Building a Dollhouse

Annabelle has so many things for Violet and Maryellen that we needed a better system for organizing them.  So I started looking for dollhouses for them.  They are hard to find, and they are pricey!  I found one on etsy for $1,500, so I decided that I would try making one.  I knew it would be hard to do it alone, so I asked Papa to help.  We worked on it over Spring Break; it was hard work, but the finished product turned out great!

This was my inspiration; the $1,500 dollhouse.

 

I purchased plans from etsy, and then adjusted them to make the rooms and ceilings slightly different sizes.  Once our plans were set, we had to get the wood/supplies from Home Depot to our house...fortunately, the Bakers helped us out and Bryan Baker delivered it for us.  Laura starting to measure. 

 

Papa sawing. 

 

Annabelle was watching from the car (because of the noise).  She snapped a picture of us hard at work. 

 

Caden and Annabelle helped by sweeping saw dust. 

 

Day one: all sawing finished.  Papa and Annabelle in front of all the pieces ready for sanding. 

 

Day two:  sanding and painting.  More clean up needed!

 

Painting is complete.  Now we just had to wait for it all to dry.  

 

Lining up window sills to hammer them in. 

Because of the anticipated weight of the finished product, we carried the pieces up the stairs to complete assembly upstairs.  Papa, Annabelle, and Nana posing during the construction process. 

 

Mommy and Papa drilling in the first floor wall and ceiling. 

 

Lining everything up. 

 

Discussing alignment. 

 

Putting the bathroom floor down. 

 

Assembly of the second floor. 

 

Getting close.  

Violet checking out her new house.   

 

Ready to move in, except for the baseboards. 

 

Annabelle used birthday money to purchase a kitchen. 

 

Caden helping Annabelle set up the new kitchen. 

 

Annabelle ended up using some of her money to purchase new beds for Maryellen and Violet, and then the green bed is now Aiden's.  And I made a Cowboys blanket for Aiden's bed. She also used some money to purchase a toilet, shower, and sink for the bathroom.  Now she is asking me to build her a couch, chair, and coffee table...Mommy needs a little break, but maybe in the next few months.

 

 

Friday we headed over to Fort Worth to see Meredith and her boys.  I didn't get a picture of the older boys, but here's a picture of Annabelle and Asher. 

 

We bunny-sat over Spring Break.  Teddy was so cuddly, and the kids enjoyed having him.