Skip to content
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact
  • About
  • Blog
  • custom-logo
  • Shop
  • Contact
Dollhouse

DIY Dollhouse Makeover: Reading nook Tour

April 28, 2022April 29, 2022 Jen Ballou Post a comment
DIY Dollhouse Makeover: Reading nook Tour

What would you rather have in your dollhouse: an upstairs landing (boring) or a cozy and colorful reading nook? For me when I was renovating my childhood dollhouse, the answer was a no-brainer: a reading nook for sure. Read on for a tour of my miniature Reading Nook!

Before

Originally my childhood dollhouse had a set of stairs between the 1st and 2nd floors. The upstairs landing ending up being a basic, boring, functional space and not much more. It did however have a felt covered floor and decorative ribbon chair rail.

childhood dollhouse 1978 decor

During a previous renovation attempt I decided to eliminate the staircase. I filled in the hole left by the staircase with a piece of white foam core and copious amounts of white caulk. Next I added a hardwood floor made of wide popsicle sticks. Because the space doesn’t have a window, it’s not very bright. I thought I’d embrace the dark and moody vibe with dark wallpaper (scrapbook paper) and make it an art gallery of sorts.

When I revisited the space in 2020, I had changed my mind. I ripped off the wallpaper and started over with a new vision: a dollhouse Reading Nook.

After

I love how this turned out(!). This space went from boring to cozy, colorful, unique, and functional. It’s a reading nook and a writing space –the perfect retreat when you’ve been cooking carrots for days or your twin baby siblings won’t leave you alone (that’s a nod to the family of Calico Critters bunnies that reside in this dollhouse).

dollhouse reading nook with rainbow painting and disco ball light

I used scrapbook paper to wallpaper the walls ~ the pattern isn’t even close to being lined up over the doorways but that just adds to the character lol. The bold geometric rug ties the whole space together. Ssshh…it’s made of fabric wrapped over and glued to a piece of card stock.

Reading Area

dollhouse reading nook with white bookshelf and blocks spelling out read on top

I made the bookshelf using balsa wood, glue, and lots of caulk. The books are made of either cut up magazine spines or small pieces of foam core board covered in scraps of patterned paper.

diy white dollhouse bookcase made from balsa wood with colorful mini books displayed on the shelf

On top of the bookcase, I used wooden alphabet beads to spell out the word READ. The globe is a charm I found in the jewelry section of a craft store.

For the wall decor in this section, I searched my various stashes and came up with these goodies: a vintage train ticket, a scrapbook button embellishment, and a flowered donkey cut out of an old magazine (mounted in a handmade coffee stirrer frame).

Opposite the bookcase is this diy pink ottoman I made by covering a small tin can with upholstery fabric. For the top, I cut a circle out of thin cardboard, added some batting, and covered it with the same heavy pink fabric. I attached everything together with hot glue. I hid the seam under where I attached the seat with mini ball fringe. Gold plastic beads make great ottoman “feet”. I stitched the pillow from a fabric scrap and filled it with a bit of stuffing.

miniature pink round ottoman has a white and gold pillow with a library due date card hung on the wall

One of our local libraries still uses the hand stamped due date cards and I have a small collection of discarded ones thanks to my daughter Ebby who worked at the library for several years. I love how it looks as wall decor, so perfect for a space with books!

Writing Area

miniature green wing chair with pink rick rack trim sits at a blue desk with a pink typewriter

There’s so much fun stuff in this little area! First, the desk chair which was part of the original living room furniture set in the 1970s. It was covered in a dainty blue and white floral and had a ruffle around the bottom. The chair was dated and water stained but still salvageable. I ripped off the skirt and painted the entire chair with several coats of acrylic paint. I added pink rick rack around the bottom and made a new fabric seat cushion.

close up of painted green dollhouse wing chair with pink rick rack trim at the desk of the reading nook room

The desk is from Dollar Tree, I think it’s intended to be a table. I replaced the plain wooden knobs with decorative flower beads. The plant is a tiny sprig of faux greenery placed in a decorative bead. I painted the rainbow artwork on a 3×3 canvas, it was fun to work in such a small scale.

The star of the writing area is the handmade pink typewriter. I followed this YouTube tutorial by The Square to Spare. My work is nowhere near as precise as hers, but I love it nonetheless ~ especially the “typewritten” note I added.

miniature pink typewriter with I love you letter

The miniature disco ball (an ornament from Christmas time found at Dollar Tree) adds an unexpected, sparkly finishing touch–even though it might not provide enough light to read by lol.

And that’s a wrap for my DIY Dollhouse Reading Nook tour! I struggled with this space for a while and was so happy when it finally came together (shout out to Ebby for coming up with the Reading Nook idea 😊).

I hope you found some inspiration for decorating your own dollhouse.  Need more ideas? Check out more rooms in my renovated childhood dollhouse:

 DIY Dollhouse Kitchen Tour | DIY Dollhouse Living Room & Dining Room Tour | DIY Dollhouse Bathroom Tour

Dollhouse decorating is so much fun and a tiny bit addictive.

Questions? Comments? Leave them below, I’d love to hear what you think of my eclectic DIY Dollhouse Reading Nook!

xo,

Jen

P.S. Want to learn about new blog posts & projects directly in your inbox? Sign up to receive my newsletter, Cliff Notes and get colorful inspiration & DIYs, news, and special offers delivered right to you!

diy dollhousedollhouse reading nook
About Jen

About Jen

I'm an artist, maker, treasure hunter, preschool teacher, wanderluster, and writer! I strive to inspire others to connect to their creativity by showcasing fun art projects inspired by the joy of childhood.

Related Posts

DIY Dollhouse sewing room Tour: Inspiration & ideas
DIY Dollhouse sewing room Tour: Inspiration & ideas
Childhood Dollhouse Makeover Inspiration: Colorful Kids Attic Bedroom & Playroom
Childhood Dollhouse Makeover Inspiration: Colorful Kids Attic Bedroom & Playroom
Flower Filled DIY Dollhouse Bedroom Tour
Flower Filled DIY Dollhouse Bedroom Tour
Colorful Modern Farmhouse  DIY Dollhouse Bathroom
Colorful Modern Farmhouse DIY Dollhouse Bathroom

Post navigation

Colorful Modern Farmhouse DIY Dollhouse Bathroom
Flower Filled DIY Dollhouse Bedroom Tour

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Posts

  • DIY Dollhouse sewing room Tour: Inspiration & ideas
  • Childhood Dollhouse Makeover Inspiration: Colorful Kids Attic Bedroom & Playroom
  • DIY Valentine’s Day decor: Make a Paper mache LOVE pennant
  • Make Keepsake worthy salt dough ornaments in 4 easy steps
  • Colorful Inspiration: 2022 NYC Holiday Windows

Categories

  • Art for Sale
  • Art Projects
  • Artful Home
  • Dollhouse
  • Fun Food
  • Studio
  • Travel

Archives

  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • July 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
Hey there!

Hey there!

Jen Ballou, Artist

Welcome to 33 Cliff Street! Here you'll find colorful inspiration and activities to share with the littles you love -- or keep to yourself. I also share glimpses into my art studio and creative process. I'm so glad you're here!

In the Shop

Art blocks and vintage illustration collages featuring upcycled and repurposed materials!

Show Me
In the Shop

Get Cliff Notes!

Colorful inspiration delivered to your inbox!!

Follow @33CliffStreetStudio

What one loves in childhood stays in the heart forever.

mary jo putney
  • About
  • Blog
  • Shop
  • Contact
Copyright © 2023 | All Rights Reserved | Designed by Little Theme Shop