimen in there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Tiffany: My DD gave me a book called "tiny treasures" by American Girl Library that has some great ideas to make several things and most are from things you have on hand. Beds using lollipop sticks, a lamp using golf tee, beads and mini muffin cups, coat hangers from plastic goated paper clips, thimbles used as flowerpots. My DGD and I even made a cake using a quarter as a guide to cut styrofoam and then painted it. Has instructions for making a bulletin board, a book bag from felt etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cricket Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Kids have such a great imagination at that age! Yes I'd keep it simple, but there are little thing you can do that she'll LOVE! Scrap pieces of lace make great curtains, scrap fabric for bedding. Inexpensive Barbie sets (look for knockoff stuff!) would probably be a big hit with her too. Even if it's a bit too big for the scale, little hands have an easier time playing with it. :thumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 Baby face cloths that you buy in the Dollar Store really make great bath towels. I find that Shalean and Renee (older though at 9 and 7 years of age) really like to have accessories that they can use. They don't like the towels or bedding glued or stitched down. They like to tuck their dolls in the beds - they don't mind if the blankets don't drape well. They LOVE fimo cakes, sandwiches and such. I make mine a little bigger than the actual 1:12 size for their use. For plants, just snip off flowers and/or leaves from dollar store flower bunches. I glue them into little pots or lids that I use as planters. You can even just stick them into some air dry clay that you've shaped into a pot. I always pick items that have nice sturdy bases. I'd love to see photos of what you come up with. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mommymakesstuff2 Posted December 15, 2007 Share Posted December 15, 2007 If it's for christmas you could add a tree and mybe some small wrapped boxes :thumb: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tess11 Posted December 18, 2007 Author Share Posted December 18, 2007 Thank you everyone!! I knew you'd have some great ideas. I decided to add some Loving Family pieces. The laundry room just struck a chord and I had the perfect place for it. The scale is not too bad and much tougher than some of the wood pieces. So the little girl will have a combination of dollar store pieces, Micheal's hutches, a few nice furniture pieces (like the bed and the crib) and loving family pieces. I think it's perfect! I'll be adding more pirctures shortly. I love so many of your ideas my head is spinning with excitement over what I can make next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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