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Decorating With Dollhouse Furniture

September 28, 2024

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Well, it's official, fall is here and Mother Nature is dishing out some appropriate weather.

Now, normally, I'd be kicking and screaming as summer slipped away.

However this year, when my husband closed the pool, I barely noticed.

Thrifted  Dollhouse Furniture Restoration

Seriously.

You see, this year, I knew I had a very large stash of thrifty finds in need of attention waiting for me.

And trust me, I haven't wasted anytime digging into that pile.

I started with, what I think, is the most darling makeover I've ever tackled. It's literally dripping with sweetness...which is quite appropriate, since it started out as doll furniture.

Remember this?

It's an American Doll Wooden Washstand.

American Girl Doll Furniture Washstand Retired

I picked it up for $4.99 at the thrift store in August. I honestly had no idea what I was going to do with it.

I don't have babies in the house anymore, but for some reason, I had to have it.

I was a little miffed about the price, it should've been less as it was in horrible shape. The finish was scratched.

Scratched and Scuffed Wooden Dollhouse Furniture

The wood was chipped and gouged in places.

Chipped Wood Repair On Furniture Leg

It was missing a towel bar on one side.

Missing Towel Bar On Dollhouse Furniture

And the drawer knob, as well.

Missing Knob on Dollhouse Drawer

But, as I've said before, I'm a sucker for an underdog (like my wooden candle holder), so I bought it...

Once Mother Nature hid the sun and I was forced inside, I took it out of the bag, started to survey the damage and make a plan.

Paint is usually my go to, but I never considered painting it, the wood was lovely.

It just needed a bit of TLC.

*As an aside, I took this wooden thrift store find from trash to treasure to decorate my home, but you could totally use this process to restore wooden dollhouse furniture for your collection or little one.

First things first though, I needed to remove the dirt, so I washed it down with vinegar and water.

Cleaning Dollhouse Furniture With Vinegar and Water

Then I removed the old furniture staples that formerly secured the missing towel bar.

Removing Staples From Dollhouse Furniture

Next, I had to do something to restore that beautiful wood finish. Since I'm a quick and easy DIY girl, sanding and staining was not even a consideration.

Instead, I grabbed my antiquing gel, like this one, and coated the entire piece.

Antiquing Gel and Cotton Pad to restore dollhouse furniture

I worked that gel into the scratched and chipped areas until they were well covered.

I thought about using walnuts again to fix the scratches, but because the whole washstand was in need of help, I decided the gel was better suited for this job.

Fixing Scratched American Doll Furniture with antiquing gel

In addition, I used my trusty furniture markers on the areas that had deep gouges.

Using Furniture Markers To Fix Scratched Wood

With the wood looking good, I was ready to doll up my treasure. Sorry, I couldn't resist. 😉

I considered using furniture transfers, but once I started playing around with them, I realized the wash stand looked better in its natural state.

On the outside, anyway. On the inside of the drawer, I added some floral paper. I traced the drawer and cut the paper to fit. 

Tracing Paper and Lining A Draw With Decorative Paper

Then I used a little decoupage medium to make it stick.

Of course, without a knob to open the drawer, no one would ever see that pretty paper. I didn't have any cabinet hardware small enough to work, so I put on my thinking cap and raided my mother's old button jar.

Button Jar

The one that still holds the scent of her perfume...and makes me feel hugged every time I open it up.

As the memories spilled out into my hand, I tried not to get distracted and looked for a button that resembled a drawer pull and a back piece that would allow it to protrude enough to function well.

One that would allow me to grab it and open the drawer.

DIY Furniture Knobs For Dollhouse Furniture

Luckily, I found one. I did need to pinch the wire loop on the back a bit to make it fit into the hole on the drawer front, but that was a quick task.

Then I added a little hot glue and tucked the wire into it.

Using A Glue Gun To Add A Knob

When I was done it was ready for its big debut in my bathroom.

