How to Handmake Dollhouse Furnishings & Dolls

Furnishing dollhouses is a fun activity for both adults and children.

Dollhouses come in many different shapes, sizes, and designs, and the same can be said for the dolls and the furniture inside them. Filling your dollhouse can be a rewarding, long-term project for children and adults alike. Making your own furniture and dolls not only saves money, it also adds an extra personal touch to your project, and can be a fun and relaxing pastime.

Things You'll Need

• Craft foam blocks
• All purpose craft glue
• Craft knife
• Felt/material
• Thin plywood
• Toothpaste tube tops
• Clay
• Wire coat hangers
• Yarn

Instructions

1. Create sofas, beds or armchairs out of foam blocks. Cut a basic shape for your furniture from the foam. This can be as simple or as detailed as you wish. For example, when making a sofa, you can either cut two identical pieces and glue together to form the base and the back, or you can carve the foam to create rolled tops and arms. Cover the foam with either felt or material and glue in place. Add detail by creating small foam cushions or pillows and using little squares of material or felt to make a throw or quilt.

2. Create tables and chairs with wood. For a basic table, a simple square of wood with four supporting pieces glued in place creates a simple but effective piece of furniture. You can either varnish or paint it. A simple square of felt or material creates a table cloth or place mats.

3. Create a whole range of decor for your dollhouse with toothpaste tube tops. Paint the top and mount on a wooden skewer to create a standing lamp, or use the top to make a plant pot. You can use bigger tops, like from mouthwash for example, to create either bigger versions of the lamps and planters or quirky little bedside tables.

4. Form basic head and hand shapes for the dolls with clay. Create a frame for the body, arms and legs from a wire coat hanger, then wrap the wire in yarn or thread to pad out the body before attaching the clay parts. Alternatively, get a doll making kit. This will contain porcelain heads, hands and feet, and usually a ready made outfit too. See the link in Resources for free patterns for making cloth dolls.

Tips & Warnings

• Use everything and anything to create your furniture: boxes, old leather purses, clothes pegs, bottle caps... there are no rules as long as it's safe.

• Remove or cover any nails, pins, or sharp edges to avoid injury, and keep small children away from the tiny pieces of furniture as they present a choking hazard.

Resources

• All Crafts: Free Doll Patterns