Travel Dollhouse

Imagine a toy that entertains without a screen, batteries, or sound. That promotes imagination, that is portable, personal and of course adorable. I saw these on Etsy for sale, they can cost hundreds of dollars. I checked out Pinterest and found a diy version at How to Make a Travel Dollhouse. I couldn’t wait to make one, strike that I made two.

I collect tin lunchboxes, so I knew I wanted to use a regular, used lunchbox for my traveling dollhouse. Although these are called travel dollhouses. If you have kids that visit once in a while I think they would be great to have for when the come over to visit. Store on a shelf until you have company.

I made these two traveling dollhouse for an upcoming trip with my 5 year old grandson and his 4 year cousin, my sister and niece.

A little idea that can engage little ones big imaginations.

A lunchbox (I found mine at a thrift store 2.95 apiece)

Scrapbooking paper, Sticker, Felt

Scissors, Tape, Rubber Cement, Ruler, Furniture stain,

Mini clothespins, Twine

Miniature Characters - I used Lil Woodzeez from Target

Miniature Items- I ordered most from WISH

I found miniature wooden furniture at the Dollar Tree

I stained the sideboard and table and chairs.

I wanted to make these dollhouses personal for the kids.

My grandson Alister went on a camping trip last summer with his Papa to Mammoth, so I chose a camping theme. The background is a picture on where they camped.

My niece Kaylee is a girly girl that loves being outside playing. Her theme is a garden.

Each box has special things that are just for them.

I started by cleaning the outside of the boxes and pounding out a few dents. Added stickers to the outside and their names. Moving on to the inside of the box I measured the inside of the lid and used green felt. This one is the camping box. The background is their campsite. The picture on the side of the box is a bear in a tree. During the trip they woke to hear a dog barking running around a tree. There was a bear in the tree.

I used felt on the inside of the box so that it is very quiet to play with.

Once the everything was dry I assembled all the little goodies I had bought. I originally was going to include a little tent and a sleeping bag for the champing box, didn't have enough room. Now everything fits inside the box when it is closed.

The camping set includes the fishing cat, boat oars, fishing pole, fish, jar or worms, I added the campsite, camp stove, food, cookware picnic table and chairs, extra character, and these little bunnies. Some of the little food I included are erasers.

I started with the green felt for the garden floor. The personal touches for Kaylee I made a banner for the back wall and a sign for the garden. The garden sign came without I background I made an inset sign by using a powerpoint template added the black rectangle and wrote in white letters and glued it on. Next I made the little banner the same way. Glued the banner pieces to a piece of twine. I found the little clothespins at the Dollar Store.

The project was so much fun to make.