I finally finished Frankie’s dollhouse and I couldn’t be happier with the results!
Back in 2020 Ben’s parents gifted Frankie with this dollhouse, which Ben’s grandfather built for him and his brother when he was little. So I guess it’s more Ben’s gift to Frankie? Ben’s parents had very kindly held on to it while we were living around the world and once we settled down they dropped it off for Frankie!
Before & After
Now I know what you’re all thinking…Why did it take me 2.5 years to give this dollhouse a proper update? To be fair, I had Bobbie during this time and there was a worldwide pandemic so I feel like 2.5 years is pretty reasonable considering lol. But honestly, it just felt like a daunting project because it was so beautifully made that I didn’t want to botch my way through it. So I took a lot of time, and where I could I tried to do things the right way rather than the quick way. I hope you’ll forgive me for the slowest project in history. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be posting heaps more information and details about the dollhouse, the furniture and all the little details that went into making this one of my favourite projects ever, and I’ll be adding links to those posts here so you can easily get a full guide.
The Dollhouse Journey
In early 2022 I started off this project by giving it a good clean with my Dremel, removing the lace curtains, tearing off some of the old wall paper and pulling up the blue felt carpet. I created some new flooring using popsicle sticks and found the perfect blue to paint the outside. And that’s kind of where I left things off on here. Then, at the end of the year, the dollhouse sparked my creative interest again and I was determined to have it finished by the end of the year! I really wanted to give it to Frankie for Christmas so I gave myself that deadline. It worked! I did soooo much in the week leading up to Christmas including wallpaper, furniture, kitchen and the exterior vines.
Here’s a recap of what I’ve already posted about this dollhouse and what I plan on touching on in future posts! If something is missing that you would like me to talk about, feel free to leave a comment or send me a message about it on Instagram and I’ll do my best to add it to the list!
Dollhouse Recap
- My New Project! Frankie’s Dollhouse
- The Inspiration For Frankie’s Dollhouse Renovation
- Frankie’s Amazing New Original Dollhouse Furniture
- Flooring & Paint
- Layout & Wallpaper
- Exterior Vines
- Dollhouse Furniture: Everything You Need To Know
- Dining Set
- Tub Chair
- Kitchen Island
- Couch
- Rugs
Dollhouse Tool Kit
I’ve put together a dollhouse renovation took kit! These are all the odds and ends that I found really useful while doing this project. If you have a similar project you’d like to get started on, I’d suggest adding to cart all of the below!
- Dremel 8260
- Bosch Gluey pen
- Balsa wood
- Thin paddle pop sticks
- Match sticks
- Selleys wood glue
- Linen fabric bags
- Batting
- Card and paper
- Patterned paper set
- Faux greenery
I’m just so in love with how this turned out, and more importantly, so is Frankie! It’s already provided hours of entertainment for the girls and it’s so rewarding to see this family heirloom being loved and used by another generation!
I’m excited to share more on my dollhouse project!
