Dollhouses

I have been away from the site lately because an old hobby from my past has come back to the forefront, perhaps because we are heading into fall and Christmas is just around the corner. I am back to making dollhouses. Before anyone gets carried away picturing the wonderful "collectable" dollhouses filled with wonderful miniatures, let me say that isn't what I make (but they are gorgeous). I make and/or refurbish dollhouses and action figure play sets for children. I give new life to OLD and often unloved things.

I began making and/or restoring these types of things when I was a kid and I wanted a dollhouse to play with. My grandparents didn't have that kind of money, so my grandmother told me to build one. I did, and all my friends loved it. From then on I would pick up odds and ends of things at rummage sales and build or restore away. Once I outgrew the stuff, my grandmother gave it away or sold the things in her own rummage sale.

After having children of my own, all be it boy, the hobby returned to making action figure "lairs". Children inevitably break things, loose things, etc. so I would take these miscellaneous items and build new play sets for my boys.

Now my boys are teenagers, but the hobby is still around so I'm once again building play sets/dollhouses/action figure lairs out of old toys, and my craft supply collection.

I know there are a lot of under privileged children in my local area (some go to my church where my MIL is pastor). I want to put dollhouses and play sets under the tree at our church for them this year.

The crafting is good for me because it often breaks me out of cycles of very bad depression, so my husband doesn't mind. It teaches my children the value of creativity, recycling, and GIVING. And it makes other kids happy. So if I'm missing from here for a bit, now you know why.

Happy cooking everyone.