Dollhouse Makeover (DIY) ~ Part 3

This post is the last of three about making over a plastic dollhouse for Calico Critter figures to live in.  If you already own a Calico Critter house, use these tips and tricks to decorate!

In Post #1, we went over:
- cleaning
- painting
- rugs and carpeting

In Post #2, we went over:
-adding painted details
-wall decorations
-family portraits

In this last post, we will cover:
- curtains
- plants
- accessories and furniture
(originally I planned to make pretend light fixtures, but that project didn't work out, so I'm going to skip it)

Curtains

Adding curtains to a dollhouse can be challenging.  Sometimes, fabric has a mind of it's own and your window dressings may overwhelm the room and look out of scale.

For that reason, I decided to go for sweet, simple valances made of eyelet lace instead.  This ruffled white lace is from Joann's Fabric.  In the dollar section, I found a package containing  one single yard of lace (less expensive than their 'by-the-yard' option: yay for cheap!).  Along with the lace, you will need toothpicks, wire clippers, and a hot glue gun.


The toothpicks will act as curtain rods for your miniature window treatments.   Rods will keep the valance's shape and make the process of gluing them in place easier.  They also work well when covering windows with a rounded frame, such as mine.


With the wire clippers, snip the toothpick to match the width of your window.







Cut a section of lace about one inch longer than the rod.  Slide the toothpick rod into the casing and fold the sides in, then glue in place.  The raw edges of your lace are now hidden and the rod won't slide out.

Glue the curtain rod just above your window and admire your work.

I made white curtains, but you could coordinate the colors with your furniture or flooring.

Plants

Another way to spruce up the house is by adding a few house plants.  To make this tiny plant, I used plastic leaves from a bunch of fake flowers, dried moss, washi tape, a hot glue gun, and a small plastic cap.

Look for a small cap to use as your pot.  Before tossing an old and dried out glue stick, I grabbed the cap for this little planter.

Put a tiny bit of hot glue in your cap and arrange the leaves inside. Add a few more dabs of glue and poke bits of moss in around the leaves.  If you don't have dried moss on hand, snip some green or brown felt into tiny pieces.

Make larger pots with trees and bushes to embellish the outside of your home, or fill lids with teeny fake flowers to make an arrangement for your dining table.

Furniture and Accessories

When photographing my house for these posts, I furnished it with EPOCH items (the official Calico Critter brand).  With the Calico Critter furniture, you can easily see how to match the scale and style.  If your newly remodeled home is empty and you'd like to fill it with other handmade items, here are a few tutorials for Critter sized goodies.

Art easel and paint jars

Mini Cupcakes

Miniature terrarium 

Groceries (made from newspaper ads)

Toadstool Table Set

Bottle Cap cakes