I make Barbie doll houses from thrift store finds. They are usually repainted and definitely repurposed. Some of the houses have old parts (antique shutters) that are added to a new framework (see the Key West 2 house). Other times I have taken out drawers from dressers and put in a new floor, then furnished the houses (as I did with the Key West house). The two Paris houses began as shelving units.
Barbie's furniture is a combination of items. There are thrift store finds (small wicker chairs or couches, old jewelry boxes reimagined into Barbie dressers, candle holders become table bases) and some new products. In the Bali house, a new soap dish made the perfect coffee table. Some of the chairs are new 1:6 scale chairs made in China and added since they are just too perfect to pass up. I handmake the bed linens and the mattresses from new and antique fabrics. I have also handmade chairs, cushions, drapes, and couches.
The final product is a completely furnished Barbie house, self-contained for parents ease, yet easily accessible for the girls to play with.
I began making Barbie houses some 20 years ago when my own 4 daughters had stuff spread far and wide. So I confiscated my aunt's old armoire, and built in three floors with all the accessories so that when play was done, I could close the doors on the mess. That original house was passed on to two more families with girls.
This last foray into Barbie world began this last year when I was between jobs (even though I am retired, mostly), and living with my sister to help take care of my niece since my sister works nights at a hospital. My sister had found a few old jewelry chests and painted them with chalk paint for Barbie. Then she dragged home the thrift store wicker trunk that became the first Barbie house--- in Bali, of course. And it all exploded from there. Happy browsing.
These houses MUST be picked up in Beaufort, S.C. Because of the size and weight, shipping them would be just too costly for most. I am currently working on making some of them as "Rooms 2 Go" so they can be shipped. Keep tuned....
