Remodeling a Sustainable Dream Dollhouse

Hi I'm Olivia. About a month or two ago my science teacher assigned us to make a sustainable house in specific biome. We used a wheel to deiced who will do what biome, I got the Boreal Forest. I had a choice of which Boreal Forest I would like to build my sustainable home in. I chose Yukon Canada because it would be a challenge. In the winter it gets super cold, but in the summer it get warmer. When I grow up I would like to be an interior designer. I feel that I have an eye for style and I can tell if something doesn't look right. Other then wanting to be an interior designer I love to dance, read, tumble, workout, bake, and run. I also enjoy school and it is a big part of my life. I want to grow up to be successful and help the world in my own way. I hope you enjoy my instructable!

-Dollhouse

-Sand Paper (grade 220)

- Water Base Primer

- 1-2 Samples of White Interior Paint

- Acrylic Paint

- Hot Glue Gun

- Glue Gun Sticks

- Super Glue

- Wood Glue

- Cardboard

- Foam Board

- Cardboard Cutter

- Exto Knife

- Construction Paper

- Googles & Gloves

- 4 in Roller & Extra Foam Pieces

- 3 in Roller & Extra Foam Pieces

- Paint Brushes

- Hole Filler

- Tape

- Rocks

- Pillow Filler

-Popsicle Sticks

-Tooth Picks

- Mini Clothespins

- Markers & Sharpies

- Fabric

- Paper Towels

- Youtube Videos

P.S. You may need more but this is 99% of the stuff I used

Here are mine...

1) A Well

2) Roof Vents

3) A Garden

4) A Composer

5) A Wood Stove

6) A Recycle Bin

7) Solar Operated Lights

8) A Washboard

9) Indoor/Outdoor Clothespin Rack

10) A Fireplace

One of the most important parts of building or remodeling a house is drawing out a blueprint. The blueprint doesn't have to be 3D. First, I drew the outside of the blue print. Then, I drew out the design of the house by using lines and shapes. Then, I added details like windows, a door, and roof vents. Outside of the house I drew things like, a garden, a compost, a shed, and anything else I wanted to add. Once the outside was drawn I drew the inside of the dollhouse. I drew the same outline of the outside of the house for the inside. Then, using lines I divided the house into as many rooms as I wanted/ needed. Finally, I labeled each room in the spot I liked for them to be in.

When remodeling an old dollhouse you need an old dollhouse. You can find a old dollhouse at a local recycle center or you can ask someone who may collect them. I got mine from my moms friend who enjoys remodeling dollhouses. She got it at her local recycle center, and she was kind enough to give it to me. If you can't find one then you can make on out of wood, cardboard, or any materials you have.

https://shopofminiatures.com/blogs/little-shop-blog/how-to-paint-a-dollhouse

I used the article above to sand and paint the house because it made it simple and explained to me everything I needed.

This is where the sand paper (grade 220) comes in to play. If you have a power sander you can used that, but regular hand sanding works well too. I used a mix of both hand and power sanding and personally I think power sanding is easier, but if you don't have a power sander that's okay. If you are not experienced with power tools ask for help. I got help from my aunt, who enjoys using power tools. The first that I did was sand the roof because it would be the flattest and simplest area of the house. Also by sanding the roof first I was able to gauge where/ what would be difficult to sand. Next, I sanded the sides of the house, using an old dollhouse meant the sides were the hardest part to sand, so this is where the power sander came into play. It sanded the general area completely, and for the smaller areas where it couldn't reach I hand sanded it. After the sides were sanded I sanded the front, I was able to use the power sander for the front of the house. Lastly, I had to hand sand the whole inside, first I sanded the walls, then I sanded the floors, and the last thing I sanded was door frame and window frames.

