Over the years, this tiny travelling doll’s house been one of my all-time favourite crafts. This version is great for taking on holidays, especially when the car is choc-a-block full. Firstly, it doesn’t take up the whole back seat. Secondly, when you are little it’s nice to take a bit of your own familiar world with you on holidays. Finally, and this is really important, it’s made to wear around your neck, which (hopefully) means that it won’t get lost…which means, with a little luck, you probably won’t have to spend several hours of your long-awaited holiday looking everywhere for it.
For this project I’ve used a 5cm x 3.5cm x 1.5cm matchbox. In Australia this is your regular matchbox size. I know the sizes can be different in different countries, so I hope you can get something more or less the same. As you can see from the photos it’s all pretty straight forward. The roof is made from a piece of cardboard folded in half and then covered with felt. A piece of coloured cardboard will usually look better than plain white as you can see at least part of the inside of the roof in the finished house. I’ve scalloped the roof edge because little details like that give a nice effect (especially when you’re working on a small scale). I like collecting tiny coloured buttons, as you can see, and have used some for the flowers and door-handle. In classes I let the girls chose a ribbon for the necklace. Here I just used imitation leather.
The little fairy doll is made with coloured wire (I love using coloured wire). I’ve used 2 wooden beads, one for the head and one for the body, and an artificial flower petal for the dress.
For her bed I’ve made a little pillow, a small quilt and just cut a piece of knitted material for her blanket.
Hope you enjoy making this. When the kids make it by themselves there’s going to be less fine detail than if you help them, but either way it can look great, and it’s always a lot of fun.
P.S. I’ve been having a bit of trouble with my hot glue gun sticks. My old supply has run out, and the new sticks are very stringy. Does anybody know a good brand of hot glue gun sticks?
Cravings Frocks says
This is divine! Found it via Sew Mama Sew.
Silly Kitty :) says
I found this on Sew Mama Sew too. It is just so adorable. It reminds me of when I was a little kid. I would put cotton wool in a matchbox and use it as a bed for my tiny toys so they were comfortable when I carried them around.
Karen says
This is adorable.
I too found you through Sew Mam Sew and will definitely be visiting again – my girls would go nuts for one of these!
You’re very clever.
Mina says
I´ve just find you through Sew mama Sew. So great, I will make this to my girl, she will adore it!
LissyLou says
I love this fairy and her lovely little home!!!
Kelly says
I also love this project. I fond your site on SewMamaSew's Twitter site.
Rag-a-Muffin Collectibles says
Adorable and Too Cute!
Heather - CROQZine.com - Dollarstorecrafts.com says
I love this project. Your matchbox projects are so charming! I found you via OneCraftyPlace.
Kelly says
This is the cutiest idea. I came over from One Crafty Place
Melissa Goodsell says
A friend sent me the link for this…it's just gorgeous!! My little girl will love making one of these with me, so thankyou 🙂
Linda says
Hello, i included your creations on my blog. The you can see on https://paneamoreecreativita.blogspot.com/2009/06/la-casa-delle-bambole-di-cartone.html
I hope you like it.
hello, linda
Polka Dot Daze says
Oh my goodness! These are the cutest ever! My kids are off on a road trip with their grandparents this weekend, and I think I might try and make one for my daughter before they go. Thank you so much for sharing these 🙂
saffiertje says
this is such a cute idea!!! Also a nice present for the girls to treat friends with!
thanks for sharing!!!
love miranda
LJohnson says
This is one of the cutest thing I've ever seen!
Crafty Mom says
This is soooo freakin' cute!!! LOVE it!!! Definitely gonna make one for my girl!
Tina says
hi i love your lovely stuff brilliant blog iv got little sprogs too i will definately try the little matchbox house i m going to recomend your blog to the childrens rep of british guild bye for now tina
expeditionquiltart@blogspot.com
Tami says
love this! my little girls will be wearing these around their necks, and maybe even their mom 🙂
fergiefam says
Thanks for sharing your creativity!! Wow!! soooooo cute….
