Maddy's Dollhouse

Sometimes I just get this idea of what I want my kids to get for Christmas (whether they want it or not), and I just HAVE to get it. This year, I really, really wanted to get Maddy a doll house. After tons of research, I decided we couldn't afford the one I wanted to get, so I decided to make one out of the pile of foam-core board we have lying around.

I started it a week ago and it was so much fun. Cole helped me pick out the "wallpaper" (scrapbooking paper from the Dollar Tree), and gave his opinions about where the walls should go. He kept saying, "This is the best Christmas ever!" He was very upset when Maddy woke up from her nap and we had to put our project away.

When we got it mostly done, I started shopping for inhabitants for her house. It didn't take me long (well, actually it was several different stores and a few lost bids on ebay) to figure that was going to be a frustration, too. As a last try, I looked on Target.com and found these adorable little animal families that I used to play with when I was little. The hamster family was even available with free shipping!

I didn't get it all the way done by Christmas morning, so this morning I put the shingles on and made some furniture. Casey's cousin had sent us this awesome gift tower from Harry and David's (Thanks, Gina) and the pretty little boxes made an awesome couch and coffee table. I used the foam from inside the boxes as mattresses.

Oh! And I learned a valuable lesson about cutting with a razor blade (away from your body!) when I stabbed myself in the leg. The razor went in about 3/4" (and it kinda hurts)!


Inside View













Outside View (CJ wanted to pose the family outside like it was their Christmas portrait)













Hamster Sister in her bunkbed.

Maddy playing very hard with her dollhouse.

Mama Hamster watching TV (Cole insisted they needed a Christmas tree).

Master Bedroom













Daddy Hamster taking care of Hamster Brother in the kitchen. PawPaw (my dad) bought her some real kitchen furniture.