little log cabin

I couldn't resist this little logcabin/doll's house when I saw it on sale in our local toy shop, from the French company, Voila Toys. It's just a simple little wooden house with removeable sides, ready to be filled with some handmade furniture and furnishings (I'm thinking quilts and sheets for the 'beds' and little mats for the floor.) At last, a place for our small collection of Steiner dolls- and Lego and Duplo people. Tom's aunt gave us the sweet handcrafted dolls, but it was troubling Arlo that they didn't have faces. He drew his own on them with a felt pen.

This is the children's first doll's house, and I can't believe it took me so long to get them one because they love it. We don't have any 'accessories' for it yet- but for now they seem to be content with using acorn 'hats' as soup-bowls, the smallest wooden blocks in their toybox for tables and bench-chairs, and matchboxes and scraps of fabric for beds. Arlo's placed a pipi shell in one corner for the dog's bed, and drawn his own art for the walls.

I'm planning on getting some of the furniture that can be bought along with the house- but at the moment I'm quite liking this 'use what you have' mentality of Arlo's, and which I remember so clearly from my own childhood. He even went off into the frosty garden this morning to find some 'breakfast' for his little dolls- to serve in the acorn bowls, of course...

And that intense play has been fun to watch from my sewing table- I managed to get a new stack of wrap-cardies finished yesterday:

and some bags, too...

Happy weekend to you!

Comments

[VictoriaE]

It looks like a nice simple peaceful life in that little dolls' house. I would like to move in there until the end of the school holidays..

[Sarah]

How sweet! Theres something about doll houses that just makes them so exciting eh. I rememeber the hours of fun i got out of ours. Speaking of our old one, you should pick up that bag of salvaian people, furniture etc. from home if mum hasn't given it away already. Or does Tamsin have it?

[rubyred]

What a sweet little dolls house!How lovely that your chidren are using their imaginations to furnish it.I bet it will keep them busy for ages!

[Felicia]

You can make accessories for that groovy little house. For a lamp take a small, empty thread spool for the base, a piece of drinking straw for the stem, and a toothpaste cap for the shade. You can take small boxes and cover with batting and fabric to make couches and chairs. I'm so excited for you and the kids! Maybe I should get my own doll house :)

[Dawn]

That log cabin is the best. I can remember hours of playing with a house similar to that as a child and my boys had one, too. I think that may be where my love of tiny things developed. hmmm. . .

[Amy]

wow, you are a busy bee! love the doll house and wish my boys would play with something like that...

[Alison]

You made 4 wraps and 3 bags in one day?! Gulp! That's pretty good going lady!

Fabulous dolls house. It's crying out for a little patchwork quilt made from vintage fabrics! You're all going to have so much fun decorating the house.

Have a great weekend.

[rosehip71]

I didn't have a doll's house as a child (cue violins) so I made my own out of a cardboard box and I made all the furniture out of junk! I remember every single detail of it because I made it. It really struck a chord when I read about your wee ones making acorn cup bowls! I've posted a page from one of my most treasured books "The Children's Book of Make and Do" for you on flickr! http://www.flickr.com/photos/rosehip71/801811270/

[Teresa Hardy]

I love it. I made a dollhouse myself out of cardboard boxes (violin encore) as well when I was a wee one and the funnest part was finding things to put in it that weren't just pre-made store-bought furniture. Coke bottle caps were salad bowls, wooden spools made great little end-tables, I'd glue fabric on the walls for wallpaper, etc. I even had a lion head mounted on the wall over the fireplace (I know, sorta sick.) that was cut from a lion puppet and glued onto a wooden coaster. Basically, the point was that the best things were the found items. Makes me wish I was a kid again just thinking about it. :-)

[The Shopping Sherpa]

Don't buy furniture (sort of ironic coming from me who actually sells the stuff!) and stick to making and creating. I highly recommend this book: http://www.amazon.com/Tiny-Treasures-Amazing-Miniatures-American/dp/156247667X/ref=sr_1_1/104-8732865-6893515?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1184391692&sr=1-1 (although it is aimed at a slightly older age group)

[Lisa]

Wow, you've been busy will all those cardies and bags. I just made a bag this week from the tutorial on your site and I love it!! Great pattern and the bag is really practical. Thanks for sharing.

[Jessicah]

What a neat wee house, it will have endless hours of play over the next few years. I once saw a book full of tapestry carpets for dolls houses I always wanted to try out! My sylvanians always had a mix of bought and made furniture/clothes, Arlo will have fun furnishing his wee home.

[jen]

I have always wanted a dolls house
hope they continue to have fun with it

[Nancy]

WOW!!This Dull Houses are the best place to have fun during Holidays...
Hey!! What about the invitation move here http://www.cardsshoppe.com/Baby_Shower_Invitations/Baby_Shower_Invitations-3.htmand get all the exiting and exotic invitational and other card...

[amisha]

i love the DIY spirit of arlo in the doll's house... it is clear where he learned it! :) the readymade furniture is exciting but there is nothing like an acorn cup, i think.
xoxo