The Gregson House Comes to America...

"The Gregson Doll's House" sold by Woolley & Wallis Salerooms

• The New American owner talks about the Gregson Doll House Restoration... - The labor of love video by Susan Dossetter uploaded by Rachel Hoffman.
• Woolley & Wallis Auctions presents a Georgian dolls house from Astley Hall, Birmingham, England. - A brief history of the doll's house once owned by Elizabeth 'Bessie' Wilkinson with photos here. see the video at YouTube

Woverine Dollhouses from 1974

        The Town and Country metal doll house manufactured in 1974 was a modern contemporary doll house with 6 completely furnished rooms. Sturdy steel colorfully decorated inside and out. Plastic furniture was of the latest modern design. The windows and door opened and were made of plastic. The entire house was 17 12" tall and 12 inches deep. Each house had photolithography details with brilliant color printed on the steel walls. 

Front and back sides of doll houses photographed in detail above and below.

       The Colonial version also included roof made with rugged hardboard. It came lithographed on both the interior and exterior. It's modern furnishings were perfectly scaled for each of it's six rooms as well. It's windows were made with three dimensional plastic  that could be opened and shut just like the door. Every house from Woverine came packed flat but could be easily constructed with nuts and bolts.

products for children manufactured by Woverine, 1974

       The Colonial Mansion doll house came with a two car garage and the decorated interior was designed and colorized after traditional Early American homes. This doll house also included a cupola with a moving weather vane.
       Woverine also made a service station to scale that same year modeled after Texaco Colonial service stations. This station was a fully lithographed steel building with a platform. All of the windows and doors opened and shut. There were two gas pumps, one air pump, two plastic cars and one tow truck included.

Queen Anne's Doll House, December 1879

        Just facing the turn-stile through which one passes into the first hall of the South Kensington Museum, in London, stands a large doll-house, about eight feet high by six wide, an object of great interest to all little girls and most mammas who visit there. The baby mansion, with its doll master and mistress, children and servants, was given originally to a daughter of the Archbishop of York.

Queen Anne's Doll House, called "baby house" was one of the original English dollhouses
recorded in history from that period. It was passed down from Princess Anne to her goddaughter,
 Ann Sharp. The house is said to date from 1691. Unlike Queen Mary's dollhouse, it was made
 for play and filled with handmade play items. It is referred to as the "Heydon Hall Doll House."
and here again.  The Last Stuart Monarch Part 1.

       The donor was Queen Anne, generally known as "good Queen Anne," probably because the chief desire and aim of her life seemed to be the making others happy. Queen Anne was the last of the unfortunate line of Stuarts, who occupied the English throne, and was, like the present good queen, queen regnant, a term which means one who reigns in her own right. Her husband was Prince George of Denmark, they lived together in perfect happiness for twenty years.

       She was the mother of seventeen dear babes, of whom sixteen died in infancy, only one, the Duke of Gloucester, living to the age of eleven. There is a portrait of him at Hampton Court, which represents a bright and handsome boy, dressed in blue velvet and diamonds. There are many stories told of this young prince, such as his telling King William (his uncle) that he possessed two dead horses and one live one (his Shetland pony and two little wooden horses), and the king's saying that he had better bury the dead ones out of sight, and his consequently insisting on burying his playthings with funeral honors and composing their epitaph.

       His tutor one day asked Him, "How can you, being a prince, keep yourself from the pomps and vanities of this world?" To this the child gravely responded: "I will keep God's commandments, and do all I can to walk in his ways."

       When only ten years, he was so forward in his studies that he was able to pass an examination four times a year on subjects which included jurisprudence, the Gothic law, and the feudal system! But on his eleventh birthday the little duke was taken ill, and five days after (July 30th, 1700), died at Windsor Castle, in the arms of his grief-stricken mother, who had loved him as only a mother can love who has seen her treasures taken from her, one by one.

       We can all fancy how sad her life must have been, though she lived in a palace, and had wealth and splendor at her command, and how sorely she missed the baby voices and baby fingers which mothers always hear and feel, no matter how great the din of life about them. Perhaps this very loneliness and longing made her more thoughtful for other little ones, and caused her to have this house prepared for the tiny maid, whose home was away off in bleak Yorkshire. I can see the little girl now in my "mind's eye," on that Christmas morning nearly two hundred years ago, when she received the royal gift. There she stands, in the great hall of the archiepiscopal palace, the huge logs snapping in the open fireplace, the carved oak chimney-piece surmounted by stag's antlers, the walls in their holiday dress of ivy and holly, and a thick bunch of mistletoe berries over the door (do you know what for?) -- there she stands, this bright-eyed maid in her scarlet merino frock, her yellow hair tied back with colorful ribbons, looking not unlike the robin redbreasts which twittered and chirped then, as now, in the Cathedral Close, picking up the crumbs scattered over the crisp snow for their daily feast.

