DIY Dollhouse Thrifted Makeover

Tips and tricks for using what you already have and repurposing every day items from around the house to create a beautiful, real-looking DIY dollhouse.

Welp… add DIY dollhouse to the list of hobbies I never thought I’d love. All of those diorama projects back in middle school really prepared me for this one apparently. 😉

This dollhouse bookcase I found for $60 at a consignment sale sat in our garage for months. I figured I’d just give it a quick paint job, maybe add some cute scrapbook paper to the back, and be done.

Buuuuuuuut then I got sucked in BIG TIME.

Before

So while Robert was working on the first big project of the office makeover, I made this cute little DIY dollhouse my task for the last two weeks.

Olivia has been the BEST helper and big sis throughout these last couple of months of staying home. And this seemed like the perfect reward for her.

This was a labor of love that didn’t feel like work at all! Although, I’m not sure my fingertips will ever recover from the hot glue burns. 😉

After

DIY Dollhouse Makeover

(Some affiliate links are provided below. Full disclosure here.)

Supplies:

• Scrapbook paper (I used sheets from this pack for wallpaper and shiplap, this for a “wood” floor, and this for the white bricks.)
• Old and new Barbie furniture (A mix of my old pieces, Etsy Barbie furniture, consignment finds, Ebay Barbie furniture, and a couple of new pieces like this doll kitchen and this living room set.)
• Spray paint (I only used leftovers I already had)
• Acrylic paint & brushes (For small details)
• Clothes from the donation pile (Pick out clothing items that your kids have outgrown and cut them up to make bedding, rugs, pillows, towels, curtains, anything)
• Small knick-knacks repurposed from around the house (Toothpaste lids and hairspray caps are especially great for making little light fixtures, planter pots, ottomans, baskets, stools, whatever you can think of.)
• Rubber cement (It’s the best I’ve found for quick, strong adhesion without wrinkling paper.)
• Hot glue and glue gun (To make no-sew Barbie pillows, light fixtures, etc.)

Olivia picked out what wallpaper patterns she wanted in the DIY dollhouse, and then she told me she wanted to be surprised with the rest, so I worked on everything little by little each day to make it look like a real house as best I could.

Kitchen

• Kitchen set – I bought this one online since she didn’t have a kitchen for her Barbies already, took the doors off, and spray painted them with Krylon Catalina Mist. The rest of the set got a coat of white spray paint. And I hand-painted the handles and knobs with gold acrylic paint.
• Backsplash – To make the backsplash look like marble, I used this marble scrapbook paper. Marble contact paper could work great too if you already have some.
• Tree – I repurposed a woven napkin ring as a “basket” and stuck a faux stem inside held in place with aluminum foil, painted black on the top to look like dirt.
• Rug – This was just a cut up piece of a straw hat.
• Light fixture – I painted a face wash bottle lid with brass spray paint I already had and hot glued a mini ping pong ball in it.
• Art – And I printed this landscape art from Artfully Walls on cardstock to make it look like it was hanging on the backsplash.

Living Room

• Board and batten – I kind of rushed through this spot but it was easy to make using just a foam sheet and white card stock glued to the back wall.
• Jute rug – Printed from an image of this rug I screenshot on card stock and glued to the floor.
• Sofa – Spray painted from this living room set
• Coffee table – Spray painted using old furniture from my Barbie playing days
• TV stand – Made by spray painting a piece Olivia already had and hot gluing popsicle sticks on the front to look like drawers and gluing on beads to look like knobs.
• Throw pillows – Made from cut up old clothes and hot gluing the edges
• TV – Made from this set with a screencap of Frozen 2 (her favorite movie) glued to the front
• Planter pot – A toothpaste cap with a tiny faux succulent hot glued inside
• Light fixture – A plastic Easter egg half with a straw hat remnant glued on
• Art – This floral still life art printed on card stock

Dining Room

• Dining set – I spray painted this set using black and gray colors I already had.
• Rug – Straw hat remnant
• Curtains – Cut up remnants from an old shirt
• Curtain rod – A chopstick
• Chandelier – A spray painted keychain
• Art – I printed this flamingo art because Olivia is completely obsessed with flamingos. And this geometric art and this geometric art seemed to work well alongside it.

Bathroom

• Bathroom furniture – A mix of pieces that were mine as a kid + pieces she already owned
• Rug – Remnant from an old sweater
• Towels – Remnants from an old washcloth
• Art – This abstract landscape printed on card stock.
• Light fixture – Toothpaste cap spray painted brass

Bedroom 1

• Bed – Etsy find
• Nightstand – Ebay find
• Large plant – Hairspray cap wrapped in straw hat remnant + faux stems hot glued inside with aluminum foil
• Mirrors – Fairy garden accessories
• Bedding – Cut up clothes
• Sheepskin rug – Cup up fleece mitten
• Picture frame – Photo frame charm
• Pendant light – Hairspray cap with straw hat remnant hot glued on attached with beaded strand
• Art – This kite flying art printed on card stock

Bedroom 2

• Bed – vintage Ebay find
• Nightstands – Made by hot gluing pieces from my old toys
• Book – Fairy garden accessories
• Bedding – Cut up clothes
• Planter pot – Hairspray cap with straw hat remnants glued on and faux mini succulents glued inside
• Art – This abstract portrait and this abstract portrait on card stock
• Chandelier – Spray painted keychain
• Sheepskin rugs – Cut up fleece mitten

I always thought those tiny toy videos on YouTube were a little creepy and weird, but after doing all of this tiny dollhouse crafting, I can definitely see the draw. It’s so fun!!! Fair warning: Once you start, it’s hard to stop on all of the cute little details.

If you ever want more dollhouse inspiration, these are some excellent places to get ideas:

• The Hartley Home
• Tiny House Calls
• Sweet Tiny Houses
• Amy Pigliacampo
• Mini Adventures Co.
• Remington Avenue
• Life in a Dollhouse
• Lavender Belle Miniatures

Do you have any other fun dollhouse accounts/bloggers you follow? Or have you ever done a dollhouse makeover yourself before?

It’s times like these that I’m extra thankful for my girls.

And even though it’ll be tough to see Olivia (and eventually Regan when she gets older) destroy this dollhouse, it’s all be completely worth it! Thank heaven for little girls.

P.S. You can get more ideas for kids’ decor here.

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