Dollhouse – basic decor, 1st layer

This is definitely one of my favourite parts – pretending to be an interior decorated based on what I’ve seen and learned on Pinterest.  Hobbies do provide a way of escape, and this is where I escape to, this is my outlet.

So far, I’ve worked on curtains, a rug, rope ladder and painting walls. This is what I got thus far.

Curtains were made our of some left over Ikea curtain material. I decided to make them all the same, all in white.

They were very easy to make. Cutting fabric to size, then iron out the seams (I actually use hair straighteners to do this), and then create an insert where the rope should go, tying it into loops on both sides.

To attach the curtains to the wall, I used little loops that screw into the wall of the dollhouse. Nice and easy.

As for the rope ladder, this is actually a bit of a cheat. I could not figure out how to make proper wooden staircase, I don’t have the right tools, nor know-how. So, opting for a simpler rope ladder seemed like a liable option, which actually turned out very cute!

Some wood glue to hold it in place – perfect!

I also made a little woven rug, and I plan to make more.

It is a very safe beige grey colour, very boring, but then I do have to consider that a host of pre-preschoolers will be playing with this every day, so my aim is to make it last.

All it takes is some fabric braided into long strands, and voila, you are doing it!

Painting the walls was an exciting part. The walls had to be different enough to create interest, yet similar enough to look cohesive. There had to be some print, some solid colour, some variety in colour, maybe even shade of colour… this is what I came up with:

Dining room:

Entrance into the kitchen:

Kitchen:

Sitting room:

Rope ladder leading upstairs:

Bedroom:

This is something that I’ve seen pinned time and time again on Pinterest. It had to be done. I used a little cross-stitch mesh from my daughter’s craft supplies to draw the crosses, which I have simply drawn with markers:

The bathroom:

The Kids’ room (boy or girl):

All in all, it seems to work together.

Furniture next!

If you liked this post, check out my other explorations with dollhouse tinkering:

  

Multi-purpose (mummy) nook

In our “rental, sweet rental”, space is scarce. As well as scarce, the whole floor plan of the flat is somewhat awkward with odd corners, walls and nooks. Perhaps our lifestyle is too different from an average Cypriot family who would find no problem furnishing such typical apartment, I have struggled decorating it for years. Only now, I think finally I am settling with some of the rooms…

This particular nook, 2.4m by 2.8m is meant to be a dining room with a table and six chairs. My needs could never be satisfied with a mere dining room. What about all my precious arts & craft supplies? And kids’ craft? Sewing machine? Starbucks mug collection? Calligraphy set? They all need an appropriate loving home!

It was a challenge to bring all of these together, but I think, for time being, this solution works.

The Multi-purpose (mummy) nook contains the following:

– Yes, a big table that easily sits 6, and can be extended to sit 8 comfortably.

– Four chairs and a DIY bench

– Two IKEA cupboards with glass doors

–  A TV (2″ or 3″ – it’s tiny)

– A DIY Chalkboard with two shelves above it.

My craft supplies have migrated many many times. They’ve been known to hang out around the office desk, sometimes in odd drawers in all parts of the house, and sometimes, oh so disrespectfully, in plastic craters tucked away. It was until I came to terms with my personality, and called things by their names – I admitted to myself, that it wasn’t a slip up, it wasn’t just that one time…. I am a CRAFTER!

It wasn’t the case of occasional crafts. It wasn’t just making some Christmas cards – it’s cheaper. Or making a birthday present for your niece – it’s more personal. Or sewing/knitting/crocheting clothes – it fits better. It was always about self-expression through creating. And that requires many many tools. Above you can see a whole cupboard dedicated to my many arts and crafts supplies, some finished DIYs and ever present work-in-progress.

My daughter also enjoys craft time. Mummy is very happy, even if it is just a phase. We use all media; paints, markers, colours, crayons, chalk, playdough, face paints and stickers. Craft boxes and colouring books are very happy here. My little ones know where to find whatever medium will help them express themselves best, pull it out, grab a chair and immerse!

The cupboard is a host to our Starbucks mug collection, too.

We needed a bench between those cupboards, and instead we had an Ikea small dining table.  I think every newly wed couple had bought one in the Noughties.

When we realised we needed a bigger table, we bought a beautiful solid wood expandable table. My dad did that thing that he does (often times a.k.a. the impossible) and turned it into a bench. Love it!

The Chalkboard is the last addition to this Multi-purpose (mummy) nook. This board is actually another Ikea piece of furniture that has outlived its useful life. Because it broke. Typical.

It is simply a bottom panel painted with black chalkboard paint and mounted onto a wall. It looked a little lonely, so I’ve put up two shelves above it with some of my favourite frames and pieces. Heart were cut out of cork sticker and glued thereon, breaking up all that black.  I love how my daughter completely embraced it and draws on the board without reservations – exactly its purpose.

Finally, there is my tiny TV, that’s on when I craft. I also found it very useful to keep kids in the same room with me when I am cooking to keep an eye on them.

I am happy about the direction this room is taking – apart from a few tiny tweaks here and there, like the picture frames above the TV. I am sure I will think of something and happily D-I-Wife it!

Pictures is this post show a few of my other crafts, links to which you can find here:

Dip Painting with Chalk Board Paint

The weather in Cyprus has been exceptionally warm, working outside on some pending projects seems like a holiday. I finally got around repainting this old bedside table/console.

Completely forgetting to take the “BEFORE” pictures, I am glad my supportive husband has taken some photos and put them together in a collage…

Painting furniture is  not a novice, however doing it perfectly is a rarity. I have painted Lexie’s toddler kitchen and some mirrors and frames, but I have been known to skip steps. This time I went all out – the sanding, the primer, three layers with a new roller each time.

Starting this project, I bought masking tape, rollers, primers, sand paper, etc. I had some green chalk board paint, which I have used in the past and it prooved to be very durable and covered well. So, the long process began. I sanded, painted with primer, and started with the paint. However, once I’ve painted the bedside table (I call it that, but I am not sure if that’s appropriate, as it is slightly larger than a bedside table. When I bought it, it was sold to me as a console desk.. by the way, I bought it for 10 euro).

Once it was ready, it was all green.  It was the only paint I had then, so the console was painted all green. It looked too green.

That’s when the idea came. Why not add some acrylic paint into white primer and turn it into dip painting project?

Dip painting was a new concept, so I did my best. My first attempt, I’ve put masking tape where needed, however I didn’t press masking tape to adhere it. Some paint leaked under the tape, as demonstrated by the pictures above. Second attempt was much more successful. As always, learning from my mistakes.

Dip painting, a first for me!Plus chalk painted – not a first for me. I am sure this will come in handy. By the way, this is the very green chalk paint that they use in schools. I love it for that all the more!

If you liked this, maybe you would like to check out my other projects: