Dollhouses

Katie M

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I've been thinking about them lately, because I remember when my grandmother put her own together. I don't have the space, money, or handiness to make one myself, but I would love to have a Victorian dollhouse, right down to the William Morris wallpaper.

Has anyone here made their own dollhouse?
 

DreamerRose

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I've never made or had one, but I used to drool over the ones in the Smithsonian. They are about 5 feet tall and usually two levels. The intricate detail is amazing. One has a tiny goldfish bowl with a goldfish in it on a table the top of which is about 1 inch across. There were stairs so us short people could climb up to see all of them. There must have been at least a half dozen of them, 60 years ago. The Smithsonian changes its displays constantly, so the doll houses may not be there anymore.
 

Jcatbird

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Yes. In fact, I built an entire village and had a lot of fun doing it. It all started when I built a dollhouse as a child. I used an old Barristers bookcase as a four story dollhouse. Later when I had my own daughter, a dollhouse kit. I wanted a Victorian style greenhouse so I built that from scratch. It’s not that complicated because you can buy everything from lighting kits to tiny little bricks. Everything that is available for a real house is out there for dollhouse. Beware though, kitties like them too! :lol:
 

DreamerRose

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. Beware though, kitties like them too! :lol:
I never had one, but my sister did, and one day she left it on top of the TV - one of those old boxy ones on legs. One afternoon, we heard a motor running somewhere in the room and looked all over to turn it off. Finally found it - our cat was in the dollhouse and purring his heart out.
 
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Katie M

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When I was a kid, it was my little brothers I had to watch out for. I had a Barbie dollhouse, and I would regularly come into my room and find my brothers either playing with it or collapsing it.
 

MoochNNoodles

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My Grandpa built all the granddaughters doll houses. My other grandpa also built them but I didn’t need 2. Mine had working lights, papered walls, carpeting and curtains and bedding made by my Grandma. Grandpa made some of the furniture. Other things were added over the years. I used to decorate it for Christmas too.

I had to leave it at my mother’s when i got married. I still don’t have the space for it. I’ve never let my kids play in it either. Its just very special to me. When my kids are older I will bring it here. I just have to watch that no cats find their way in. That’s happened more than once. 🤪
 

Jcatbird

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We need pictures of dollhouses here! We can all drool over them. Lol Barbie houses were fun too! The old ones were cardboard but very cool. Babrbie had a Fashion Shop and a Little Theater too. Barbie houses now are quite different. Still very cute.
 
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Katie M

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I don't personally have any pictures of the two dollhouses I had, but I managed to find some online of my first one-

firstdollhouse.jpg


I can't find any of my Barbie dollhouse, though, which is strange :headscratch:
 
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Katie M

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I finally found a picture of my second one. Turns out what I thought was a Barbie house was actually a Sindy house. I guess Sindy is a Barbie knockoff?

seconddollhouse.jpg
 

Lari

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neely neely - I've always loved those! I also love the Fairy Castle at the Museum of Science and Industry.

I had a dollhouse. A couple. - the little people one when I was really small, but we built(?) One for my playmobile figurines when I was a bit older. It probably was a kit, but I don't remember exactly.
 

MoochNNoodles

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I can get you pictures of DD's Barbie Dreamhouse, a Fisher Price dollhouse my DS insisted we couldn't get rid of last winter (he did play with it a lot after that) and a Lil' Woodeez house. She also had a My Little Pony castle that is in our garage sale stuff now. :paperbag:

My dollhouse is under a sheet in my mother's bedroom and the furniture and accessories are all packed away. I think the only pictures I have of mine are from the front (it's a Cape Cod style house with no dormers). I don't remember having any of the inside.
 

Lari

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My cousins had the My Little Pony dream castle! I don't think it got passed to me, sadly, but I'm having trouble remembering...
 

MoochNNoodles

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I never had anything like that. Just my dollhouse from my Grandpa. I wanted that Barbie dreamhouse SO bad too. :lol: My mom and stepdad bought DD hers. We couldn’t afford big stuff back then. DDs others were much less expensive Christmas presents. Thats just the kind of toys she likes; but she’s starting to outgrow all that.:sniffle:

I never fully outgrew my dollhouse from my Grandpa though. Sometimes I’d make some little things out of fabric scraps or just rearrange it. I decorated my bedroom at Christmas so having the dollhouse decorated in there too was fun. I even had a teeny tiny light strand for the roofline. Grandpa had put working lights on the front and a few ceiling lights; but also a red one in the “brick” fireplace in the living room. It looked nice in the dark.
 

Mia6

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I don't personally have any pictures of the two dollhouses I had, but I managed to find some online of my first one-

View attachment 342404

I can't find any of my Barbie dollhouse, though, which is strange :headscratch:
Oh Katie, that is adorable!!

I had a dollhouse as well that had been someone else's. It was probably manufactured in the 40's or 50s
because Nicole had it first. I had such fun with it,

I found one similar from 1938, have no idea whose it was originally
1594377358756.png
 
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MoochNNoodles

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This picture just happened to turn up in my memories today. Unfortunately it’s just a blurry view of the front. This is Pumpkin; my moms cat who is almost 17 now. But you can see the windows (plastic for the glass), lights and a few curtains. The left window is a bay window for the livingroom.

B6C7DFD1-4ED4-41B4-838E-E1C05B89844B.jpeg


The reddish thing underneath is a stand on casters. The house itself is on a turntable so it was easy to move to play with. My Grandpa also built the stand.
 

Jcatbird

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I am loving all the memories and the pictures! Thanks everyone!
Pumpkin! Lol Our kitties liked houses too! This house was built from a kit when my daughter was young and was the beginning of the village later. This had carpet, wallpaper and working lights.
A9FE0828-2694-48BD-BCF7-76BB6F1ADBD2.jpeg
29A69631-8FD5-4060-A94A-2BE621217BE5.jpeg
 
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