Handmade Holidays — Fabric Dollhouse

When I set out to do this project, I thought it would take me about a month to complete, or at the very least, a few weeks. I was wrong! Thanks to this wonderful (and free!) tutorial over at UK Lass in the US, I had almost the entire doll house complete before the girls even woke up this morning! Of course, it did help that the girls are good sleepers. Yay for good sleepers!
It was intended to be a holiday gift for Emily, but… see… that’s the thing about crafting gifts. I get so wrapped up in my little craft fantasies that I can never wait until the intended occasion, and this was no exception. Actually, Emily started playing with it while I was still stitching the flowers on. She really couldn’t help herself!
In the end, I’m glad I let her in on this little secret. She helped pick out the color for the curtains and door, and came up with all sorts of other little details that I would have never thought about.
It’s made with felt, some buttons (inherited from my grandmother), plastic canvas, thin hair elastics, batting, an old bed sheet, an old tablecloth, and some fabric scraps. Super frugal, and a lot of love went into it. It’s sturdy, yet lightweight, and it’s the perfect size for her Calico Critters…. and other small toys that seem to reproduce, multiply by the dozen, and kill my feet every time I step on them.
Now she has the perfect on-the-go dollhouse!
Of course, as UK Lass points out in this post, these dollhouses can be made into virtually any structure. I am loving the idea of one of these as a barn! Oh, I should probably mention…. they are a bit addicting to make. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Comments

  1. Dear Valerie,

    Imagine my surprise when YOU GOT UP WITH ME THIS MORNING!

    You say "Yay for good sleepers!" yet neglect to inform your readers that you too are a good sleeper.

    Some days, Valerie doesn't get up until (she's giving me a REALLY dirty look) 11:00 AM!

    So, if this craft can make her get up early, you know it must be good.

    Love,
    Mark

  2. @ Mark — I don't know what … *yawn* … you're talking about…. ZzZzzzzzzzz……

  3. Lenetta @ Nettacow says

    Tee hee, you two crack us up! LOVE the house, Valerie, and you SO have me thinking about a barn . . . ACK! Must finish projects already in progress first!!! :>) Oh yes, I will be linking to this.

  4. Lenetta @ Nettacow says

    PS (Sorry) – what were the details Emily came up with? Help us make ours better, too! :>)

  5. Infant Bibliophile says

    I'm in awe. That is so amazingly adorable. Can I really make one of those?

  6. You're right it would be a fabulous gift and ER would love it, how 'bout you make her one and sent it our way☺ Cause even with my baby steps I am light years away from making anything that impressive! Ah well, maybe for my first grandchild!

  7. Dear Valerie,

    What a clever idea! What little girl or boy would not like a portable doll house or barn or space ship or…. to play with. The ideas would be endless. Emily and Clara are so lucky you are their Mommy!

  8. What an adorable dollhouse. If I made something that remotely resembled this for my children I would not be able to wait to give it to them either. How could you wait to share such a delightful gift.

    Emily is going to get countless hours of joy and memorable times from this gorgoeus dollhouse that you made.

  9. this is toooooo cute! now i am determined to get cracking with my sewing!

  10. I am typically awake at 5:30. I would love to sleep later. So jealous.

    This dollhouse is gorgeous! Will you be selling these in your Etsy shop?

  11. Stephanie Griffith says

    That is so cute!

    LOL. Mark if Valerie is managing to sleep in until 11:00 I need to know her secret!

  12. I've had that UK Lass in the US tutorial bookmarked to try out for FOREVER, maybe I'll actually get around to it now? Yours turned out very cute!

  13. Love it. It turned out great.

  14. That s amazing. I remember those animals. They had all kinds of them. Rabbits, Bears, and so on.

  15. Whimsical Creations says

    That turned out fantastic!

  16. It would be cute to make a barn, wouldn't it? With little animals! Ohh, a church. A grocery store! Hey, here's a good one for you: A fabric store. Can't you just imagine all the little rolls of fabric? LOL… BTW: If you use that idea I'm sure I need a creator's fee (idea fee?) or my initials on the store or something. 😉

  17. @ Lenetta — Oh, there are plans to include a boxed windowsill with flowers, a walkway, and more flowers/bushes in the front yard. Possibly a mailbox!

    @ Infant Bibliophile — It's waaaay easier than it looks. Take it one step at a time, and I know you can do it!

  18. @ Katie — I was surprised. The machine sewing part was actually quite simple. All straight lines! And the tutorial leaves ample room for sewing margins.

  19. @ Elise — That is so sweet, thank you! Emily has already enjoyed much time playing with this dollhouse. She took it up to her room last night, and brought it downstairs first thing this morning!

  20. Oh, now another thing to add to my list. Maybe a birthday present? Hmmm. It's fabulous. You have the luckiest kids! And I'm so jealous how late you all sleep!

  21. @ Christy — No plans to sell them in the shop, sorry!

    @ maryanne — I saw you were one of the first ones to comment on her post back in August! You should give it a try! They are so much fun to make!

  22. Valerie – you NEED to sell these in your Etsy shop! So cute!

  23. Well, if you change your mind, I will be purchasing one!

  24. Well, I was going to comment on how absolutely fantastic the dollhouse is….buuuut I got totally sidetracked by Mark and his 11:00 comment. I think I might just die of jealousy right now! I'd just about kill for even an 8:00 waking time from my boys. Most days they're up by 6:30! I think I'm more impressed by your girls' sleep skills than the dollhouse 😉

  25. WOW! That is so darn cute! I must make one…or two. 😉 Eventually. I'm so glad you shared this! Bookmarked for later.

  26. UK lass in US says

    It turned out great – I love how happy she looks with it.

    Now, 11am? Seriously? That's not fair. My kids are up before sunrise every bloomin' day. My last lie-in was before my first-born arrived…

  27. EntertainingMom says

    so cute!!!!!

  28. margaretdilloway.com says

    Gasp– and it looks like you don't even need a sewing machine! I might actually be able to make it.

    Yours came out adorable.

  29. It is absolutely gorgeous!!

  30. This is too stinkin' cute!

  31. It looks great ! I made one using the same pattern for my daughter's 3rd birthday, she loves it. I'm planning on making the barn soon, maybe just a little larger, for my son.
    I love your blog !
    Cecile

  32. Hi Valerie,
    That is so cute. I am going to send your blog to someone I work with who has a toddler! I think she will love it!
    Alice

  33. My Boaz's Ruth says

    I want one for ME. That's adorable!

  34. So cute! Your blog looks like fun. So many great ideas just on the first page. Time to dig in …

  35. lil songbird mama says

    too flippin cute….gonna get right on that one!

  36. My little one would love that. It looks like so much fun.

  37. My little one would love that. It looks like so much fun.

  38. This is fantastic – kudos to you for getting it done so quick! I've seen similar directions… somewhere… that I bookmarked, but it's nice to know that you found these ones so easy!

  39. Lenetta @ Nettacow says

    My oh my, that child has some great ideas! :>) Linked.