Timewaster's Guide Archive
General => Rants and Stuff => Topic started by: 42 on October 31, 2003, 12:29:36 PM
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So the Bob Vila gene seems to have hit me recently. I've decided, with the help of my dad and brother-in-law, to make a doll house for my little nieces for X-mas. We've decided to make the house out of a small book shelf so that it can be used as storage or can be converted to a bookshelf when the girls are older.
My idea of making it a castle got axed by my sister and mom. However, I at least got my way in banning the color pink from any of the designs. So I'm trying to design the house and running up against too many options. So for those of you who have little girls or perhaps were a little girl at one (insert joke), how would you want your dollhouse?
Also, if any of you are shop geeks and have good ideas for building miniture furniture and architectural features, I'm interested in hearing about it.
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hey, that's cool
I was never a little girl, but I think I have some experience with what little girls like.
Mine, in particular, like moving things. Doors and fridges that open, etc. This makes for more work, but it's what's cool.
And with the castle? You should have approached that by saying "palace." because "palace" means "princesses live here." And then you can make catapults and battlements so it really is a castle, cuz those princesses need to be protected.
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Just remember one thing.
Balsa wood rules for houses. Use it for the wood strips on the outside of mock tudor houses, that sort of thing.
Consider picking up a book on Miniature scenery. It should contain tips on houses.
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Yeah, I tried the whole palace approach, but it still didn't work. They (being my mom and sister) want something that is more country styled so my sister can put it anywhere in her house.
I want to make doors and stuff that open, but my cabinet making skills are lacking. I will still probably try, I'm just not expecting much. Also, today I came up with an idea to cast a bathtub from a clay mold. I could cast it in either plaster, apoxy, or bronze if we can get it cheap.
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I was thinking about balsa wood. Course the scale is a little larger that what balsa wood can usually support structurally. We are planning to give the dollhouse hardwood floors.
I'm also drawing up plans to make coppolas for the roof. The roof has become somewhat of a dilema. we would like it to be a space they could store toys, though my mom would like to make it into an attic space where the girls could play. Course, for support, I'm thinking of using a gable construction that doesn't really leave room for either.
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As far as furnishings go, look into shops that sell miniatures. My grandma and aunt collect dolls and they have some amazing miniature stuff that goes well in a dollhouse--silverware, dishes, doilies, etc. We were fascinated by the little stuff like that. The furniture in such a shop may or may not have enough character for you, though.
And taking out the color pink?!? What does your niece think of the color pink? That's the important thing here. If she likes pink, what's wrong with that?
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It's nieces, three of them. It's not that they don't like the color pink. It's that the rest of us don't like the color pink and it wouldn't go well in my sister's house.
Actually, my nieces favorite colors are purple, yellow and green.
I've been looking at miniture furniture. A lot of it is really quite nice and also quite expensive. However, I'm hoping to get some good deals on ebay.
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Also, don't get me going on pink and gender stereotyping.
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I wanna wrap you in rubber
Because pink is my favorite color.
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Also, don't get me going on pink and gender stereotyping.
Yes, but at the same time, it's okay if a little girl does like pink. It's my niece's favorite color. She's really into Barbies, so that's probably where she gets it. But I wouldn't say that she's being gender stereotyped because of it (though don't get me going on what Barbie does to little girls' body images!). But she also loves a lot of things not stereotypically "girlish" and I think she'll turn out okay.
But if their favorite colors don't include pink, then that makes more sense.
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Barbie is evil. Coincidentally, I spent part of the afternoon today talking to someone who has an image problem caused by Barbie and like material. She's decided that she has to consistantly berate herself for eating.
Anyways, my sister and my parents think it's best to stear my nieces away from a Barbiesque style doll house. Mostly because we want something that hopefully the family won't grow out of and we want the house to be kind of classy. Mostly we're aming for the house to appear like a piece of fine furniture and not just a little girl's fad. It's kind of a lofty project to create something that could become a family heirloom, but we won't know until we try.
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So I've started on my nieces' doll house. We've decided to make it in a ski lodge style. Since my nieces live near seeral ski resorts, this seems to be fitting.
I'm also plotting to have the doll house turn into a giant robot.
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THAT would seriously rule
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but only if it becomes lord Mechanus ruler of the Universe
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Giving Lord Mechanus Ruler of the Universe to a group of sisters ages 3-8. Not good. In fact that would probably be the doom of all existance.