Kenzie was lucky enough to be gifted a couple American Girl dolls, which we absolutely love. But we didn’t have the space (or the money) for a huge dollhouse. So I went the DIY route using a couple shelving units from Target and some decor for Dollar Tree. I thrifted the rest from garage sales and our local Goodwill. The whole setup took about four hours, but the look on Kenzie’s face when she saw it…priceless.
Here’s a shot of the whole setup. As you can see, it’s just two small bookcases set up next to each other. I got them at Target for $25 each. Each bookcase is 36″ tall, 9.5″ deep and 24.5″ wide. The bookcase came with two shelves, but I just used one. I love this solution, because when Kenzie outgrows her dollhouse, we can convert it back into bookshelves.
I picked up the majority of the decor at Dollar Tree. In the bedroom, I used three-dimensional butterfly stickers and a little garden flag as wall decor. I also used double-sided tape to mount a cosmetic mirror. But my favorite hack, was turning a glittery barrette into a nightlight.
In the guest bedroom, I used shelf liner as flooring, and added a tiny succulent. For both bedrooms, I taped up some tiny battery-operated LED lights.
In the bathroom, I covered the wall with gift wrap, and used a dishtowel as a rug. I also added another tiny faux plant.
I also mounted a dollar store tap light on the “ceiling.” You should’ve seen her face when I turned that on, lol!
For the kitchen, I didn’t need to do much, because our Our Generation setup took up most of the space. It works well in terms of scale, because we can extend the playspace in front of the bookshelves by adding couches, dining tables, etc.
Funny thing is, when I was a kid, I was never really that into dolls. My one memory of playing with dolls was when one Halloween, I dressed up my Cabbage Patch Kid in one of my old ballet costumes, gave her a small plastic pumpkin, and took her trick-or-treating with me. I’d get the grownups to give “Kim” some candy too. Then when I got home, I tossed her back in the closet and sorted my double take. I wasn’t your typical girl. But now, as a girl mom, I kind of think this doll stuff is sort of fun.
