Library
This was my favorite room to build. I would love to curl up on that chaise or the window seats with a good book! Mind you I am sensing a pattern they all seemed to be my favorites while I was working on them – well except the stairs LOL
Seriously though I was looking forward to this room and took time deciding on the color palette and how to achieve the effect of a grand library without having to make every single individual book.
I decided that I would focus my effort on the main back wall and everything else would be a bit simpler. So I built some shallow shelves and painted them then built book inserts on blocks of PVC foam to go into them, interspersed with some pretty plates I found online. This gave me the look I was going for and I was pleased with it for the side walls
For the back wall I wanted to make individual books so I could dress the shelves properly, so I grabbed scraps of card and created multiple widths for different sized books then glued on the book covers i printed out. Then painstakingly cut each one out. It took a long time. I had to give myself a break and go make something else for a while. But after 3 or 4 bookmaking sessions I had enough.
For the desk, table and chaise I wanted books with pages so I made a few of those to scatter around
One of the quick projects to give me relief from the book making sessions was this fire screen. I found a couple interesting shapes in the random bag of jewelry findings that I snipped and glued together. There were also a pair of “bow” shaped pieces with a hole in the middle that I bent in half and shaped to make the feet.
I stuck two toothpicks into the holes in the “feet”, glued the screen to the toothpicks, snipped them to size and added two wooden beads then painted the whole thing gold. So easy and I think it looks great in place
When I finally had enough books, I focused on the back shelf. I like to spread out all my decorative pieces first so I can fit the books in around them. I had some plates and bead vases, a tiny shell, a bust and I made the little butterfly collection under glass.
I found the tiny butterflies in a kit of nail art stuff and they were just the right size. I liked them so much I made a glass cloche display too.
See my material list for links
The box and frame is painted card stock with a piece of acetate for the glass
Once all the objects were placed then I glued little stacks of books around them, angling some to add visual interest.
Window seats were a must have, growing up I always wanted a window seat to curl up in and read – so in my dollhouse I get what I want LOL
I put them on either side of the fireplace and upholstered them with two different complementary fabrics. Made some little throw pillows then moved onto drapes to make it cosy 🙂
I really wanted a library stair too, that seemed like a perfect addition to reach those high up books. I made it from card stock of course. Same with the library desk. My trusty stash of jewelry findings gave me some good decorative gold accents to simulate handles etc.
The card stock I painted with a mix of black and copper metallic craft paint, which I think looks like a dark wood finish. Then trimmed in gold with my metallic gold marker
See my material list here
I dressed the desk – one of my favorite parts – with books, an inkwell made from a bead and a feather and used a lovely ceiling print I bought online. I loved how it looked with the chandelier I made. It might be my favorite room of all….
I found the globe online for $6 it’s actually a pencil sharpener!
I also couldn’t resist having a dollhouse in my dollhouse so I bought this 1:44 kit online and some teeny furniture – Definitley not my preferred size to work in – soo very fiddly but cute
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