       What fun she and her little friends had over their doll families when lessons were ended, what fasts and feasts, what weddings and funerals, mimicking all the events of this mortal life. And doubtless, when she grew up and put aside her childish toys, the house, grown somewhat shabby with age and use, still found favor in her eyes, not only for the sake of her who gave it, but because of the fair memories which the sight of it conjures up, of the days when:

"She had life like flowers and bees
In betwixt the country trees;
And the sun the pleasures taught her
Which he teacheth everything."

Modular Wooden Dollhouse Found

The front side of our newly acquired modular dollhouse by PlanToys.

        A former preschool teacher gave this modular wooden dollhouse by PlanToys away for free! ($165. 00 online) It was dumped inside of a craft supply box at it's very bottom among discarded tissue papers, crayons, construction paper scraps etc... She insisted that we take everything, even though my daughter was only interested in the tissue paper! And while cleaning it all out, we found this treasure.
       So, armed with coffee and a relaxed Saturday morning, I decided to see if enough of the discarded pieces would still be leftover to make at least one completed dollhouse. My time and trouble reaped a marvelous little set for a very lucky child. 
       Only a wooden toilet and one dining room chair were missing from the collection. I will replace them with a couple of handcrafted versions and then add a few more decorative rugs and cushions. Then it will be a proper modern dollhouse.

Two additional views of the modular dollhouse from different sides.

The modern bed with comforter attached.

The modern sofa, chair, free-standing floor lamp and kitchen furnishings too.

See the solar panels of the dollhouse from above. The first floor furnishings are minimal.

This dollhouse came with a shower and bathroom sink.

The kitchen refrigerator and freezer have modern black panels. Right, is the 'floating' spiral
staircase that may be positioned wherever a young child would like it to go...

• See how I updated a little lost wooden doll family to move into this dollhouse . . . coming soon.

Miniature Mouse Cider House

       This miniature cider house or cider shack was built by my daughter to put into a larger seasonal display. She made it very quickly in my opinion: she wiped it together inside of an hour! Later she added the mice and a few more details that I talk about at the bottom of this post.

Finished cider shack minus the mice.

Supply List:

• decorative fall or harvest themed papers + print of wooden plank flooring
  
• Sculpey for mini pumpkins
• white card stock for signs, basket of apples and award
• recycled lid for framed print
• straw scraps for loft
• corrugated cardboard for faux "metal roof"
• tray of watercolors
• Mod Podge
• small cardboard box for the tiny pub
• two spools for the table + scrap cardboard for the top
• scrap fabric for table linen
• tiny mugs for the cider (purchased)
• acrylic paints for the signs and roof details

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Select and shape the roof of a shallow box. This one has an arched shape. The faux corrugated metal is actually made from a well defined interior corrugated cardboard insert. It was painted with additional shades of brown to make it look even more extreme. 
2. Next the interior walls and floors with decoupaged with decorative papers. The outside side walls of the shack were already decorated with the apple print that you see in the photo below.
3. Then the back oval window with glued in mullion was cut out and painted. 
4. A small simple print of flowers was cut from scrap paper and glued inside of a shallow lid to make it look framed. This was then glued to a side wall for further decoration.
5. My daughter then made little signs for the mouse cider house, one with a menu another for the outside of the display labeling what it was intended to represent.
6. She then used her watercolors to paint a basket of apples for the attic storage room. 
7. She sculpted the 3 dimensional pumpkins from Sculpey oven-bake clay and followed the directions for baking it posted on the package. 
8. She then painted the pumpkins orange and their stems green. Let these dry and brushed on Mod Podge to seal them.
9. She glued two large wooden spools to the bottom of a table top cut from cardboard. 
10. Afterwards she cut a scrap of plaid fabric for the tablecloth and set the table using store bought mugs.
11. Lastly, she made the 1rst place award ribbon for best squeezed cider and hung it above the table with mugs.

Left, the window cut out from the back and given a cross shaped mullion. Center, the side of the
original recycled box had this apple print on it. Right, just a few details make for a cozy shack for
 tiny mouse dolls to eat and drink the delights of the Fall seasonal harvest!

One month later . . .

Left, the barrel of "popcorn", the donuts and caramel apple, an old-fashioned apple press and
finally the cotton batting mouse were later added to the miniature display items. Center see all
of the things together. Right, details of her little cotton batting mouse with overalls and freckles.

See my daughter's mouse sized Christmas market here.