This is where the hole filler will came in. If you don't have hole filler you can mix wood glue and some sand that was sanded off the dollhouse, it will work just as well. A quick tip that I used was that I wiped down the house with a wet paper towel to make sure all the sand particles are off. After I wiped of the sand particles, I wet the places of the dollhouse with holes. Then I took a putty knife and scooped some of the hole filler on the putty knife. Then, I misted the hole filler with a spray bottle to make sure that it would stick. Once I misted the hole filler I put it over all the holes, and used the putty knife to scrape off the access hole filler. Lastly, I let the hole filler dry for 24 hours.

This is where the water based primer and 4 in roller came into action. First, I primed the roof because it was the simplest part to do. Next, I primed the walls of the outside, for the small crevices I used a paint brush. Then, I primed the front of the house, again for the small crevices I used a paint brush. For the inside I did the same thing when priming, for the small places that the roller couldn't reach I used paint brushes. (The reason there's no picture of the inside primed is because it looked the same as the outside, it was just divided into different rooms.) Lastly, I let the primed dollhouse dry for 72 hours. (P.S when I was done with the 4 in roller foam piece and paint brush I had to throw them away.)

This is where the tape, exto knife, white interior paint, acrylic paint, paint brushes, and 3 in roller come into play. (I also used a tinfoil container to put the paint in.) First, I placed a piece of tape on each edge of the wall, and any tape that was on the floor I used the exto knife to cut off. Next, I poured the white interior paint into the tinfoil container, and added some brown acrylic paint. After, I pored the interior paint and brown acrylic paint I mixed it together, and it made a light brown color. Once the paint was the color I liked, I took the 3 in roller and rolled it through the paint. I painted the floors on both level. Disclaimer: For the small crevices I used regal paint brushes to paint. Finally, I let the paint dry for 24 hours. (P.S. when I was done with the 3 in roller foam piece and paint brushes I washed them immediately.)

This is where the tape, exto knife, white interior paint, acrylic paint, paint brushes, and 3 in roller come into play again. (I also used a tinfoil container to put the paint in.) First, I tape the the entire floor on both levels, and I used the exto knife to cut off the tape that was on the walls. Next, I poured the paint into a tinfoil container, for the lower level walls I kept them white. For the upstairs walls I painted the bedroom pink by mixing red acrylic paint and white interior paint, and for the bathroom I painted the walls a dark teal by mixing a green - blue acrylic paint with white interior paint. I painted all the walls by rolling the 3 in roller in the paint and rolling it onto the walls of the house. Next, for the small crevices I used paint brushes to paint them. Finally, I let the walls dry for 24 hours. (P.S. when I was done I immediately washed the roller's foam piece and the paint brushes.)

This is where the acrylic paint, white interior paint, 4 in roller, and tinfoil container come into play. First, I poured some white interior paint into the tinfoil container. Then, I added some gray acrylic paint to the white interior paint and mixed the two paints until they made a light gray. Next, I rolled the 4 in roller into the paint and applied it to the house. Lastly, I let the roof dry for 24 hours. (P.S. once again when I was done painting the roof I washed the roller's foam piece immediately.)

This is where the tape, acrylic paint, white interior paint, 4 in roller, tinfoil container, and paint brushes come into play. First, I taped all the edges of the roof and sides that lead into the inside. Then, I poured the white interior paint into the tinfoil container, and added some dark blue and green acrylic paint into the interior paint. Next, I mixed the acrylic paint and interior paint together, then rolled the roller into the paint and applied the paint onto the dollhouse. For the small crevices I used paint brushes to fill them in. Lastly, I let the paint dry for 24 hours. (P.S. once again when I was done painting I washed the foam piece and paint brushes immediately.)

This is where the sandpaper (grade 220), white & brown acrylic paint, and paintbrushes come into play. First, I sanded down the stairs until they were smooth. Then, I poured some white acrylic paint onto a plate, and added brown acrylic paint. Next, I mixed the white and brown paint together until it made a light brown, and then I lightly brushed the paint onto the stairs. Once I was done painting the stairs I let them dry for 1-3 hours. Lastly, I glue the stairs together, and then into the house. (P.S. When I was done painting the stairs I immediately washed the paintbrushes.)

