Transforming a Fisher-Price Dollhouse
For YEARS I have been on the lookout for the perfect dollhouse suitable for this project. Finally, a 1993 Fisher-Price dollhouse popped up on Facebook Marketplace and I jumped at the chance to snap it up for a reasonable $15. Sure it was old, with a few cracks and breaks and missing all the furniture. It was dirty and full of leaves - but it had character and plenty of potential. It will become my DOLLHOUSE OF HORRORS! A realistic dilapidated and abandoned mansion filled with scares and unsavory inhabitants.
Though incredibly excited, I had to put the newly acquired dollhouse aside to finish my Mid West Art Prize 2021 entry. Luckily my piece was selected making the delay worthwhile! Late September 2021, I was finally able to make an initial start by cleaning it up and removing all of the dirt, leaves and old stickers.
After the house was clean, I was began creating a few elements and objects such as flooring and distressed furniture. I'm new to the miniature world, but loving the attention to detail it commands.
Wooden Pop Stick Floorboards
The very first task I attempted was creating old and worn floorboards for the patio area of the house. These were quite simple to make using trimmed and snapped pop sticks, repeatedly stained with Black India Ink at different dilutions.
Miniature Clay Pavers
The dollhouse has a balcony, for which pavers would be perfect! I made these using Boyle Air Dry Clay, rolled thin and textured. After they dried, I further distressed the edges using a tissue blade. I made a mixture of terracotta and tinted white, so I can pave some sort of pattern.
Tiny Enamel Tiles
For tiny kitchen tiles, I decided polymer clay was the way to go. I used Efcolor Low Temp Enamel Powder with a Lucy Clay Microstencil to create the pattern. The clay was cut into tiles prior to baking, and separated once cool.
Porch Jack-O-Lantern
I credit my love of haunted houses to "Hugo's House of Horrors". Released in 1990, the DOS horror adventure game was my absolute favorite as a child. I couldn't wait to make a pumpkin for the porch! The lid even comes off, perhaps there will be a key hidden in there...
Distressed Dollhouse Furniture
I've been having so much fun experimenting with distressed effects! This furniture was sourced from our local $2 Shop, but I've seen others in the dollhouse community purchasing the same pieces from a variety of discount stores. They give you a great starting structure to add detail and transform.
Rusty Corrugated Iron Sheets
Cardboard is the perfect material for corrugated iron sheets! Stripped back, cut and ripped. I added texture using numerous layers of matte acrylic paint. I plan on using some of these to patch the roof and broken windows.
The Spellbook of Winifred Sanderson
Old books are a common sight in abandoned houses. I thought it would be a bit of fun to reference some of my favourites! First up is Winifred Sanderson's book of spells from the movie Hocus Pocus. A lot of hours went into the this miniature, with actual printed pages and individual stitches. The cover is created from polymer clay, the old pages aged and stained with alcohol inks.