Build a Shoebox House for A Country Mouse

       The following is a photo record of my progress through the crafting of a country mouse shoebox house. It is both simple and a delight for a child or doting parent to build. 

       Both this country house and a town house that I will later post about as well, are based upon the old folk tale "The town mouse and the country mouse" and the Steiff mouse house toys sold during the 1950s.

       I tried to use craft materials found in and around my home to decorate the little houses; I will include instructions for these soon. 

Take a peek inside our country mouse shoebox house.

Supply List:

• a large standard size shoebox
• extra cardboard
• white school glue
• masking tape
• faux 'log' papers for walls
• faux 'wooden plank' papers for floors
• cardboard with heavy rippled texture (optional)
  
• Mod Podge
• Heavy cording for handle
• coffee stirring sticks (ladders) 
  
• plastic plants from the Dollar Store
• burr oak shells for mouse food storage
• hot glue gun and hot glue
• Styrofoam beads for peas and seeds
• acrylic paints: greens and browns

The country mouse house has two floors: the sleeping quarters are located in a loft that can be
easily accessed through two double "barn loft doors.'' The lower half of the country, log-cabin 
styled home is a sitting room and kitchen with a pot belly stove to keep the mice warm during 
winter months. 

Step-by-Step Instructions: 

1. Cut a ceiling/floor for the top opening of the shoebox and attach this with tape and white school glue. Let it dry completely, overnight if necessary.
2. Cut the edges apart from the lid of your shoebox and cut an identical copy from extra cardboard the same size to mask together the ''A'' shaped roof. 
3. Once you tape this in place on top of the open faced shoebox, you will be able to accurately trace around the roof-line with a pencil on top of additional cardboard to seal-off the sides of the shoebox mouse house. Do this for both ends of the house. 
4. Then cut away one of the longer sides of the shoebox to create a large hole for children to play both inside and out of the little house.
5. Cut two identically sized shapes  for the barn doors from the same side of the roof as the opening on the lower floor. (see photos below)
6. Leave the far left and right sides attached to the roof so that the doors need only be bent outwards to access the inside loft. 
7. Decorate the barn loft doors with coffee stirrers in "X'' shaped pattern design, just like real barn doors.
8. Cut away a small hole at one end of the loft floor for mice to access the upper room via a coffee stirrer ladder. 
9. Cut an even smaller hole at the opposite end of the attic space for the stove pipe to fit through.
10. Fit a long narrow rafter inside the pitched roof where the burr oak shells may be hot glued on top of. You could use halved walnut shells if you haven't got any burr oak shells instead. 
11. Fill the shells with Styrofoam beads and white school glue. After these have dried, paint them green, moss colors and brown. These are the seeds and peas the country mouse stores during the winter for survival.
12. Decoupage all of the walls and floors inside the little cardboard home using decorative papers of your own liking. I papered the lower half of the house using the same log print on the walls and yet another faux wood print for the floors. 
13. Now you can fill the country mouse's house with all kinds of sweet old-fashioned furnishings; I'll post my versions later in the week...

Above left, you can see the shoebox with it's lid that I used to build the country mouse house with. 
I used duplicate shoebox sizes for both mouse houses. Right, the roof was made by shaped the box's
lid into a "A'' shaped roof. I needed then to cut additional cardboard to seal off the sides of the house.

Above are the side and back views of the country house. These sides were covered with printed
faux log cabin papers. The roof was then covered with corrugated cardboard to give it a 
galvanized metal roof texture. The rope handle was glued to the top of the roof before the
 textured cardboard was attached. I used white school glue for all of the papered
surface applications.

In the mouse "parlor/kitchen'' there hangs a tiny coo-coo clock, a picture of a mountain 
landscape, an old brass daybed, a hoosier, a wool penny rug, a table with acorn caps 
of pea soup, and a pot bellied stove that really lights up!

Left, see the closure details for the upper loft barn doors. This allows for secure storage of furniture
 and mouse dolls when the playset is no in use. Center, the upper loft has unique faux wooden floors
designed with a ''shabby chic'' printed surface. Right, you can see the penny wool rug, the chic vanity
and Popsicle bed with faux multi colored wood print. I'd describe this style to be somewhere between
granny chic and antiquated homespun; just what I would expect from a country mouse.

There is a rafter spanning the pitched roof in this country mouse house and on it I hot glued as many
oak burrs as possible to store all of the peas, seed, etc... that the mice could store. (View from above)
In between these I hot glued plastic moss and plants purchased at my local Dollar Store. Right is a
 photo taken with the house turned on its side.

