sandilpn Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 HI! I just thought I'd share an interesting project that I have decided to take on for a lady in my town. She had posted an ad at a local grocery store that she wanted a dollhouse for some children that her daughter works with for a teaching tool. I have called her and she is stopping by my work tomorrow night to pick out the dollhouse that she wants me to build and I am taking it home and building it. I told her it would take me about a week to get it done. I am so excited that she would like me to take this job and I am excited to see what they think of my one-of-a-kind creation. I plan to modify it slightly from the original if I can do it in a reasonable time frame. I am thinking it will be the orchid since it is the cheapest house. Wish me luck! Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shutterbugkc Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 What a wonderful opportunity! Good luck with this project. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeninky Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Sandra What a nice thing to do to help someone in need... mini hugs Jennifer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Congratulations Sandra! You'll do wonderfully! Can't wait to see your pictures too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandilpn Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 The only thing that I lack is dollhouse furniture, otherwise, I have all the parts to finish the house properly. I haven't decided whether or not I am going to side the house or just paint it stucco-like. Any 2cents here? Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minis On The Edge Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I personally like texture on the outside of my houses but even siding looks wonderful on that house. Just look at our members here. The siding is really a upgrade to this house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymew Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sandra - Be sure and let us know which house the lady chooses. Holly has given some tips in previous threads on how to reinforce the dollhouses when they are going to be used by children. What a wonderful project. -Susanne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Annette Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sandra that's wonderful . I know you do a great job . Please do post pics as you go. As for siding see which house for sure the lady will pick and then decide from there, the house may just 'tell' you once you see it. :happy: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carrie Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sandy, Just a word of advice.I worked in a shelter for abused women and children.We also had the idea of a dollhouse for them.We found out that the dollhouse should have been sturdier because we were dealing with some very angry children due to the abuse that they had been through.Our first house was broken the first day.we then went to a carpenter who put together a house that was sturdier and better suited to the children's needs.Good luck and thanks for caring!We also built a dollhouse and used it in a raffle to raise funds for the childrens programmes at the shelter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandilpn Posted October 19, 2006 Author Share Posted October 19, 2006 I believe that the teacher is going to be using for illustration, not for the children to actually play with. I am guessing it will be a role-playing type pf thing, but I will have to ask. Thanks for the advice! Check out my post 'minis to donate' under the trading post if you'd like to help out in anyway! I can certainly use all the help I can get! Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sandy, I'll second Carrie's advice. When I lived in Virginia I was involved with domestic violence programs both on the local and state level and was in and out of a number of shelters. The dollhouse needs to be well reinforced. Something like the Orchid's porch will be gone in a heartbeat. Glue the door shut so it can't be broken off. Make sure the window and door casings are glued down firmly. Leave the plastic out of the windows, 'cause it will be popped out or drawn on with crayons pretty quickly. Put channel molding over the edges of the walls and floors to reinforce them. Paint the roof, as shingles will get popped off in no time at all. Don't worry about siding; paint the outside. Draw lines on it if you want to indicate siding, or draw bricks. Paint the interior walls. It's easier to clean paint than wallpaper. Don't put a railing on the stairs. Paint the floors or stain them; don't use carpeting. And the furnishings also need to be indestructible. Kids can happily play with blocks of wood with furniture drawn on them. If you can find a carpenter to donate a small box of wood blocks in roughly furniture sizes, some of the kids might enjoy decorating them to be furniture. They can be quite inventive! (I speak from experience on this one. My sister and I used to raid the dustbin in Dad's workshop for odd bits of wood that we into "furniture" for our dollhouse.) And the furniture will disappear, so the next batch of kids can make their own set. I believe that the teacher is going to be using for illustration, not for the children to actually play with. I am guessing it will be a role-playing type pf thing, but I will have to ask. Thanks for the advice! Sandra, even if the teacher is using it for an example, the kids are not going to keep their hands off of it. They're drawn like moths to the flame! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nuttiwebgal Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 all advice so far is very good if siding would be to easily marred by hard use I would recomend a textured paint or the tissue/paint method for a stucco look. quick and easy with nice look. and easily cleaned up if you use house paint to do it. you can also use this method for ceilings and inside walls. have fun with your project! nutti Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Color Me Holly Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sandra, What a wonderful project! I don't have any advice to add that hasn't already been added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TinyJudi Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I think that this is a wonderful thing that you are doing. I am certain that no matter what you do, the kids will love it. Heading over to The Trading Post now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Irene Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Oh Sandra!! You are such a cool person to take on the job of building this dollhouse!! Kudos to you! I am certain that the kids will definitely benefit from your hard work..Have fun building it and I can't wait to see pictures...I am sure that no matter what you decide to do decorating wise, it will be lovely!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anna Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 Sounds like a true labour of love building this house for those children. I know they wil keep it in their hearts and minds somewhere for the rest of their lives, but that said, it will need some added "sturdiness" as described earlier. Good luck with it! Hugs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 I reinforce the edges whilst gluing them by tacking them together with heavy-duty staples. Also, get some 1/4" square dowels and cut them into lengths to fit inside the corners & edges of the house after the floors are in, and reinforce your corners & edges with small nails & wood glue. For a therapeutic dollhouse I would leave off the door & windows altogether & just do frames. Painting the inside walls with a gloss paint over primer will make it much easier to keep clean, and the kids can make their own wallpapers for it & can be redecorated. You can use velcro for removable decorations. If you build the Orchid, leave off the bay & porch, you can trim the bay opening as a window. A lot of these kids will act out. I raised a bipolar son (who is now one of the pioneer case studies in the pediatric psych textbooks) and I wish your daughter lots of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MiniMughal Posted October 19, 2006 Share Posted October 19, 2006 It is very generous of you to commit your time and energy to this project. I'm sure that you will make the house both aesthetically pleasing and a comfortable fit for the surroundings and it will be well appreciated. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peggi Posted October 21, 2006 Share Posted October 21, 2006 What a good idea and so nice of you to do this. Please keep us posted on how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.