JaimeG Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Hi Everyone, After some hard work, I managed to get my refurbished thrifted dollhouse under the tree for Christmas. I had a lot of fun, and learned a lot - especially I learned that I have a lot to learn! This dollhouse is for my daughters to play with, so I did not go all out on finishes - and in fact I did leave it quite plain on purpose - so that their imaginations can take over. So a few things I learned - a hair dryer is an absolute must have tool - it helped me take apart the house and remove all the existing roof shingles and trim. It also allowed me to adjust the shingles when I flubbed something. I also learned that my favorite paint brushes are the IKEA kids paint brushes - they worked great and the short handles let you get into tight corners. I was able to mostly use paint leftover from other projects. I still have all of the baseboards and trim to install in the interior. I'll do that over the next few days. I also have a box of thrifted dollhouse furniture in various states of disrepair that I may turn my attention to. I'm particularly proud of the repair work I did on the porch roof - it was chewed and there were large chunks of the routered edge missing. I was able to patch the holes, and then sand it using a piece of flexible sandpaper wrapped around a yardstick. You can't really see the damage anymore. You can check out the rest of the photos in my gallery here. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LadyGunn Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Very nice! They're going to love it and you should be proud of the work you've done! Good job, Jaime! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 It's great! I'm sure they are going to love the pink trim! A great find and made with love.. even though Santa's getting all of the credit! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Jaime, for your first rehab you did an excellent job! Once you get the furniture refurbished it will be time to think about building yourself a house! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amyole Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Your house looks wonderful and I'm sure your children will love it. As far as learning how much you still have to learn, I still have lots to learn (after several houses), too - but after the first house, I think it feels less daunting because you have already jumped into the dh pool and started to swim! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
havanaholly Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I have yet to build a house I haven't learned a lot. Learning what you don't know is a lifetime process, and we die long before we figure it all out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickyfingers Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 I think you did a great job on that! You bought the house in October? That's really impressive! It takes me forever to get anything done! Yes, every time I seem to think I know what I'm doing, I have to learn something new, and each project brings it's own special needs and challenges. . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mimajo Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 It looks great! I haven't rehabbed yet, but I do have a house waiting to be done. Hope I do as good a job as you did. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathieB Posted December 26, 2016 Share Posted December 26, 2016 Good job! I'll bet there's a supervisor position in Santa's elf workshop with your name on it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JaimeG Posted December 26, 2016 Author Share Posted December 26, 2016 Thanks everyone! It was fun. My oldest daughter's favorite show is flip or flop - so she is excited about decorating the house with me. 9 hours ago, havanaholly said: Jaime, for your first rehab you did an excellent job! Once you get the furniture refurbished it will be time to think about building yourself a house! 7 hours ago, stickyfingers said: I think you did a great job on that! You bought the house in October? That's really impressive! It takes me forever to get anything done! Yes, every time I seem to think I know what I'm doing, I have to learn something new, and each project brings it's own special needs and challenges. . Holly - thanks. I found an Arthur dollhouse in my parent's basement that I think I will steal in the new year for fun. Stickyfingers - having a strict deadline got me going -I couldn't put an unfinished house under the tree! I managed to get it done in a couple of weeks. There were a LOT of very late nights and a few glue gun burns. Jaime 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stickyfingers Posted December 27, 2016 Share Posted December 27, 2016 This is why I could never enter a contest. I try to stay diligent about finishing projects, but real life/boredom/frustration/etc. takes over and it gets done when it gets done. I would love to finish an Arthur! It's one of my wish list houses, but it's kind of similar to the Orchid, so I want to do some other builds, first. Can't wait to see what you do with it! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.