Left, you can see the log home for our country mice without the furnishings. It is wide open for 
easy play at the bottom. I store all of the furniture and mice above when it's not being played 
with. Center, you can see the mouse bedroom in the loft with furniture and rafters for food
storage. Right is a detail of the pot-bely stove with an acorn hot water kettle. The stove has 
a open back so that the battery operated tea light might be turned off and on or replaced 
easily. The stove pipe fits through a hole in the loft above so that it doesn't shift or move 
during play.

Country and Town Mouse Products:

• Town and Country wooden house for children five and under . . . made of sturdy wood for rougher play and go here to see additional furniture and mouse figures
• Purchase town and country mice at Amazon  for those of you who have little time to make your own mice . . . 
• Here is a pin of the original "Country Mouse'' by Steiff FAO Schwartz (1950) uploaded by Nicole Souders
• Ellen Rardin shares a picture of the same Steiff Country Mouse House decorated for Christmas (1964)

Town and Country Mice Crafts and Stories for Little Ones:

• Town Mouse, Country Mouse stick puppets for kids by Beacon House, Inc.
• Draw along with Infinity Kids Fun: a town mouse and a country mouse
• "The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse'' read aloud by TheLittleATheatre
• Back through the mousehole . . . 

Vintage cottage decor cabinets make much nicer dollhouses...

Once designed to organize dvds and cds,
these dollhouse themed cabinets will be
filled with furniture and dolls in our
downstairs play room.

        When I first spied these tall, narrow cabinets, obviously intended for the storage of dvds and cds, the first thought to enter my head was... How awful for home decor but how extraordinary nice for doll play! And isn't that often the case? Something that gets marketed for one thing - that it doesn't quite look right . . . can become a perfect fit in an alternative venue. I mean, this designer should have been employed by a toy company!

       What I love most about these cabinets is that when put together, they look like row houses or townhouses in San Francisco, where I once lived.

       The paint needed sprucing up a bit so I brightened the colors and repapered the interior shelves to look like dollhouse rooms.

       These particular rooms are the perfect generous size for 1:48 Scale or quarter scale; this being the furniture size that I chose to work with on this dollhouse project. I could have opted for 1:24 just as easily but the rooms would have felt over-crowded and the decorations limited. 

       If readers find a cabinet or two like these, and plan to give them as a gift to a little person, 1:24 scale may be a better choice for a younger child's play dollhouse. In this scale they won't need as much furniture and durable, wooden peg dolls (1-3 inches) could live inside the ''vintage look'' rooms easily.

       I will eventually include photos here of all my updates once these townhouse dollhouses are finished. 

       So far, I have just finished some of the wallpapers and floor treatments. Tiny 1:48 scale furniture has been purchased for most of the rooms. I will need to make some of the furniture by hand as this project is getting a bit expensive. All of the decor will be altered to match the color schemes of the wallpapers which are a bit flamboyant for my taste but appropriate for Victorian townhomes, especially for those little girls that prefer them in dollhouses.

The Yellow Townhouse for Dolls:

Left, I will either need to name the townhome or change this 'music' sign to a home address.
Right, See the sides of this cabinet are painted with just as much detail, very nice.

Left, wallpaper and 'linoleum' floor added. Left center, just thinking about furniture arrangement. 
This bedroom suite is complete and needs painting. Right center, the wallpaper treatment is for a
pink nursery, I still need to find a faux white floorboard paper. Right, I have a tiny crib, rocking 
horse, dresser and chair for this room so far.

Left, The wallpaper and kitchen tile floor are finished. Center left, all I have for this dollhouse
kitchen thus far is a white table and chairs and one planter. Right center, both stripes and flowers
in purple for the living room walls and a grey checkered floor treatment are finished. Right, all the 
furniture that this living room can comfortably hold will need to be painted to match the purple 
color scheme for this room.

The Pink Townhouse for Dolls:

Left, this door will need a set of front steps for it. Right, there is an extra room for this pink 
doll townhouse. I will turn it into a bathroom.

Left, the pale blue and grey figured wallpaper is finished. The linoleum floor will need to be
reapplied. Center left, a sink, toilet and bath wait to be installed. Right center and Right, before
and after photos of window repaint. I applied highlights to the windows and brightened up the
pink outside walls.

Left, The study/family room has hand painted wooden floor and green wallpaper finished.
Center left, a few furniture pieces: T.V., side table and desk set. The television needs to be painted
for certain and I will craft a couch and chairs for this room. Right center, the rose colored wallpaper
is finished, the floor still missing. Right, see the furniture I have for this bedroom thus far: bed,
two dressers, crib and potted plant. All will be repainted for the decor.

Left, the wall paper and linoleum floor are finished. Center left, the kitchen sink, stove and refrigerator
 are a perfect fit for the room. Right center, the butterfly wallpaper and stained wood floors are finished;
 but, the wainscoting needs to be applied before finished. Right, here you see that I have acquired the
tiny dining room set and a piano for the room. I may alter the dining chair cushions.

