Anyone ever decorated/assembled a dolls house?

[KellyKrueger1978]

How hard is it? I'm very tempted to get one for dd's Xmas present. I've seen a kit on ebay that is identical to one sold already decorated on the dolls house emporium for £140. For the flat pack undecorated it is only £40 and I could do it before xmas then give it to her completed. I think it would be fun to do, but don't want to end up with somethign that looks like tat because I've done it myself.

[Pixiefish]

Haven't personally but a friend used to. It's like decorating but in miniature. Depends if you have an eye for detail or not really

[emmatom]

If ou're just painting or putting in wallpaper and carpets, it's a doddle.

If you're doing the electrics, it can be a fiddle pain in the butt.

[KellyKrueger1978]

do you have to buy specialist stuff or can you use normal house decorating bits?
I'd love to do electrics, but dd is only 6 and I'm not sure she could be trusted with them yet.

[GoingQuietlyMad]

We bought the one from the ELC for 40 pounds, then assembled it and painted it in Farrow and Ball matchpots.

It looks every bit as good as the ones you can buy on the internet and was a lot cheaper. I did scour the internet for something better, but in the case of dolls houses, it is not necessarily the better option.

[KellyKrueger1978]

I looked on elc, they only show one for £80 now.

[GoingQuietlyMad]

God, that's a big mark up. I think they must put the prices up at this stage before xmas, and then reduce them gradually as it gets nearer.

No consolation if you want to get it sorted out now though.

Here's a tip on the elc. If you join the elc birthday club, you can get a 20% off voucher for each birthday that you register with them.

[GoingQuietlyMad]

You're right. I've just checked their website and it has gone. I can't believe it. A couple of people have asked me where i got ours from and I have recommended it to them as well.

Gutted because dh wanted to buy the attic and basement sections whic obviously isn't an option now.

i can't break it to him....

[KellyKrueger1978]

maybe try ebay?


thanks for the voucher tip, didnt know about that.

[emmatom]

Re the decorating, I've always used normal paints and wallpaper. And with the electrics, you can buy special kits from dolls house shops, try www.dollshouseemporium.co.uk for example and you just wire the house, (before you do the wallpapering) and then you're able to plug in lamps and lights which obviously work and look great.

[geekgrrl]

I've got a kit - and it looks bl**dy hard. So hard in fact that is has been sitting in pieces next to the desk in my study for over a year.

You're not anywhere near Harrogate, are you? I'd let you have it for free.

[pol26]

I did this for a little girl I used to nanny for- I brought her one for christmas and we made it, decorated and lit it together- the lighting was fiddly and in the end her Dad did that for us as I was hopless.
The decorating looked fab though and apparently she still plays with it occassionally and she is now 9.5!!! not sure how truthful that is tho
We had fun doing it and she was so pleased with it although if you buy from the dolls house emporium they are quiet costly. I think ebay is your best bet then buying tester pots and felt to paint and carpet it out.