A Vintage Radio Dollhouse Begins

Soon after a certain five year old was born, I started to think about the dollhouse I would craft for her in a few years.

Before - front of the dollhouse

And it didn't look anything like this dirty dusty vintage radio.


Three years earlier her parents welcomed a son, and when her brother was born in my mind a red barn needed to be built to house the toy animals and tractors he was sure to love.

Indeed a barn was built, painted barn-red by Daughter #2, and shortly thereafter any attraction to tractor, cow and pig, sort of faded and gave way to baseball and remote control cars.

I've got six kids, I realize how quick interests can change, and because of that this dollhouse should have been started two years ago with my first intention.

Now I'm on to my second intention and I understand that furnishing a DIY dollhouse is a bit like making a real DIY home - it takes time, and some rooms are never done.

Before - inside of dollhouse

I'm also no stranger to these old vintage radios.

This one came from an auction won for five bucks.

I've got one under my belt already.  It became a Radio Bar for #2 son, and I'll have a spare left after I turn the one above into a dollhouse.

The part about this taking time that excites me, is that I can get input from that certain five year old.

And I did.
She would like it purple.

Hmmm.  I convinced her maybe only one purple room.

To amuse myself I think I'll put a miniature poster of the artist formally known as Prince, now known as Prince again, in the purple room.

She would like four bedrooms....... one for the mommy and daddy, one for the little girl, one for the brother, and one for the grandparents.

I made that last part up.  She wants a bedroom for a baby.

If she really wants a baby she should just ask her dad, it worked when she wanted a pet four months ago.

She also wants a playroom, patio, and an outside yard.

And an "office like daddy's".

And I want a gabled roof built on the top.

Anyone who follows me on Pinterest might have noticed a sudden burst of miniature pins.  I'm on trend, I'm building a tiny home.

I was amazed at the creativity of the dollhouse designers.  Me thinks there won't be a tissue box couch in this dollhouse, and if there is it will be an amazing tissue box couch.

Glass Window will become the parents bedroom

So many ideas swirling in my mind, limited only by how much time I want to spend.

Speaking of spending, time will be spent in abundance, but dollars will not.

My goal; to repurpose and use in clever ways what I find around here, or at garage sales/thrift stores, and what can be crafted in the garage.

And to put together at least one room a week for..........

I'm blaming this dollhouse obsession on my friend Cassie from Primitive & Proper, and I'll be updating my progress as I go along.

If you dabble in miniature DIY, you too can join in with this tiny house movement.

It's a free for all of the smallest kind.  With prizes.

Cassie's Dollhouse

Next up..... some of the tiny wares I will repurose for the dollhouse.

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