More City Living for Dolls:

• Build a doll sized apartment including an elevator and multiple stories
• KPO crafts a working elevator for Barbie's cardboard dollhouse and a pulley system for a dollhouse elevator by Inventor Crafts
• A Barbie Town House from 1979

The Pink Thrifty-Flip Dollhouse

The finished front and back of my eldest daughter's dollhouse/art supply storage and display.
The dollhouse sits on top of a rubber turntable to that it may be turned for the display of the 
dollhouse when the supplies are not needed. She keeps it on top of a waist height, cupboard 
in her room. The whale shaped weather vane at the top of this dollhouse was crafted like this.

        This dollhouse (mouse house) purchased from a thrift shop was transformed into a kind of shelving unit for my eldest daughter's art supplies. A mouse named Beatrix, after one of her favorite artists/authors of children's books, lives in the studio apartment above the supply shelf!  

       And just like her landlord, Beatrix is also an artist who loves to paint watercolors of simple small things like: acorns, flowers, mushrooms and bugs. 

       Small creatures sometimes visit Beatrix at her "Art Bar'' to learn how to be creative themselves and trade stories about the latest news from other dolls that reside in the community below in our toy room.

She originally swore that none of this project would be painted pink . . . and then this paint job 
happened. I love the painted green tile roof the best! However, the pink is appropriate for a 
cottage called 'Rosebud Cottage,' don't you think?

 

Most of the items included inside and out were handmade by my daughter. On the lower floor
of the dollhouse you can see how my daughter has organized her watercolor supplies. Dollhouses
do not need to be used strictly for doll play. Older teens may refurbish a dollhouse into clever
storage or display a once beloved toy on a bookcase.

Detailed Photos of The Interior

Left, a matchstick box bed decoupaged with vintage paper. It also has a wire shaped headboard. 
Center, painted block dollhouse and painted, folk heart needlepoint.
Right, a handmade easel using skewers with tiny clamp and decorative tags.

Left, a stool or bedside table made with driftwood and skewers glued together; this is where
Beatrix sets her  teacup and saucer. Next to the crude table is her charming little 'chair' made
 from driftwood  and a wooden spool. Right, is a rustic wire 'willow' wreath trimmed with
tiny petals, leaves and a bumble bee charm. Learn more about bees here.

Left, the winding staircase painted brown to match the Popsicle stick floors.
Center, a tiny basket at the foot of the mouse bed has a tiny thimble charm and spool of thread.
Right, Beatrix's art supplies include a set of watercolors with artist palette, brushes and box. Her
easel displays instructions for painting pansies; behind this is a roll of mouse sized canvases
and bobbie pin stored together inside of a jam jar.

Left, tiny clay critters; an earth worm, snail, toadstool and wooden stump are all made from
Sculpey oven-bake clay and painted. A tiny bee skep made by twisting yarn and glueing the edge
together.  Center, tiny lace curtains hung on a toothpick 'curtain rod.' Right, little woven piece of
fabric with hemmed edges serves as a cozy rug for Beatrix feet to land on in the morning.

Left, the front of a folk cupboard with tiny sewing machine. Center, the backside of the same
cupboard painted to look antique. You can see that this piece was constructed with Popsicle sticks.
Right, tiny bolts of fabric for the enthusiastic mouse seamstress.

Detailed Photos of The Exterior

Left, a miniature doll hose with reel and metal fittings was purchased and
also the white picket fence.

Left, the gingerbread trim has hand painted rose designs. Center, the wire wheelbarrow was 
purchased at a hobby store. Right, handpainted spool stools for visitors to the 'art bar'
at Rosebud Cottage.

Left, a miniature birdbath purchased from The Dollar Store was repainted and marble added to it's
center. Center, tiny painted toadstools made from wood were also purchased last autumn from the
same craft store. These are glued to the surface of the dollhouse base. Right, potted, peach colored,
silk flowers arranged on the front porch.

Left, The handmade trellis directions are included on this blog here. The birdhouse was
sculpted from clay and then mounted to a skewer. Center, her Beatrix mouse doll was designed
by Levlos. Right, is the dormer window; my daughter added the windowsill and purchased the
tiny, clay flower boxes at a local hobby shop.

Left, 'Beatrix's Art Bar' sign with rustic painted frame and lace detail. Center, 'The Rosebud Cottage
 has it's own sign with rosebud painted detail. Right, the counter top at the art bar is a faux painted
biscuit; beneath it are the spool stools for guests to sit on and learn how to paint from
 Beatrix the mouse.

Pennant banner hangs above the art bar to decorate the scene. 

