General Chat

Sorry for the long break ladies, son and grand-son came visiting and lent grand-son 9 next week laptop to play games on while dad and grandad were watching rugby. I can recommend a good book for anyone starting in the hobby, The New Dolls' House Do It Yourself Book by Venus and Martin Dodge, published by David £ Charles, price £12.99, covers everything, decorating and lighting, fixtures and fittings, furniture and accessories including patterns for simple furniture, The dolls house garden, and repairs and renovation.

Thank you Val.................that's the one. I will see if I can buy it online.

xx

Hi all,
I think this is a lovely thread
i have been following it , as i would love to do something like this , but never knew where to start
or get things from , keep up the good work lol.
Hazelx

It's a book by Pat King and it uses all everyday objects to make things with including pill bottles perm curlers buttons and beads and jewellery findings in fact we dolls house people don't throw anything away!!.The coffee stirrers in Macdonalds and other places are very handy !!! It's a good book for someone starting and on a limited budget.

I have been searching the internet for a book I got out of the library once.

It was called something like Make Dolls House furniture out of Anything

It was full of tips for using all kinds of odds and ends to make everything you can imagine.

Can I find it anywhere?

No!!

xx

Didn't expect this thread to take off so after a chance remark on Heyley's thread about it being quiet but it's great so many of us of like mind OH interested too takes me to fairs because I don't drive and he was amazed at how many men were interested in their own right. we have been to Maple Street and hopt to get to Dolls House emporium in the near furture when the weather picks up, I am having an arthritis flare up at the moment and want to feel better on a day out so I can enjoy all I see.

It can be a very expensive hobbie I have saved a vast amount by making things my self or buying cheaper items and changing them.
BBQ sticks make great curtain poles. Wooden sticks from Mcdonalds (ones for string your coffee) can be used as picture frames. You can reduce photos and pictures on your pc for pictures in your dolls house

I use The Wonham Collection online - minimum order of £10 for free postage!!

http://www.thewonhamcollection.co.uk/

Sue Ryder have an online shop too - but it's a minimum order of £50 for free postage:

http://www.suerydercareshop.com/

maple street do some good stuff at good prices:
http://www.maplestreet.co.uk/

My only new house was bought in kit form from E Bay, it was only about £47, and is lovely!! Here's a link to the one I bought, I have since put 2 dormer windows in the attic - they cost about £2.50 each from Sue Ryder:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Three-story-eight-room-dolls-house-kit_W0QQitemZ260220498654QQihZ016QQcategoryZ2445QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Here's a link to the other kit Bob sells:
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Two-story-six-room-dolls-house-kit_W0QQitemZ260220225384QQihZ016QQcategoryZ2445QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

These are half the price you would pay even in Sue Ryder.

maggie

Ladies Miniatura is on at NEC soon makes a great day out 29 & 30th March
http://www.miniatura.co.uk/frame.htm

Would anyone like a thread where we could swap tips & ideas & may be photo's of our dolls houses? Just a thought

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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).