Dollhouse Custom Construction Part 4 - Featuring Lilac Cottage

This is the final part for building your dollhouse!

 Upstairs, I added the last 2 chandelier. 

 I pulled all the electric together upstairs and hid it in a chimney. The chimney is made of 4 pieces of cardboard. 

 Everything got covered with concrete I applied with an artist spatula.  This is Dap's Ready Mixed Concrete. The chimney has little rocks added to it once the concrete had dried. I just drop these little mounds of concrete and shape them into rocks so they are 3 D.

 The bump out is covered with clapboard I bought at  Hobbylinc. I also made a little vent with craft sticks and clapboard cut into narrow little pieces. 

I carved cornerstones while the concrete was not set. I wait about 5 to 10 minutes to do this. If the concrete is too wet the lines just disappear.  To carve the lines I use an old X-acto knife.

 The roof got a little trim made of craft sticks. 

 I put a little trim on top of the chimney to finish it off.

 I painted the clapboard white and the stucco(smooth concrete) a very pale shade of purple. It's so light you can just get a hint of the purple hue. 

 Now the roof. The main part of the roof is shingles.  To color these shingles I make different paint "baths".  Here I have some grey tones, brown tones and darker brown tones.  Just add some paint to water in a container. You want just enough paint mixed in with the water to show up on the shingle.  Something like 1 tablespoon of paint to a cup of water. It's a color wash.  
I covered the porch roof with a piece of cardboard. This is so you won't see the wire under the fabric piece that will be my awning.
The stones on the foundation are painted greys and creams.  The corner stones are white.

 The bump out roof is "metal".  This is actually cardboard (those gift boxes that are white on one side and grey inside) cut into strips.  They are about 1" strips on the bottom. And each seam is covered with 1/4" strips. Paint grey, silver and age with white.

 The awning is a striped fabric.  I glued it onto the roof with Aleene's tacky glue. 

 I added flowering vines to the house. These vines are from Hobby Lobby: http://www.hobbylobby.com/Floral-%26-Wedding/Bushes-%26-Garlands/Garlands/Green-Baby%27s-Breath-Garland/p/8668
The Flowers are here: http://www.hobbylobby.com/Floral-%26-Wedding/Floral-Stems/Purple-Statice-Spray/p/1850
To fit on the house just cut the vines and the flowers into little pieces and glue on with hot glue.  My hot glue gun is a high temperature/professional glue gun.  

 I had also trimmed the awning with wood pieces to look neater.

 For the front yard, I used sand for the walkway. This is the sand you put to with candles.  I applied a generous amount of regular white glue.

 Then I poured on plenty of sand.  Tap down to make sure the sand is in contact with the glue. Once the glue is dry tap off all the excess sand.

 The bushes are air dry clay rolled into balls and left to dry completely.  I then paint them green.  I use Aleene's glue to glue on moss. Let that dry completely and then you can use scissors to trim and shape each bush.

 For the grass I use a moss mat. It already has a sticky backing to it.

 I make templates of the places I want to cover with grass and cut the moss mat. 

 Here's the sticky back.

 Voila!

 I added a little fence and more flowers and plants in the yard. And the house is all done and ready to be moved into.

 The finished front yard.

You can now make this house into your dream cottage with all the furniture and accessories of your choice.  I hope you will try to build your own house now that you see it's not that difficult. 
Lilac Cottage is for Jennifer.  Thanks Jen!

hugs♥,

Dollhouse Custom Construction Part 3 - Featuring Lilac Cottage

Let's continue the dollhouse.

 The upstairs is plastered except for the walls of the bathroom. I used Dap's Patching Plaster. I applied it with an artist spatula.

I also plastered the bump out's ceiling and applied craft sticks to it.  Before I glue on the other side I will put the curtains on. 

I sanded the plaster and applied the bathroom's birch clapboard strips I bought online: http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/ccz/ccz4704.htm. Paint everything. 

 I put my curtains in place in the bump out and finished the roof/ceiling. 

Here's a view of the bump out inside.  Spray your curtains with hairspray or starch after you pin them on cardboard the way you want them to drape. Use a hairdryer to dry them faster. Glue your curtains onto a little curtain rod and to the wall. They will look like real life curtains. 

I finished the stair rail and glued it in place. And the dormer windows got their framing and panes. 

The windows are framed with a craft stick all around the exterior and interior too.  Then I cut the craft sticks lengthwise to about 1/8" to make the dividers inside the window.  Paint before you glue in place.  The plastic I used for the windows is a thicker plastic sheet I found in the craft store. It was in the area where they sell stained glass window paints.  I didn't find the item number though.

 I applied the wallpaper with Aleene's Tacky Glue.  I also trimmed the corners, baseboards, ceiling with more craft sticks cut lengthwise.

Here in the bathroom I did a 3D wall effect. I just go over my design with the hot glue gun. It comes out looking like tin tiles.

 I put on the little dormers' roofs and also glued a rectangular piece over the door. This will become  my awning above the french doors. Notice I used cardboard on some parts. I want to show you that you can use any materials.  If you don't have access to wood or wood cutting tools you can still build a dollhouse. The materials you use to cover the walls inside and out turn the dollhouse into such a strong structure that you need not worry. 

 The last 2 windows are also framed. 

That's it for this time. Next time we're finishing up the exterior with more clapboard(like the bathroom) and Dap's Ready Mixed Concrete.
hugs♥,