I’m really in the dollhouse now

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/05/2017 (3133 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

My recent obsession with making dollhouses started innocently enough.

I was painting peg dolls as a fun activity to do with my daughter when I realized that the dolls had nowhere to “live,” so to speak. As I started looking at different types of dollhouses I soon came to understand that unless I wanted something made from cheap plastic (which I didn’t) the ones I really liked were mostly out of my price range.

I began to research ways that I could make my own dollhouses. At first, I considered getting a kit that included pre-cut wood pieces that required sanding, gluing and painting. Unfortunately, most kits were also quite pricey. It wasn’t until I discovered lots of do-it-yourself ideas on pinterest.com, a popular information sharing website, that I realized how many varieties of dollhouses there were that I hadn’t even considered before. Even better, many were simple enough to construct that a novice like me, with minimal crafting experience, could make using mostly recycled and household items.

After a bit of research, I first learned to make dollhouses that looked like tree stumps out of old cardboard boxes and paper mache. Because they are supposed to look like trees and not a “real” house with 90-degree angles I quickly learned that I could still make something beautiful despite my hand tremors, carpal tunnel and tennis elbow. After all, it was the little imperfections that made each dollhouse unique.

I was absolutely hooked on this new hobby – and if I could do this, anybody could!

Next I tried my hand at mushroom houses made out of aluminum foil and masking tape which turn out to be a perfect size for those small peg dolls or Smurf figurines. I had no idea that paper mache could be so much fun.

Now almost inevitably when I tell someone that I make dollhouses I get one of two strong reactions: either eyes-wide-open excitement, (“Do you think you could make one for me?”) or eyes-narrowed skepticism, (“You know dollhouses are for children, right?”)

But I don’t care. So what if I’m colour-blind and my hands aren’t steady? I love my new hobby!

Since we’re on the topic of hobbies, I’d love to hear about some of your favourite interests and pastimes that I can feature in upcoming articles. Please feel free to contact me at htiede@gmail.com.