Floral Paper In Wash Stand Drawer

On my grown up wooden wash stand.

Holding a hand towel and a votive candle, it looked right at home.

American Girl Dollhouse Washstand Makeover as a hand towel holder

And unbelievably adorable.

Without a doll in sight.

🌹

Would you decorate with dollhouse furniture?

*************************************************************************************

Hey, don't run away!

Now it's time to hop on over to visit my Do It Over Designer friends.

Every other month, my good friend Ann hosts us as we show you our best upcycles and makeovers.

Do It Over Designers Blog Hop Graphic

There's lot to see and this month we have a new blogger joining us, so check out the links below!
Happy Hopping, Friends!
Kim Signature


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  1. This is absolutely adorable, Kim, and the button for a knob? Perfect!

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    1. Why thank you, Ann!! This was a fun makeover and with the addition of that knob, it's become a sentimental piece, as well.

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  2. Kim, you really brought your dollhouse wash stand back to life! It looks amazing and brand new! Perfect as a decorative accessory on your wash stand!

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    1. Thanks so much, Gail! I really like this one. It turned out better that I ever could've expected.

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  3. This project tugged at my heart strings Kim; it's definitely a favourite. Love how you used your mom's button for the pull. I was actually thinking that $4.99 was a great price for such a unique piece; you wouldn't find it that cheap in a thrift store here in any condition lol.

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    1. Thanks Sara. It was such a silly thing to keep, because the buttons aren't really anything special. They're literally extras from clothes she bought or ones the fell off things we owned, but I couldn't let it go. I'm glad that every now and then I find a use for one of them.

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  4. Well, you have a lot of patience to repair and refinish such a tiny piece - it's adorable, well done!

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    1. Thanks Patti! It was actually a pretty quick makeover. That missing knob was the only challenging part, but thanks to my mom’s button jar, even that wasn’t so tough to remedy.

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  5. This adorable Kim. I can't believe the dirt that came off. Yuck. I love that you added pretty paper to the drawer. Happy rainy weekend

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    1. Hi Cindy! Yes, it was old and dirty, that's for sure. Gotta love vinegar, tackles all those thrift store yuckies.

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  6. Kim! You know I love this since anything dollhouse related is my thing! What a great idea and a perfect makeover and use! 👏🏻👏🏻

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    1. Thanks Patti!! That's a big compliment coming from my favorite dollhouse creator! ❤️ I have to say I had fun with this one. I can see how it could become very addictive!!

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    2. Watch out my friend! It’s addictive for sure! 😆

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    3. Heehee...I'll keep you posted! ❤️ I can feel it already. I've been dragging my feet on my dollhouse reno, but his one project has started a creative fire...let the games begin!!

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    4. I’ll be watching!!! 😊

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  7. Oh my gosh Kim! That's the cutest thing I've ever seen... the piece itself is cute but the way you've chosen to display and use it makes it absolutely adorable! I've passed up pieces like this because my mind didn't go where yours did but now I'll be getting those cute pieces!!

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    1. Thanks Tania! There was just something about this one that I couldn’t resist. I’m so glad I picked it up and it really is a sweet - and unexpected piece - for the bathroom. Happy Hopping!!

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  8. That's adorable. I was expecting you to take the matching 'arm' off of the other side but it works out well anyway. So cute. I can't pass by miniature 'just-about-anything'. lol. xo Diana

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    1. I'm addicted to miniatures, too, Diana! I have a few chairs, a set of tiny silverware and, my favorite, a small clawfoot tub that I pop a Santa into each Christmas with some round ornament "bubbles"! And thank you!! xo

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  9. Oh my goodness Kim, this turned out adorable. And now? I would totally pick up a dollhouse furniture piece to use in our home. What a lovely way to reuse the stand! Thank you for your welcome to the party, I am happy to be here!

