The holidays should be all about spending time with family! Now, when I say 'spending time with family,' I'm not talking about gathering everyone around the television for a reality TV marathon - No, I'm talking about keeping everyone's mind active with a fun arts and craft project! Arts and crafts are a great way for you and the kids to exercise your creativity. Building a
dollhouse is one project that I am particularly fond of. Here is a simple way that you can make your own dollhouse, just by using things you have laying around the house!
1.)
Building the House: First, you have to find an un-used cardboard box. The size of the box doesn't matter but you need to consider where you are going to keep it. If you want to store it under a kids' bed, perhaps it's best to create a ranch-style house, with all of the rooms on one level. To make the walls separating different rooms, you can use a thinner piece of cardboard or some kind of poster board. Depending on how big your cardboard is, you can create as many rooms as you want! To make windows you can either use a box cutter and make actual windows or draw, paint or color them on the outside of the box. When using a box cutter, it's important that the parents do all of the cutting. Now that you have the framework of your house done, it's time to start on the interior!
2.)
The Floors: If you have any carpet squares or old rugs lying around, you can cut these up and line the bottom of your box. Cut up some old place mats or pot holders and give each room a different look. Your local fabric store should also have some inexpensive fabric that you can purchase. To mimic the look of vinyl or tile, you can purchase some colored contact paper and line the bottom of your box. This will give the floor a nice shine. You can then add little miniature area rugs made out of whatever fabric you have around.
3.)
The Walls: Don't leave the walls bare! You can either paint them or get more creative and create your very own wall paper out of left over wrapping paper. You can also use contact paper or fabric to get even more creative with your wall space. Adorn your walls with small cut outs from magazines. You can even make a big family portrait using extra passport photos or extra copies of your kids' class photo. Create little picture frames by using toothpicks, emery boards, or pipe cleaners.
4.)
The Furniture: Making your own
doll furniture is where things might get tricky. The key is to be as resourceful as you can and think outside the box, pun intended. For your big appliances, like the stove and refrigerator, take a small JELLO box and wrap it in brown paper or tin foil. You can add in all the details with a black marker. Use one segment of an egg carton and make a toilet, a chair or the base of a small table. You can also use the kids' building blocks, Legos and other toys in place of doll furniture. You can use another JELLO box for the bed, dressing it with tissue paper and little scraps of fabric and cotton balls make great little pillows.
As is the case with most art projects, you take out of it what you put into it. The important thing is that the entire family is spending time together and that everyone is having fun!
source:
www.ToysandGamesOnline.com,
sxc.hu
My Chandra was inspired by Chandramukhi from the movie Devdas. She is dressed in gold ghagra-choli, and is sparkling from head to toe in traditional Indian jewelry: the tiara, vindi, earrings, necklaces, bracelets and anklets. Her hands and feet are decorated with henna.
Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi
Inspired by the Royal Kumari of Nepal, my Kumari is dressed in her regal garb of red and gold. She wears her hair in a topknot, and has the agni chakchuu or ‘fire eye’ painted on her forehead as a symbol of her special powers of perception. Kumari was made for Helen in Honeychurch, UK.
The Kumari of Nepal
The San Franciscan has always been a favorite of mine, and this one is made all the more special by the Midas touch of Robin Carey.
Wanted to share with you the photos of Sophie's Folly, the San Franciscan dollhouse that was recently remodeled by my friend Tara Ryan (elfkin). The stained glass windows are my favorite!