The 5WH of Dollhouse Building

A dollhouse made for children to play with. It is
both durable and simply built. It is made with
wooden parts and the furnishings may be re-
arranged inside of any of the four rooms.

        Who, what, where, when, why, and how to plan a thousand small details that go into the making of a dollhouse. Just to begin this process requires much more study than many people anticipate. 

       Think about who you are. What are your tastes and interests? Dolls may live in any kind of a built environment; the doll's home does not need to be an ordinary residence with walls, floors, doors and chairs.

       What will be needed to accomplish this long term goal: the gathering and selecting of supplies, the organizing of those materials, the time table for crafting all of the chosen elements. Is it realistic to craft the dollhouse from scratch? Perhaps, it would be better to build a dollhouse using a kit? Or, maybe, you would just like to craft furnishings or dolls to go into a completed dollhouse instead?

       Where is the building of the dollhouse to be accomplished? It will take many long hours to complete this task: will it be stored while under construction, if so should it be kept in a room designated for it? Do you have a workbench in a spare room or in the basement? 

       When will you have time to work on the dollhouse and when will it need to be finished, if ever? Will you be working on it one night a week or will you be working on it for three weeks in a row, or perhaps you will be working on it for one year prior to Christmas or a birthday?

       Why have you decided to build a dollhouse? Are you building the dollhouse for yourself or as a gift for someone else? Is the ultimate intent behind it's building to gratify your own interests or is this dollhouse to be a toy for a young child? This is an important decision that will determine so many other choices to be made about the dollhouse design and materials in the future.

       How will the dollhouse be displayed once it is finished? Will it need electricity for special lighting, do you have a display space in mind for others to view the dollhouse or even play with it?

       If you can answer these questions with ease and clarity, construction on that future home for your most cherished doll friends has a realistic future!

The Nostell Doll's House is one-of-a-kind. Built in the 1730s in England; it's furniture is period
perfect and was not built for children to play with but to tell a story about how people once lived
 and what they valued in their homes... It is a model, a three dimensional way to describe
history and culture.

This dollhouse is made of clay, a material not normally 
used for crafting toys in Western culture. The artisan, from
Mauritania, made and important choice in the selection of
his materials. He or she chose to use what was available
and affordable; the end result . . . quite charming!

See More Dollhouse Types:

• Tynietown Dollhouse Model 
• Schoenhut Dollhouse
• Arrow Handicraft Corp of Chicago
• Rich Toy Dollhouses
• Mid-Century Modern Dollhouse Design
• Turn a Bookcase Into A Dollhouse

The Little Red Doll House

The home of our Popover family.

