Tip of the Day: Build from Scratch

Okay, I'm so, so excited to display my latest project, and I'm pleased to say I built the whole thing from scratch.  Excited?  Want to know what I built?

It's a doll house!!!

When I was 4 years old, my parents salvaged a junked up dollhouse, painted it, and then my mom built all the furniture from popsicle sticks.  They completed it by buying the Sylvania Family Bear set (a hot item at the time), and I probably played with it every single day.

So I thought I'd make one for my own daughter.  I know nothing at all about building anything, so I thought my best bet would be to gather scrap wood from wherever.  Didn't work.  No one is throwing out scrap wood these days.  I'm not sure why the Goodwill wasn't my first thought, but I eventually arrived at the idea of using wooden doodads from the thrift store and nailing them, helter skelter, together.

IT WORKED!

I painted, glued, sawed (yes, many trips to the hardware store), glossed, you name it.  It took about a month of nap time hours to finish, but I did it, and I'm displaying the pictures below for you to see.  Listed below are all the items I made and how I did it . . . thrift store style.

Child's Room:

Rocker Horse--toy from Goodwill (10 cents)
Rug--doily from the thrift store
Bed--ripped apart coasters nailed to wooden blocks, all from the thrift store
Toy Bin--empty baby food container glued to popsicle sticks. Toys from an old Monopoly Game
Chalk Board--garage sale--free
Sewing Machine--Goodwill- 10 cents

Parents' Room:

Bed--coaster nailed to wooden pieces found in an old game, painted
Clock--courtesy of Google images, a printer, and a circular wooden piece (wooden circle from craft store, but very cheap)
Picture--Google image, small frame from Goodwill--50 cents
Dressers--Foam blocks glued and painted
Lamp--Candle extinguisher turned upside town, super glued to a random wooden thing found at Goodwill
Area Rug--Doily from Goodwill

Bathroom:

Toilet--Popsicle sticks, milk lid, random wooden pieces found at Volunteers of America (thrift store)
Bathtub--Popsicle sticks, various wooden pieces, baby food container
Toilet Paper holder--random wooden piece found at Goodwill (roll is an old bobbin from my sewing machine)
Vanity--wooden blocks and a small compact mirror (most expensive purchase--$2 at Target)
Mirror--other half of compact bought at Target--I just ripped them apart
Ladder--belonged to an old barn toy I got rid of
Towel--scrap material

Living Room:

Bench--Coaster and blocks glued and painted
Map--Google Images and a small frame, painted and glossed
Clock--same as Parents' room
Shelf--random piece from Goodwill--originally belonged to a weird cat thing.
Books--molded from air dry clay (such a fun find--$4 for a big tub), painted, and mod-podged to real Google Imaged book covers
Table--candle holder glued to circular wooden piece (candle holder 10 cents at Goodwill).

Kitchen:

Fridge--Two baby food containers glued together.  Popsicle sticks to cover, twisty-ties for hinges.
Stove--Popsicle sticks, baby food container, circular wooden pieces
Sink--Baby food container, popsicle sticks, and bendy straw tops for nozzles.
Food/Dishware--molded from air dry clay, painted, glossed (cereal same as books)
Table--Candle holder, circular wooden piece glued together.
Chairs--wooden blocks (my daughter's), glued, painted.
Clock--same as other rooms

Roof/Outer Structure:

Popsicle sticks super glued to wooden pieces found at Goodwill (part of a shelf).
Most of the sides and front were wooden pieces to knick-nacks.  I ripped most of them apart, but the front piece of the house (with the pull out drawers) was all one piece.  I just nailed it to what I'd already built.
The railing was made with two small ladders found in some random toy kit at Goodwill.
The chimney was just lava rocks hot-glue-gunned to the wall and then to a piece of large legos I had.

Anyway, lots of description, but it was so much work and so much fun!  You can literally make anything out of anything if you shop at the thrift store!