Dolls Houses

I love dolls houses. I had a lovely one when I was small made by my grandfather for a Christmas present; he made  not just the house but most of the furniture inside it too. It was wonderful, even after my so called friend Judith Smith put her finger through all the cellophane window panes in a fir of pique because she didn't have anything like it herself. It was a spiteful thing to do, even if we were just seven at the time. I wonder what happened to that house? My mother probably gave it away when we moved to Gloucestershire in 1968, I certainly don't remember seeing it after that. 

For many years I have lusted after those fabulous Victorian dolls houses that you can get these days. For years we didn't; have the money and now that we have I am loth to  let myself have one because I think that once you have the house you spend a fortune on the décor and the furniture and the people, and really there are more constructive and useful things to do with that sort of money, like feed third world schoolchildren, or protect donkeys or help refugees. 

But this year I got a substitute from my sister for my birthday. It was made of some sort of foam cum plastic stuff, and it came in a box in the form of press out sheets that you put together to build and furnish a Victorian home.  I did it over a few days and it was amazingly therapeutic and enjoyable. And despite the fact that I'm a bit cackhanded it did go together well and stood up all on its own. And is still standing. 

I took a few photos along the way  

here's the basic frame

the back going on 

building the front 

and the front goes on - and fits! 

close up of the nursery and attic, complete with rocking horse that really rocks , two small Victorian children and a pet dog. There was a cat as well but I put that in the kitchen.

I seem not to have taken any pictures of the whole thing when I finished it, but I daresay I'll get around to it in due course. It was a fun thing to do, I'm so happy I chose it.