         There  was  once  a  Little  Red  Doll  House  that stood  in  the  attic  under  the  sloping  roof. And in the  Doll  House  there  lived  a  family  named Popover. There  was  Mr.  Popover  and  Mrs. Popover  and  Velvetina  Popover  and  Baby  Popover,  whose  long  name  was  Loo-Loo.
       Mr.  Popover  was  a  clothes-pin,  tall  and  slim and  brown.  His  head  was  small,  but  his  legs were  long,  and  of  them  he  was  very,  very  proud.
       Mrs.  Popover  was  a  little  china  doll.  Her flaxen  hair  was  thick  and  curly,  and  she  wore  a pretty  blue  dress  that  matched  her  pretty  blue eyes.
       Velvetina  Popover  was  a  little  girl  doll.  She was  dressed  in  a  frock  made  of lovely pink velveteen, and  of  course  that  is  why  she  was  called Velvetina.  Her  yellow  hair  was  long  and tightly curled,  and  her  little  red  mouth  and  pink  cheeks were  the  prettiest  ever  seen.  She  wore neat black  painted  boots  and  her  socks  had  a  band  of blue  about  the  tops.
       Baby  Popover  was  a  chubby  glass  bottle, smooth  and  long  and  round.  He  wore  a  little white  cape  and  a  white  pointed  cap  tied  over the  cork  that  made  his  head.  He  lay  in  a  little wooden  cradle,  as  snug  as  could  be,  and  he  was never  so  good  and  quiet  as  when  some  one was rocking  him  to  and  fro.
       The  Popovers  lived  happily  together  in  the Little  Red  Doll  House.  Long,  long  ago  there had  been  a  little  girl  named  Amelia  who  had played  with  them  every  day.  Then  the  Doll House  had  stood  downstairs  and  the  Popovers had  led  a  very happy  life  indeed. Often  Amelia had  played  so  hard  with  the  Popovers  that  if she  had  not  gone  to  bed  at  night  and  given  her dollies  a  rest,  I  do  not  know  what  they  would have  done.
       It  was  Amelia who had named  them  Popover because  popovers were her favorite  kind  of muffin,  and,  besides, she thought  Popover  one of  the  prettiest names she  had  ever  heard.
       Amelia  loved all the Popover  family  dearly. She  thought Mr. Popover  a  fine-looking  father. She  liked  the way he stood  so  straight  and  tall. She thought Mrs. Popover  the   nicest   little mother a doll family could  have. She  made aprons  for her by the dozen out of bits of white cambric. And when Mrs.  Popover  in  a  clean was put down  beside  the  Baby's cradle to rock him to sleep, Amelia would be so delighted that very likely she would clap her hands and whirl about until she lost her breath. She was that kind of little girl, you see.
       As for Velvetina in her lovely pink frock, which was made from a scrap of a sofa cushion, when Amelia first thought of Velvetina'a name all she could sass was,
       "Oh,  how  I  wish  my  name  was  Velvetina Popover instead  of  Amelia  Lamb!''
       The  Baby,  too, Amelia loved with all her heart.  He  was  so plump, so comfortable to play with and  fitted  so nicely into the little cradle  that  rocked beside Mr. and Mrs Popover's big gilt bed.
       Amelia never tired of playing with the Popovers in their Little Red House.
       But  by  and  by Amelia grew from a little girl into a lady.  Her  name  was  now  Mrs.  Green. And  since  a  lady  has  other  things  to  do  than  to play  with  dolls,  no  matter  how  fond  of  them  she may  be,  the  Little  Red  Doll  House  with  the Popover  family  inside  had  been  carried  up into the attic.
       'But  I  like  to  live  in  the  attic,'  said  cheerful Mrs.  Popover  one  day  when  they  were  talking things  over. 'Of  course  I  miss  Amelia,  but it is quiet  and  good  for  the  Baby  up  here.'
       'I like  it  in  the  attic  too,'  said  manly  Mr. Popover.  'There  is  plenty  of  room  for  me  to walk about  and  stretch  my  legs.'
       'I  like  it  in  the  attic'  said  Velvetina,  'but sometimes  I  wish  I  were  downstairs  again  and that there  was  a  little  girl  to  play  with  me.'
       As  for  the  Baby,  Loo-Loo,  he  said  nothing  at all,  but  lay  in  his  cradle  and  smiled  sweetly  as his  mother  rocked  him  to  and  fro.
       'You  are  not  lonely  in  the  attic,  Velvetina?' asked  Mrs.  Popover.  'Think  how  pleasant  it  is, spring  and  fall,  when  the  attic  is  opened  and cleaned.'
       Indeed  it  was  pleasant,  twice  a  year,  when Mrs.  Green,  who,  you  remember,  was  once little  Amelia,  and  her  maidservant  Caroline came  up  into  the  attic  with  brooms  and  pails and  brushes  and  mops  to  give  the  room  a  thorough cleaning.  The  windows  were  flung  open and  the  soft  spring  air  or  the  brisk  autumn breezes,  whichever  it  might  be,  filled  every corner  of  the  long  low  room.  The  floor  was scrubbed  until  it  glistened.  Every  trunk  and box  was  opened  and  aired.  And  last  of  all Mrs.  Green  sat  down  on  the  floor  before  the Little  Red  Doll  House  and  carefully  cleaned and  dusted  and  set  it  in  order  as  neat  as  a  pin.
