Home Building

 One of the other things I did last week (and this one) was putting this together:

  Then add another level:

And put on a roof:

This is one of those projects I found on that awesome site with all the wood working plans. It is large enough to accommodate Barbie dolls. And the cool furniture in the sets that Rugrat seems to gravitate toward.

It only needs the plywood back put on to have the wood work done.

Then we'll paint it. Guess what color she wants it painted -- purple. I think every one of my second grade girls always loved purple through all the years I taught Sunday school. I think girls just go through a purple stage. Apparently it starts a little earlier than I had thought though.

This wasn't terribly easy to do. It is rough; certainly not perfect by any stretch of  the imagination. I probably should have begun with something a little easier but I saw this dollhouse and had to try it. In making it, I have learned many things that I will take to my next project, not the least of which is:

* cutting a 22 1/2 degree angle with a miter saw that has it clearly marked is much easier than cutting it with a circular saw where I am guessing that the screw is appropriately positioned between two hash marks between the numbers 15 and 30. (unfortunately our miter saw wasn't large enough to bevel 12 inch boards)

(doesn't a 22 1/2 degree angle seem awfully... oh, I don't know... specific. Seriously, something normal like 15 or 45 degrees wouldn't have worked?!?)

* I am an excellent pocket hole driller. Now. That can happen after you have to re-drill at least half the pocket holes you initially drill.

* I fully expect to be an expert wood filler user. If you need to know why, see above.

* Something that is truly given your best effort, even if it doesn't look perfect, will always cause this:

 

Rugrat has been super excited through every step of this process. When I had to stop for a few days of work and left it sitting partially done, I was forced to remove the little toys she had slowly tried to work into its 'rooms.'

So, I consider this a success. Even if it might have been done a little better by someone else.


By the way, Hubby and I had looked at some Barbie doll homes before Christmas. A wooden one sort of like this one with a couple of pieces of furniture was half price that we considered. The half price was $70. A plastic one at half price was $10 less and probably would have lasted about a week (if that). The wood/hardware for this one was less than $30 and I had scraps to use for the drawer I made earlier with leftover still.

And she gets to choose the colors as well as which rooms are what. Plus she has a place for the cooler furniture she has/gets rather than the things that are part of a bumpy sticker on the back wall.

Loving that I made something that's better all around.

You can find the pattern here.