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    1. So glad to have you with us, Cara! Thanks for the kind words about my washstand. I have to say it's an adorable addition to the bathroom. Useful and cute.

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  10. Wow, Kim that is such a sweet little wash stand. I'm so glad you rescued it and gave it some makeover love. Sometimes there are those special things that just just won't let us leave the thrift stores without them. I'm glad this wash stand has found a good home.

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    1. Thank you, Tuula! I don't what it was about this one that pulled at my heartstrings, but I'm glad it came home with me, too...

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  11. It's really lovely to see dolls furniture used in a different way. There is no reason at all why it can't be enjoyed without dolls being involved! This looks so cute in your bathroom, the button drawer knob is perfect and that little drawer could be really useful for storage, cotton buds/swabs, make up remover pads etc

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    1. Thanks so much! I really do enjoy the challenge of repurposing things in an unexpected way...and yes, the fact that all the dolls in this house are bagged up in storage waiting for their owners to come and claim them when they get their own homes (we'll see if they actually want them at that point! Ha!) did not deter me from bringing it home. At the moment I have a few hair ties tucked in that drawer, but yes, it's big enough to hold a lot more!!

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  12. You certainly brought this back to life, very nicely done.

    All the best Jan
    https://thelowcarbdiabetic.blogspot.com/

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  13. What a gorgeous piece of furniture and great makeover. I was surprised to read it was for a doll house so grand.

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    1. I believe it's from the American Girl collection, so it's a pretty big piece and it is very well made. It was probably pretty pricey brand new, so grand is a great way to put it! 😉 And thank you!!

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  14. This is the cutest! I was wondering how in the world you were going to use dollhouse furniture, but you did it.
    I'm really shocked by how well the stain rejuvenated this piece. And the button? Sheer genius!

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    1. I do love that button, Mari! I was ready to run to the dollar store to see if I could find a wooden piece that would work, when I remembered the buttons. I think a little sparkle works better anyway…and thanks so much!!

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  15. How fun. This is adorable. Love the button for knobs. Very cute. Have a great weekend. Hugs. Kris

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  16. Love this Kim. It remind me of my mom, who had the same piece in her kitchen. Have a great day!

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    1. Thanks Linda! It's now become a sentimental favorite of mine with that button from my mom's stash. Thanks for the visit!

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  17. A very creative use for a sentimental piece of "furniture". (:

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    1. Thanks Gina! Crafting and DIY is my zen and I do love the unexpected, so this was a fun one.

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  18. Wow! This looks fantastic! I love seeing makeovers like this. I don’t know that I would ever tackle a project like this, but you have certainly turned my head and have me wondering.

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  19. This one is a humdinger! Right out of the park! I never knew there was American Doll furniture, so seeing this piece was a lovely surprise. I smiled when I saw your Mom's button drawer. My mom had a button tin, pretty well filled up! Such wonderful memories. Such a unique piece, and I thought that $4.99 was kind of a steal! (Prices seem to be going up even in the thrift shops!)

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  20. Oh Kim! I love this. I thought for sure you would paint or decoupage it, but you threw me a curve ball. And the button jar! Well that brought tears like a faucet was turned on. That’s amazing the jar still carries her scent. My mother wore TOVA from QVC. I ordered a big bottle of it and when I really miss her I spray a bit into the air. The power of scent girl!

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  21. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I want one too. That's beyond adorable and what a brilliant idea to use a button for the drawer pull, especially one that's filled with memories and love.

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  22. That's a unique piece for your bathroom now and all that work turned out perfect in the end. I like the idea of adding the pretty paper inside the drawer and the clever use of the button.

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  23. Kim,
    O my goodness!! How sweet is that....I would have never thought of using it that way!! Simply darling!
    Hugs,
    Deb
    Debbie-Dabble Blog

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  24. To answer your question - yes I would! I absolutely love miniature replicas of furniture. This was an amazing find and you did a wonderful job with the makeover. It will be a precious keepsake now.

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