Dollhouse Repaired

Decades ago, during a semester break while I was earning my master's degree, I was given a dollhouse. Before classes began again, the dollhouse was well on its way to being completely decorated.

My boys were young. They quickly learned that one might make a mess in the house, but the dollhouse was off limits...it would always be neat and clean.

That dollhouse has moved every time I've moved, and over the years it fell into disrepair. This summer I made its return to glory my goal...

I had never gotten around to filling the window boxes, but they are blooming now and the curtains have been rehung.

That's a mailbox by the front door and a knocker on the door. Clyde's water bowl is hidden behind the porch railing. 

 There is a never ending game of monopoly in the children's attic play room.

Some day I may get around to adding wood putty at the joints and repainting the outside to look like stucco...some day.

My original couch is in the dollhouse I created for my granddaughter, but I have a kit to make another couch. It is in one of the boxes tucked underneath...a good snowy day project.

The living room rug is a weaving sample done by my grandmother and the bedroom rug was crocheted by my mother many years ago.

I had to do a bit of re-gluing for the floor and wall papers, but I didn't change any of them. I had made the curtains, paper towel rack, salt shaker, and fly swatter when I first put this house together. The rest of the items were found or purchased years ago. There are milk and a few loose eggs in the old ice box.

Long ago I built the rocking chair from a kit. It had fallen into many pieces. While repairing it I quickly discovered that my hands are not as steady as they once were.

I had also made the brick hearth, fireplace screen, and picture frame. Fortunately, only the frame needed a bit more glue.

That's an old yellow telephone on the table and a radiator behind the rocker.

 All the chairs on the second floor were made from kits...and they all needed at least one piece re-glued. I had made the pillow. The blanket was another of my grandmother's weaving samples.

The bannister had been made from dowels and toothpicks. I managed to find all but 2 of the toothpicks and get the bannister back in place. I had made all of the wall decorations. The sewing machine and figure had been a kit and the machine table needed a lot of repair. The desk had also been a kit. Surprisingly, it was still in one piece. The writing surface and drawers still open and close.

The chimney is just a 3 sided wood box, but now it doesn't fall off when I move the dollhouse.

I worked on this at the cottage, but it's back home again, sitting on the dresser in my bedroom.


No matter how messy things may get in my real home, no matter if I haven't gotten around to cleaning my refrigerator because I'm too busy cleaning the cottage refrigerators, no matter what household disasters may occur, I'll know the dollhouse will be tidy and never changing...that little piece of perfection to hang onto in the midst of chaos.