       Yes,  the  Popovers  enjoyed  the  bustle  of  the spring  and  fall  house-cleaning.  All  winter  long they  looked  forward  to  the  spring.  Through  the hot  summer  days  they  talked  of  the  coming of  fall.  But  best  of  all  they  liked  to  see  Mrs. Green  again  and  to  know  that  she  had  not  forgotten them.  And  no  doubt  Mrs.  Green  was  as glad  to  see  the  Popover  family  as  they  were  to see  her.
       'No,  Mother,  indeed  I  am  not  lonely,'  was Velvetina's  reply  to  Mrs.  Popover's  question. 'And  I  like  it  in  the  attic,  too,  because  of Peanut.  He  promised  to  take  me  for  a  ride  tonight on  his  back  as  far  as  the  big  trunk  in  the corner  and  home  again.'
       Peanut  was  a  little  mouse  who  lived  in  the attic  not  far  from  the  Popovers.  He  was  a friendly  little  fellow  who  spent  many  an  evening in  the  Popovers'  parlor  telling  them  of  what went  on  downstairs,  for  of  course  he  could  run, as  he  liked,  all  over  the  house.
       'Mr.  and  Mrs.  Green  are  giving  a  party,'  he would  say. 'Perhaps  I  can  bring  up  a  bit  of  the cake  to  you  after  they  have  all  gone  to  bed.'
       'Mrs.  Green  is  thinking  of  house-cleaning,'  he would  tell  them  too.  'I  heard  her  say  to  Caroline that  she  would  begin  in  the  attic  next  week.'
       And  in  return  Mrs.  Popover  would  tell  stories of  Mrs.  Green  when  she  was  little  Amelia,  and Mr.  Popover  would  tell  tales  of  what  happened when  he  was  a  boy.
      'Yes,  sir,'  Mr.  Popover  would  say,  'I  used  to hold  the  clothes  on  the  line  when  I  was  a  boy. I  used  to  hold  handkerchiefs  and  dresses  and sheets  and  pillow-cases  and  many  other  things as  well.  I  remember  how  blue  the  sky  was,  and how  the  wind  would  blow  and  make  the  clothes flap  on  the  line.  But  I  never  let  go;  I  held  the clothes  fast.  I  was  a  good  worker  when  I  was  a boy,  a  very  good  worker  indeed.'
       That night  the  Popovers  were  expecting Peanut  to  spend  the  evening.  It  was  twilight in  the  attic.   Out-of-doors  the  sun  had  not  yet  gone  down.  They  sat  waiting  for  Peanut,  listening for  the  scratch,  scratch,  scratch  in  the wall  that  would  tell  them  he  was  near.
       The  attic  was  quiet  in  the  dusk,  as  quiet  as could  be.  Mrs.  Popover  was  peacefully  rocking Loo-Loo  to  and  fro.  Mr.  Popover  was  looking down  at  his  legs  and  thinking  how  long  and straight  they  were.  Velvetina  was  hoping  that she  would  have  a  pleasant  ride.
       Suddenly  there  was  a  loud  scratching  in  the wall  that  made  every  one  jump.  Then  came  a rustle  and  a  squeak,  and  from  behind  a  box sprang  Peanut.  His  black  eyes  sparkled  and his whiskers  stood  out  straight  and  stiff  with excitement.  He  was  so  out  of  breath  that  he couldn't speak.
       Mrs.  Popover  caught  up  a  fan  and  waved  it briskly  to  and  fro.  She  bade  Velvetina  run quickly  for  a  glass  of  water.  And  after  a  few  sips of  water  and  a  moment's  rest,  Peanut  was able to  tell  them  the  great  news.
       'There  is   a  little  girl  downstairs,'  gasped Peanut.  'She  has  come  to  stay.  She  has brought  a  trunk.  She  calls  Mrs.  Green  Aunt Amelia,  and  before  she  had  taken  off  her  hat she  said,
       'Aunt  Amelia,  where  is  the  Doll  House  you told  me  you  had  when  you  were  a  little  girl?"
       'And  Mrs.  Green  said, "It  is  in  the  attic,  Ellen.  Take  off  your  hat and  coat  and  we  will  go  up  and  see  it."
       'They  are  coming  up  to  the  attic  now.  I  can hear  their  voices.  I  hear  their  feet  on  the stairs. I  must  hide.'
       Yes,  there  was  the  sound  of  voices  and  the noise  of  feet  on  the  stairs.  The  Popovers  could hear  the  feet  coming  nearer  and  nearer  and nearer.  And  before  Mrs.  Popover  could  take Loo-Loo's  thumb  out  of  his  mouth  or  twitch Velvetina's  curls  in  place,  the  top  of  the  stairs was reached  and  a  little  girl  ran  into  the  room.
       Straight  to  the  Little  Red  Doll  House  she came  and  stood  looking  eagerly  in  with  round blue  eyes.  
       ' Aunt  Amelia,  Aunt  Amelia!'  said  the  little girl  at  last,  pressing  her  hands  tightly  together for  joy,  'this  is  the  most  beautiful  Doll  House I  have  ever  seen.'
       'I  am  glad  you  like  my  Doll  House,  Ellen,' answered  Mrs.  Green,  smiling  down  at  both Ellen  and  at  her  old  friends,  the  Popovers,  too. 'We  must  go  to  dinner  now.  But  I  will  have  it carried  downstairs  for  you  tomorrow,  if  you like.'
       This  pleasant  news  made  the  little  girl  Ellen, in  her  turn,  smile  happily  all  over  her  round, rosy  face.
       And,  as  she  went  down  the  stairs,  if  she  had looked  back  into  the  attic,  Ellen  would  have seen  the  Popover  family  smiling  too.
       'How  glad  I  am  this  little  girl  has  come!  She is  going  to  be  even  more  pleasant  than house-cleaning,'  said  Mrs.  Popover  with  a  nod.
       And  you  shall  see  whether  or  no  Mrs.  Popover  was  right. by Ethel Calvert Phillips

Next Chapter