This is where sand paper (grade 220), acrylic paint, and white interior paint, and paint brushes come into play. First, I put some white interior paint on 2 separate plates. To one of the plates I added black acrylic paint which when mixed together to make a gray, and to the other plate I mixed dark blue and green to make a dark teal. Then, I painted the door first, and while the door was drying I painted the window frames. I let both the door and window frames dry for 1-4 hour. Next, I painted the door frame gray and let it dry for 1-4 hours. Lastly, I wood glued the door and windows onto the house.

This is were the sandpaper (grade 220), hot glue, hot glue sticks, rocks, and a chimney come into play. First, I sanded down the entire chimney. Once I was done sanding down the chimney, I took a damp paper towel and wiped down the chimney to get off all the little sand particles. Next, I started to glue rocks on to it, I was fitting in the rocks like a puzzle. It took me about 30 minutes to glue all the rocks on. Then, I glued little rocks where there were gaps. Finally, I wood glued the chimney to the roof.

This is where popsicle sticks, hot glue, hot glue sticks, paint, paint brushes, and tape come into play. First, I glued 6 sets of popsicle sticks into a square. Then, I glued popsicle sticks in between the squares to fill them in, for the sixth square I left the middle open. After all 6 sets were done, I glued them together and made sure that the shed was sturdy. Next, I painted the shed black by brushing each popsicle stick until the whole shed was black. While the shed was drying, I glued 5 popsicle sticks and painted them pink. I let the shed and the shed door dry for 4-5 hours, and then I taped the door to the shed so t could open and close. (P.S. I kept a cup of water next to be so I wouldn't burn myself, and immediately after I was done painting I washed the brushes.)

This is where most of the materials came into action. For the garden I used mini Jenga pieces, hot glue gun and sticks, paper towels, tooth picks, and markers. First, I glued the Jenga pieces into a rectangle and did 2 layers of Jenga pieces. Then, I colored paper towels different colors of vegetables and dirt. Next, I glued the paper towel colored brown to the bottom, and shaped the other colored paper towels to look like veggies. Lastly, I cut the tooth picks and hot glued them to the vegetables, then stuck them into the brown paper towel using hot glue. For the closepin rack I used mini close pins, string, hot glue gun and sticks, and popsicle sticks. First, made 2 square out of popsicle sticks and hot glued them together. Then, I hot glued 1 popsicle stick to 2/4 sides and glued a string going across them. Lastly, I hot glued the top of the closes pins to the string. For the well I used rocks, hot glue gun and sticks, a container lid, popsicle sticks, string, and a small cap. First, I hot glued all the rocks to the lid by fitting them like a puzzle. Next I made a line of popsicle sticks and glued the bottom of the well to it. Next, I added 2 popsicle sticks to 2/4 sides and glued a string going across. Lastly I glued the bucket to the string. For the chair I found some old plastic chairs and painted them black, and for the recycle bin I found it at the dollar store. For the compost bucket I used mini Jenga pieces, hot glue gun and sticks, paper towels, and a brown marker. First, I made a 2 by 2 square by hot gluing each mini Jenga piece to one anther. Then, I colored a paper towel brown, and lastly I hot glued the paper towel to the bottom of the Jenga pieces. (P.S. for both the garden and compost bin there's a piece of cardboard underneath.) Lastly, for the wash board and bucket I used tinfoil, hot glue gun and sticks, tooth picks, and a clean apple sauce container. First, I cut out a piece of tinfoil and hot glued 4 tooth picks to it in a square. Then, I glued 4 more tooth picks between the square. Next, I folded and glued the tinfoil over the tooth picks, and made indents. Lastly, I made a square of hot glue on the wash board, let it dry, and then wrote washed on it.

