My dad made my dollhouse, too! Later, my dad started making a dollhouse every year and my mother would make doll clothes (she was a terrible seamstress, but she tried!). They would buy a Barbie for it and donate it all to a needy family. Sometimes it was someone we knew, but sometimes we'd let a local church or something find a recipient. My dad, who really should have pursued a career as a professional artist like his brothers, did some really creative things with those houses on a tight budget. He was a carpet installer so he worked around new construction a lot. A lot of the building materials he used were cast off bits of lumber and carpet remnants. One time, he made a house out of an old chest of drawers and it turned out really nice. I was older then and I got to help with that project. Today, this would be called upcycling. Sorry for the bragging, but such good memories of doing that! :)
I loved the Fisher-Price people when I was little. I know I had a FP house, but I don't remember if it was the A-frame. I remember that furniture, though, especially those beds and that grill! It had pictures of meat on it. I also remember chewing the little girl's pigtails! :D
I had the A-frame! I don't remember the picnic table, or the jeep, but I know we had all the rest of the furniture. And I think I chewed on her pigtails, too. :D
That's definitely not bragging! My Dad was very creative, too, and years later began taking a painting class. Among my favorites of the paintings he produced are the ones that he did for his grandchildren. They looked like illustrations from the old Little Golden Books!
My Dad also used to make all our birthday party decorations! For my sixth birthday I had a circus theme and instead of pin the tail on the donkey he made pin the dancer (bareback rider) on the horse. My younger brother had a dinosaur birthday one year and he made these huge cardboard cut-outs of dinosaurs. My brother still has them.
I love all the old Fisher Price stuff and have been sorely tempted to buy the A Frame on ebay since it is so perfectly mid-Century modern. Up at Lake Tahoe in the sixties they had dozens of A Frames just like this.
i never had a dollhouse of my own, but i played with the one that had been my mother's. and OH the furnishings! celuloid all, i remember especially the wringer washer that the wringer actually worked with a wee crank, and a sewing machine that had a working foot pedal that sent a (not sharp) little needle up and down.
Cool! The toys with moving parts like that are the best, even if they don't really work. I guess the physical interaction is really appealing to a child.
I had a lot of dollhouse items from my mother--my very favorite was a little tea kettle made out of a penny! I still have it. I didn't have a daughter, but I used to let my nieces play with my dollhouse. I'm now saving it for my future granddaughter, if I have one someday!
My grandfather built one for my mother, complete with working lights, doorbell, real looking brick fireplace & chimney, and whirling noise faux AIR CONDITIONER! (in the 40s?! - but they were wealthy).
We got it, and then my daughter got it. By then none of the mechanics worked, and it was wearing out & breaking apart from 40-50 years of play, so we threw it out. I wish I would've tried harder to save it.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2013-12-24 03:58 pm (UTC)I loved the Fisher-Price people when I was little. I know I had a FP house, but I don't remember if it was the A-frame. I remember that furniture, though, especially those beds and that grill! It had pictures of meat on it. I also remember chewing the little girl's pigtails! :D
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Date: 2013-12-24 04:00 pm (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2013-12-26 08:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-27 01:22 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-25 08:41 pm (UTC)My Dad also used to make all our birthday party decorations! For my sixth birthday I had a circus theme and instead of pin the tail on the donkey he made pin the dancer (bareback rider) on the horse. My younger brother had a dinosaur birthday one year and he made these huge cardboard cut-outs of dinosaurs. My brother still has them.
I love all the old Fisher Price stuff and have been sorely tempted to buy the A Frame on ebay since it is so perfectly mid-Century modern. Up at Lake Tahoe in the sixties they had dozens of A Frames just like this.
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Date: 2013-12-24 03:59 pm (UTC)lovely memories!
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Date: 2013-12-24 04:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-25 08:45 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-25 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-25 08:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-12-27 06:03 pm (UTC)We got it, and then my daughter got it. By then none of the mechanics worked, and it was wearing out & breaking apart from 40-50 years of play, so we threw it out. I wish I would've tried harder to save it.
no subject
Date: 2013-12-27 09:13 pm (UTC)