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DIY Box Dollhouse

I enjoy creating. It’s a wonderful, wonderful thing. My kids are creative creatures themselves, and they do a lot of craft unassisted, however sometimes I make things FOR them, not necessarily with them, and this dollhouses project is an example. I had SO much fun putting it all together. It’s like playing with house designs on a small scale. I enjoy playing with colours and textures and coming up with simple homey fixtures. I made the box dollhouse for my daughter, and she helped me pick up wallpaper and other features too. I have done this before (for Barbies) in a bookcase when we lived in New Zealand (because we didn’t bring many toys with us). This time I made a smaller version for my daughters small mermaid collection.

Materials

  • Boxes – ideally the same size (just one or however many rooms you want – I made four). I purchased some gift boxes for a few dollars each at Spotlight
  • Scrap fabric (off cuts or quilt square size)
  • Section of lace (this goes around the base of the bed)
  • Hot glue gun
  • Paper (scrapbook or search for relevant images and print a design out)
  • Reclyed materials (medicine boxes and other small items)
  • Items like beads, match boxes

make your own dollhouse

Putting it together is a matter or gluing paper inside the box and then outfitting the room. Below is a video of me putting together one of the rooms.

Room 1

  • Books are made from thick cardboard (from a box). Folded in half, glued together and the binding coloured. (Tutorial here).
  • Little pegs you can get from craft stores hold snaps on a piece of string.
  • Lamp is made from the top section of a egg carton and the base is a soft drink bottle lid and toothpick.
  • Wall picture is printed and framed with a scrapbook frame.
  • Drawers are match boxes with bead handles.
  • Rug is a section of burlap.
  • Bed is made from an empty bandaid packet, a small section of wadding and wrapped in fabric. You can find step by step instructions on how to make a bed like this (a bigger version) here.

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

Room 2 

  • A box lid becomes a shadow box for a shell (from our collection).
  • A twig with hanging beads is a wall feature.
  • Drawers are made from match boxes (with left over beads for handles).
  • Bed made from an empty Nurofen liquid bottle. I used plastic bead lengths for the valance. Step by step tutorial here.
  • Wall picture is printed and framed with a scrapbook frame.

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

Room 3

  • Bookcase is made from little boxes.
  • Books made from cardboard (tutorial here)
  • Bed is made from an empty medicine packet (with a rope valance). Step by step tutorial here.
  • Curtains from left over materials.
  • Burlap for rug.
  • Wall picture is printed and framed with a scrapbook frame.

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouse

Room 4

  • Bed made from an empty medicine packet, fabric, wadding. Step by step tutorial here.
  • TV made from a little box.
  • Bedside table made from 2 lids.
  • Wall picture is printed and framed with a scrapbook frame. Other frame is made from toothpicks.

make your own dollhouse

make your own dollhouseEither glue the boxes together or keep them seperate so you can move them around. You can even put a roof section on with cardboard. My daughter loves the dollhouse and has had a blast playing with it. It’s been a fun project made from a lot or recycled and off-cut materials.

make your own dollhouse

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3 Comments

  • Reply
    Jenelle
    March 7, 2017 at 3:02 pm

    Hi, this looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. What brand are the mermaids? My daughter would love something like these!

    • Reply
      Kelly - Be A Fun Mum
      March 8, 2017 at 9:35 am

      We’ve had them for 3 or 4 years. They are absolutely gorgeous and my daughter has played with them heaps. Not sure where you can get them in Australia anymore. I think I got them from Toys R Us. They are called ‘Disney Princess The Little Mermaid Sisters Dolls, 7-Pack’ – I notice you can get them from places like Amazon online etc.

      • Reply
        Jenelle
        March 8, 2017 at 10:03 pm

        Thankyou! I’ll have a look around.

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