General Chat

I am lucky enough to have a large Victorian Dolls House made by my OH. Even got an outside Loo with wooden seat and tiny squares of newspaper on hook! Definately not a childs toy but have no Grandaughter to hand it on to only Grandsons who are more interested in football and TV games!!
Fran

I never had a dolls house as a child - my dad made one for my sister, but we moved 6 months later and he gave it to a family down the road!!
My daughter and her fiance moved in with me 2 years ago, which put the mockers on my decorating and DIY.
I bought a second hand 4 room house with the intention of doing it up, instead of decorating my own house, but didn't get round to it, but my grand daughter played with it.
Two Christmases ago, I persuaded my daughter to buy me a kit for Christmas so I could start from scratch. It is nearly finished - in Edwardian style, with lights, wood panelling etc, but I want to build an extension some time. Grand daughter now plays with that one!!
About 2 months ago, I bought a 'derelict' tudor house, which I shall decorate in early Elizabethan style, with a thatched roof. At the moment it is sitting in the middle of the living room, having been stripped down to a shell. I can see it's going to be a long project!!
I haven't got anywhere to keep the houses - the middle of the living room is hardly ideal!! The Edwardian one is in my bedroom and the original is in the small bedroom my grand daughter stays in when she's here.
However - when my daughter moves out I will have a nice spare double bedroom :o)))

maggie

Just seen your post Liz - yes it is me!! LOL
My brother makes model boats, cars etc with motors, and has recently started making a Victorian Steam boat 1/12 size - so we now compare and share bits, and discuss the best shops!!
He gets into the more intricate bits more than me - makes his own floorboards/decking etc - I just buy it.
He is, however, going to give me a small bench lathe he doesn't use so I can make fancy chair legs and supports for the 4 poster beds etc I will need in the Tudor house!!

maggie

We have 3 in our house I have a Victorian one which took me months to tile the roof I still have not built the basement for it thought thats still in the box. My eldest daughter has a nice pink one which is no style she just buy's what she likes for it. Our other daughters was custom made for her as her bedroom is small so there is no where to put it. It looks like any normal dolls house 1/12 scale but it is not very deep and it hangs on the wall. I spend hours making curtains for them and have made a pair with swags and tails and all fully lined. I tend to do work on it during the winter when the warmer weather comes I tend to spend more time in the garden!

Hi Liz,

They have some nice dolls houses in the Sue Ryder charity shop just round the corner from you and they sell all the furniture too.
I have bought no.2 grandaughter lots of bits and pieces from there and keep saying I will buy a house for myself and do it up as I would have wanted it when I was a child!

Told you I was in my second childhood, lol!

Frances

I saw a thread a time ago about dolls houses and remembered a little wooden welsh dresser at my Grannys house, with miniature crocks and I used to play with it for hours....

.....so I went on the net and bought a little dolls house for my granddaughters with the furniture, nothing fancy so it doesn't matter if it gets damaged.......if I remember the fun I had, they perhaps they will.....

I saw the Queen Mother's Dolls House and it was so neat and tidy and perfect....

I've had electric lights from Sue Ryder shop very good selection and good quality as is the furniture, houses are a lot cheaper than in specialist shops and at fairs, although one shop owner a couple of years ago was complaining in Dolls House World magazine that they are a charity with not the same overheads and shouldn't be allowed to sell new imported doll house things.

My dad made dolls houses forts and garages mine had electric lights in all the room open and closeing doors and windows as dad was in the army we could not take it with us so it was sold Valxxx

Hi

Just seen this thread, I have a dolls house and I love it. Always wanted one as a child but never got one, now I use it to "escape" after a hard week at work.

I love the little bits you can get and I make some too.

kerry x

I was looking on the net at some last night and couldn't believe the cost of them. Maybe I'll keep dreaming for now LOL.

Hi Summer Scribe, don't just look on the net, there are plenty of reasonable houses for sale in some of the specialist shops and as already been said Sue Ryder charity shops are very reasonable. Where do you live, I can recommend a very good shop where they have an all year round club and you can save for one and anything you need to furnish etc.,

We don't have a Sue Ryder shop in our town. We do have a hobby shop that sells them though, same place that dad got his train sets.

I live in south west cumbria (armpit of the north).

hi all yes Christina look on the auction sites and see how much they go for. Of course the other option is look for a period dolls house and furnish it with your treasures and keep it to pass on.It would be a collector's item and worth a lot. This is what the serious collectors are looking for. I agree with May about sue Rhyder shops they are very resonable.

I am a dolls house fan, and as I said I love making things myself as you get great satisfaction out of looking at something you have created.
That is the reason I joined a club as there are like minded people there who encourage you to try different things. You will be surprised at what you can do.

Summer you don't have to spend a lot of money. Start with a simple room box made out of M.D.F.It only needs to be 12"wide x 9"high x10" deep. Then decide what you want to make. It could be a kitchen 40's era as I have just done or a shop or anything your imagination takes you..
I took an old jewellery box the sort with two glass doors at the top and two drawers on the bottom, bought for £1 at a boot sale and turned it into a jewellery shop. I made little cards for the jewellery and perfume bottles from beads and it looks fab even if I say so myself.

Valerie, that sounds wonderful, but I'm not sure I can do anything so intricate with my FM.

summer if you want to pm me your e-mail addy I'll send you a picture of it.

Hi Valerie, there are some fabulous room boxes that have been done aren't there, all different sizes. When we go to Pudsey near Leeds the local club exhibit their room boxes and have different themes not just time periods.

The skill of some people May never ceases to amaze me. When I go to fairs and the like It puts my efforts to shame. The woodwork with all the tiny inlays is what I envy as woodwork as I said is not my strong point. I can make most things after a fashion and love making hats

Thanks May, Maggie and Frances, yes Maggie I remember telling you about the furniture in Sue Ryder shops, and as Frances says there is one close by here.
There would not be room in this house but when I get back to my own house, I will have space, so might get one then, after I have done the main house lol
I did get one from a charity shop a few years ago, but there was a woman wanted it for her child, only I got to it first. I took her address saying if I changed my mind I would sell it to her and I did, a few days later, as I thought the child would enjoy it more. I took it round when she was at school so her Mum could hide it to work on at night, for her Christmas present, she was a single Mum and I knew from experience how hard it was to get nice presents when you are short of cash.
I will find one when I am meant to.
Have fun with yours all of you.
Lizxx