dollhouse furniture update.

Lots of I'm a Giant Challenge updates coming to you from good old Cleveland, Ohio. Furniture. Appliances. It's all gettin' done. And, since I'm going to be in a turkey coma for most of tomorrow, I thought I'd supply an update on my progress sooner rather than later.

First, the kitchen.

Aside from a faucet, rug, some open overhead shelving and accessories, this room is D-O-N-E. The stove and fridge were made from cardboard, the cabinets from balsa wood and the basin sink from modeling clay. I used beads for knobs, felt furniture pads as burners and screws as the oven knobs. I L-O-V-E the way this turned out, especially the terra cotta island which introduces an earthy color to help balance all the "stainless steel".

Next, the dining room.

As you can see by the painter's tape, this room is still in progress. The plan is to stain the table a dark walnut, paint the chairs different colors and reupholster the bench to bring in some pattern. I'm still debating on the buffet but I think I'm going to end up painting it, adding some wood detailing and small legs. We'll see. 

Oh, and I figured out the stairs! This was a huge accomplishment that took way less time than I originally anticipated. The sides are balsa wood and the steps are popsicle sticks. Yep, popsicle sticks. 

Seems like a lot of work, right? Well, it is. Fortunately, my mom scored some pre-made furniture for $1-$1.49 a piece. 

THANK YOU MOM. I'm not sure of the scale just yet (small beds, right?) but anything is better than nothing. It's way easier to edit than to build from scratch. 

Case and point: the coffee table. My dad (THANK YOU DAD) was able to saw off the bottom portion of a table's legs to shorten to the perfect length. My family room is pretty big so I wanted a nice, boxy coffee table to absorb some of the space. Doesn't it look fantastic?!

And finally, I scrounged up some things I already had access to, easing some of the work left to do. My mom reminded me of some baby furniture I had from the dollhouse I started but never finished making as a kid. Also, my mom gave me all of her shadow box miniatures to use for accessorizing. Sure I'm going to have to refinish to modernize but, like I said before, editing is WAY easier than making from scratch. 

[painting the furniture and reupholstering]

[painting the larger containers and now have a mold for plates and cups]

[so adorable]

[all the toys I can arrange in the kid's room. notice the troll - a definite must.]

[might update the brass, replacing the baby's breath and painting the wood holders]

[just some funny, very country shadow box miniatures I found along the way]

So, what furniture is still left to make while on break? 

- finish the dining room furniture

- make family room furniture (fireplace, tv, side tables, sofas, chairs, ottoman, bench)

- make two reading chairs and coffee table for kid's room

- make/buy coat rack

No big deal, totally doable today before I head out. Sigh. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!