This is where YouTube videos come into play. For the living room furniture I used this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gO-KSrQhF6c&list=PLeh-Y2NYiB-V7dGsAuZ0zTgdWOWsIfPPt&index=6

I didn't have everything that they used in the video, so I changed some things. The first thing I changed was the side table, instead of using paper I used mini Jenga pieces. The second thing I changed was the light, instead of using wire and half of a plastic ornament, I used mini skewers and a painted medicine cup. The third thing I change was behind the TV, instead of using a piece of plastic I used a mini Jenga piece. The fourth thing I changed was the little plant, instead of of using dirt, a real plant, and a mini cup I used a acrylic paint cap, paper towel colored brown, and a paper towel colored green. Lastly, I had bought a mini rug for a dollhouse for my little sister, and she gave me a fireplace from a toy set she had.

This is where YouTube videos come into play. For the kitchen furniture/appliances I used this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOlCzMnMje4&list=PLoVGYSASvQ2fZ74MeycWnQ5BRf3FL1UOc&index=1

Disclaimer: I only used this video for the stove which then I turned into a sink. First, I followed the directions on how to make the stove, and I stooped the video at 1 minute and 25 seconds. After I had the basic outline of the sink, I cut a square into it and folded paper to make it look like a sink. Then, I cut a plastic straw and hot glued it on to the sink, and added 2 different colored beads next to it. For the fridge I cut out 2 15 cm by 6 cm, 2 6 cm by 5 cm, and 2 6 cm by 3 cm pieces of a foam board. Then I glued both 15 cm by 6 cm pieces onto the side of both 6 cm by 5 cm pieces. Once the glue had dried I slided both 6 cm by 3 cm pieces about 2 inches apart. Lastly, my little sister gave me the table and chairs because they were broken, so I super glued the parts back together. (P.S the reason there is no stove is because the fireplace has a wood stove above it.)

This is where YouTube videos come into play again. For the bedroom furniture I used this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TA-uIjBLFJY

I didn't have everything that they used in the video, so I changed some things. The first thing I changed was, instead of using paper for the comforter I cut up an old fuzzy sock. The only other thing I changed was, instead of using paper for the bottom of the chair I glued melty bead together and them glued them to the bottom of the chair. Everything else I kept the same!

This is where YouTube videos come into play. For the bathroom appliances I used this video: https://www.youtube.com/watchv=haQ5LQQXQJw&list=PLoVGYSASvQ2fZ74MeycWnQ5BRf3FL1UOc&index=5

I mostly used the video to guide me and give inspiration. The first thing I made was the shower, I did everything the video did for the shower except for the doors. I used a plastic bag cut up instead of sheets of plastic. I made the toilet out of a medicine cup, paint and paint brushes, floss container, and a circle piece of foam with a hole in the middle. First, I painted the medicine cup white and let it dry for 1-2 hours. Then, I cut a round piece of foam and cut anther hole in the middle. Next, I hot glued the round piece of foam to the edge of the medicine cup. Lastly, I hot glued the floss container to the back of the medicine cup. Lastly, for the sink my little sister found me a broken sink, and I had to put back together.

This is where the tinfoil, toothpicks, sharpies, cardboard, straw, hot glue gun, hot glue sticks come into action. First, I got a fairly small piece of tinfoil and cut a square piece of card board. Then, I glued the tinfoil to the cardboard, and made a checkered pattern with a black sharpie. Once the top started to look like a solar panel, I cut a straw so the bendy part would be on the solar panel. Lastly, for the solar panel I glued the bottom together so it would be flat. For the roof vents I got anther fairly small piece of tinfoil. Then, I got 5 toothpicks and hot glued the first toothpick onto a piece of tinfoil. After the toothpick had hardened to the tinfoil, I cut off the top and bottom of the other 4 toothpicks and glued then at a small angle upwards. Once the 4 other toothpicks dried to the first toothpick and tinfoil I folded the tinfoil over the top of the toothpicks and hot glued them. Lastly, I super glued them onto the dollhouse. (P.S. I kept a cup of cold water next to me in case I got hot glue on my fingers.)

Thank you so much for taking time to read this. Hope you enjoy my instructable!! If you have any questions you may comment below! Stay safe and healthy!!