Transform Your Dollhouse Into a Faerie House
You might be too old for dolls, but you are never too old for fairies. If you have an old, unused dollhouse in the attic, it can come back to life with some attention and creativity. Take your old dollhouse and transform it into a beautiful and whimsical fairy house.
Steps
- Vandalize your dollhouse. Yes, vandalize it. Smash out the windows, tear out the stairs if you want. Keep the door, but get rid of the plastic. (Fairies don't like plastic much.)
- Paint the dollhouse with natural colors. If you don't do this, you will have some colors showing through and it might not look right. One method is to use spray paint, and paint it with tones of grey and brown. (Make sure you use a respirator.)
- Collect materials for your home. They must be dry or the glue won't stick to them. For lap siding, you can use cattail leaves. You can also make a stone cottage, or cover it with birch bark. Norway Pines have wonderful bark for shingles on the roof. Use old slips, fabric and lace for curtains. Layer them for a good effect. To detail the house, you might find some great shapes in potpourri, or from dried flowers from the garden. You can even make an entire fairy house with food!
- Use hot wood glue and a glue gun to put it all together. If you can't find hot wood glue sticks, you can use regular, but it might not last as long.
Tips
- If the house is plastic or smooth, things won't stick very well. You can glue burlap or fabric to the house first, and it will help the other materials stick to it. Try to use natural colors.
- Add branches and crispy leaves to the sides and roof of the house for a more natural autumn look!
- Be sure to make a sketch of it first! That way you will have an idea of what you are doing.
- For a whimsical look, layer lace, gauze or other sheer materials to the windows. You can also make it look like the wind is blowing by manipulating the curtains.
- Make sure there are no messes in the house, because fairies are clean creatures.
Warnings
- This will not hold up for long in the elements. Do not put it outside unless you are willing to let it fall apart.
- Keep a bowl of cold water, some burn cream, or anything else to soothe burns near you in case you burn yourself on the glue gun or glue.
Related Articles
- Make a Fairy House
- Make a Faerie Garden with Your Child
- Make a Fairy House with Food
- Make a Mini Dollhouse
Sources and Citations
- Faeriefactory.com, the initial author's website with more photos depicting faerie homes and furnishings, faerie related workshops and other art.
- Faeriemagazine.com