That is, until I started looking for dollhouse accessories. I'm telling you, I searched high and low in every store and to the depths of the internet looking for options. There was no way I was going to pay $20 per "room" to fill the dollhouse, not even including family!
I had stumbled across some peg doll ideas in my search for dollhouse accessories, but I was convinced that they'd be too hard! Though when you're determined to stick it to those toy companies who have a monopoly on dollhouse accessories (ahem, Fisher Price), I guess the creative juices seem to flow. :)
I bought these peg dolls from an etsy shop and I used some acrylic paint I had on stash! I used paint brushes, toothpicks, and the flat end of a wooden skewer!
I used the wonderful step-by-step guide to painting peg dolls and I drew inspiration from several other handpainted peg dolls that I have pinned on Pinterest if you want to check them out!
Step one: I painted the faces.
Step two: Solid color outfits
Step three: Outfit details
Step four: Faces and hair
The hardest thing for me was just getting started. I was trying to plan outfits from the beginning. It's easiest to just start painting. I planned the family (Mom, dad, Grandma, Grandpa, 2 girls, one boy, and twin babies!) and then just started picking solid colors. Once the clothing basics were done, I just gathered inspiration from ones I had seen and just tried to make them cute!
The best tip: Relax! It's okay to mess up. Just paint over it. The dumb tie took me five million times. Also, the glaze makes everything look so polished!
I deleted the picture from my phone that didn't have flash, so I set the family up for another photo shoot. Surprisingly, it's much easier to capture 9 smiling faces when they are dolls and not my actually family. :)
My favorite parts about the dolls are the details. Like a flower in this gal's hair! I love the yellow dress with the white pockets and the necklace on Grammy*! :)
*Wooden Grandma and Grandpa are in to way representations to real life grandparents, other than both of Belle's grandpas are big Chiefs fans. There was one particular grandparents who "rolled eyes" when I decided to make them have gray hair.
As for furniture, I've put my dad to the job, which means they will no doubt be cute. :) Belle is going to love these!
Linking up with:
Homemade Ginger
Homemaker's Challenge
Just a Girl and her Blog
Home Coming
Hi Amy! I left you a comment the other day, but then it had me log in at the end and I had a feeling my comment didn't go through ...so I had to come back to tell you how much I adore these! If you would have purchased little people, they surely would have been donated or sold when your daughter outgrew them, but now you have created something that will be treasured for years. Her children may very we'll be playing with these some day! Thanks so much for sharing :)
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