Doll house Make-Over

I went to a yard sale a couple years ago and found this wooden doll house for $4. It was plain and basic, but for just $4, I was willing to see what I could do with it. I wish I would have taken a picture of it before we started painting, but you get the idea. My husband did most of the painting. :)

We used a Satin-finish acrylic paint from Hobby Lobby for about $3. If you were to ever try a project like this, I recommend a satin or high-gloss because it holds up better and is easier to clean.

  

I then purchased scrap-book paper from the specialty section at Hobby Lobby. They will often put it on sale for 50% off. That is the time to do this project. Each sheet will cost $1.99, regular price.

I grabbed each sheet with a matching floor to create bedrooms. The purple flooring is actually a fabric from Joann's which I found it in the fur section.

 

 

The trickiest part was measuring and cutting the paper to fit just right.  Especially the top triangle room. Yikes!!

Once I had everything measured, I used the gloss-lustre Mod Podge (in an orange bottle) to apply the paper to the house. I suggest a small sponge roller or something that will put it on light and even.

 

When laying down the paper, I started at the back, and slowly let it attach up to the front, following it with a rubber scraper to prevent it from bubbling. (I had my husband help me with this part also).

Once all the paper was on, I let the house sit for two days to let the Mod Podge dry and harden as much as possible.

 I then went back over the top of the un-textured paper with two more layers of Mod Podge, so that it wouldn't be damaged easily or bubble if it got wet for some random reason. I used a cheap craft sponge brush for this.

The great thing about Mod Podge is that it goes on white but dries clear. That way I can see how much I am applying and where it is going.

 

I also found windows at hobby lobby. They were in the wood crafts section. I backed them with a Mod Podge-painted blue paper, with hot-glue. I then hot-glued them to the house.

 

As for the roof, we just un-screwed the two pieces from the house, spray- painted them black, and then finished  them with a shimmery glitter spray (my husband's idea... so cute!).

 

 

After a few accessories, it was ready to present!

 

 

This was a fun project, and my girls play with it every single day.

 

 

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