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Hi,

My name is Erica and I recently ordered the Greenleaf Willow kit (due to arrive tomorrow), as well as purchased a partially complete Greenleaf Garfield (which is HUGE!!!!).  The Garfield has quite a bit of damage and work that needs to be done so it is more of a restoration/build.  Super excited to join this group and build my dollhouses.  I'm 32 years old and have never had one for myself, and I have two boys so I figured I better make one for me since I probably won't have a daughter.  I live in San Diego, CA.  I have two boys age 10 and 7... and a small boston terrier named Roxy. 

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Welcome to the little family Erica.  If your Garfield was built with hot glue you can take it apart with your blow dryer or a heat gun.  I think the big houses are fun to rehab, because no matter what you do to them it's an improvement.

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It looks like wood glue.  The only things I am considering pulling apart are the doors and windows (the window inserts got a lot of spray paint on them) and adding my own windows to them... as well as working doors.  All of the railing outside needs to be replaced. 

Garfield-1a.JPG

Garfield-3a.JPG

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Hello!  It does feel solid so that's good!  For the willow, I'm going to paint the exterior siding white and the shutters black, dark red door.  The shingles I would like to stain a dark grey color.  The two chimneys I would like to add a brick-like finish to them.  Also planning on adding mainly wood flooring with coffee stir sticks, tile (or fake tile) in bathrooms and kitchen.  This is how I basically want it to look on the outside. 

willow.JPG

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20 minutes ago, hellogingy said:

Hello!  It does feel solid so that's good!  For the willow, I'm going to paint the exterior siding white and the shutters black, dark red door.  The shingles I would like to stain a dark grey color.  The two chimneys I would like to add a brick-like finish to them.  Also planning on adding mainly wood flooring with coffee stir sticks, tile (or fake tile) in bathrooms and kitchen.  This is how I basically want it to look on the outside. 

 

cool-613.gif.fabf9fceab2f8926ef74eb675c5

note: egg cartons = bricks

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3 hours ago, hellogingy said:

I had no idea how big this house would really be.  It definitely will not fit in any of my bedrooms.  It will stay in the living room. 

I highly suggest you decorate it with the colors of the living room. It should blend in with the rest of your decor.  

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Coffee stir sticks do not butt up well against each other. They can also be very wavy. It cost more money but I have had much more success with basswood strips cut into random widths. 

It all depends what you want the end product to look like. 

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6 hours ago, Sable said:

Coffee stir sticks do not butt up well against each other. They can also be very wavy. It cost more money but I have had much more success with basswood strips cut into random widths. 

It all depends what you want the end product to look like. 

I ordered a large lot of them (1000), based off of tutorials I saw.  I also picked up a bag of popsicle sticks from the 99 cent store today.  I'll play around with the options.  I don't mind sanding the edges and or filling in minor gaps. 

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6 hours ago, Sable said:

I highly suggest you decorate it with the colors of the living room. It should blend in with the rest of your decor.  

I figured out how to get it into my guest bedroom, I removed the door from the frame!  It wasn't easy as I was all alone, but I got this huge dollhouse in the spot I will keep it in.  The room is semi shabby chic.  I am considering many color schemes at the moment.  Once I tackle the siding, I'll have a better idea of what I want it to look like. 

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2 hours ago, hellogingy said:

I ordered a large lot of them (1000), based off of tutorials I saw.  I also picked up a bag of popsicle sticks from the 99 cent store today.  I'll play around with the options.  I don't mind sanding the edges and or filling in minor gaps. 

Suggestion: if you are going to stain or paint the floor, do it to the underflooring, so if there are any tiny gaps between the boards they won't be as noticeable as raw wood.

Also, if you are going to stain, do it before gluing the sticks down. Stain won't color glue. Even small touches of glue will create eye-catching oopsies.

If there are fairly large gaps, mix sawdust and white or wood glue to use as a filler. Add a drop of stain to match the finished stained color while the mixture is wet. It won't take stain after it has dried.

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Erica, do listen to Kathie about staining your base floor whatever color you're staining your floor "boards".   I use the iron-on wood veneer strips, cut into lengths & split into widths:

parlor 2.JPG

For "bricks" I use sandpaper:

56f06074ae838-brickplasterdetail.JPG

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On ‎8‎/‎12‎/‎2016‎ ‎3‎:‎40‎:‎28‎, KathieB said:

Suggestion: if you are going to stain or paint the floor, do it to the underflooring, so if there are any tiny gaps between the boards they won't be as noticeable as raw wood.

Also, if you are going to stain, do it before gluing the sticks down. Stain won't color glue. Even small touches of glue will create eye-catching oopsies.

If there are fairly large gaps, mix sawdust and white or wood glue to use as a filler. Add a drop of stain to match the finished stained color while the mixture is wet. It won't take stain after it has dried.

If I stain the base floor, can I still use wood glue to glue the sticks to it or is there a better option? 

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8 hours ago, hellogingy said:

If I stain the base floor, can I still use wood glue to glue the sticks to it or is there a better option? 

As Holly said, let it dry thoroughly and the wood glue should work fine. Keep in mind that you don't have to smear the entire surface if the boards with glue. Dots of glue will hold it and reduce the possibility of warping.

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On 8/13/2016, 11:38:24, havanaholly said:

Give the stain a few days in a warm, dry place to thoroughly dry & you ought to be good to go.  I prestain furniture pieces before I assemble them.

Sounds good.  Any tips on refinishing the stairs in a house that is already put together?  Looks like they stained the stairs but did not put any sealant on them so it is looking a bit faded and "ugly".  Not sure if I want to paint the entire staircase, just the banisters, leaving the steps looking wooden.  In the Garfield, the upper stairs are more difficult to get into.  I'm super scared of pulling them out to fix!  

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On 8/13/2016, 6:08:52, Mimajo said:

Welcome, you spund much more prepared than I was.

You may have boys, but I just made my grandson a castle for his lego knights, so you never know.

thank you Jo!  It is really funny because I didn't think my boys would be into the dollhouse.  My 10 year old is interested in the build process and how it looks but my 7 year old (almost 8) fell in love with the house!  He plays around with a few of the furniture pieces that came with it, and he has chosen "his" room in the house and how he wants to decorate it.  It makes me so happy!!  I can't wait to get it all completed so he can play with me.  I also offered to build him a super hero house once i get the two i'm working on completed.  

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