Happydacks says
Oooo! Thank you for sharing this. I know the next project I am doing with my daughter. I love it very much!
Kristine says
Hi Trixi,
I found this link on crafty crow this morning. I am very excited and have been thinking about them all day. My daughter is carrying a pocketful of fairies around today and I'm wondering whether to adapt to a little portable mushroom (these are mushroom dwelling fairies) or just copy your very irresistable creations. And I promised myself that I wouldn't start a new project until I finished all my works in progress!
Thanks for sharing!
sarah in the woods says
This is wonderfully adorable! Love it.
XUE says
So, so kawaii !!! Simply adorable!
Laryssa Herbert says
This is so cute! I think I'll make one for my little girl.
Absolutely Small says
This is super adorable! What a great idea!
Dees says
I just finished making mine and I am soooooo happy how it turned out!thank you for sharing! https://www.flickr.com/photos/daisieslalaland/3975948523/
Carol Lawecki says
I found your site while blog hopping, I'm so glad I ended up here. I saw this cute little house on https://polka-dot-daze.blogspot.com/ and it led me here. Oh this house is so cute, I think I will make it as a Christmas ornament and put a little surprise inside and decorate it with tatted trim. Oh I can picture it now. I've browsed through your site and it is so interesting. I still have more to see.
Have a good weekend!!
Gina says
Oh boy, this is so cute. Brilliant. I saw this through Karen (And So I Sew) who is making them for the cancer council… lovely.
Happydacks says
Hi Trixi, I am putting a link to your travelling dolls house on my next post. Hope this is ok with you? Chele
Auntie Cake says
These are the cutest craft ever! Many thanks for sharing! Can't wait to make one, or two, or three or more!
Kate
twisted says
These are amazingly cute!
An Almost Unschooling Mom says
Thanks so much for this clever idea. I made four of these for my daughters – and will post, and link back to you, as soon as I complete the little dolls for them. Oh – and if you find a good brand of glue stick please do pass that along – my glue was very stringy too!
Care says
I am breathless! I cannot WAIT to give this a try!!
Absolutely incredible!
Abbi says
This is very cute! My 10 year old daughter just used your idea to make a stocking stuffer for her 3 year old sister.
Happydacks says
Hi Trixi,
Yay we made 2 today, shhh – not as good as yours but I will join your flickr grp soon as I photograph them! Great fun!
Chele x x
alexandra s.m. says
This is wonderful!
thank you
Breeby says
I love these, i have just bought all the supplies and my six yr old daughter and i are making one for our road trip this week. I am also making a boy version and found some very cute spiders to put in the box instead of a doll. I will email you a picture of her effort. Thanks so much for the idea.
goddessence says
hi, very cute.
Can you please share with me how/with what you cut the cute edging on the roof, thanks. It doesnt look like pinking shears as not pointed enough and it is a nice clean cut
I enjoy your blog 🙂
Seamstress says
This is fantastic! I have to make one of these for myself some time – never mind little girls getting all the fun 😀
I'm a member of Waitakere Miniatures and they linked to this page from their newsletter. Such a wonderful idea! Thank you so much!
Rosana Garcia Hess says
Awesome!!!! I hope you don´t mind if I feature on my blog.
Hugs from Brazil
StitchinTreasures says
So cute!! I hope you don't terribly mind but i added this to my pinterest(had to way to cute not to share) Keep up that awesome imagination
magacuki says
Thank you for sharing this project, it's increadably georgeous 🙂 Unfortunately I lost the link and had to "copy" it from memory, this is what i made: https://magacuki.blogspot.com/2012/02/vom-wiederfinden.html
Meanwhile I could link your page, too :))
Hugs and many thanks from miss.magacuki
Shannon says
You are from Sydney, Australia! That makes me think of Finding Nemo! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nof2FYyIeVg
Shannon says
Hey my hot glue gun sticks suck too. My husband says it is because I get them from Dollar Tree. So I saw on Pinterest that you can get the strings to go away with a hair dryer. Hope that helps! Anyway this is too cute! I am gonna make one for my niece for next Christmas. Merry Christmas and thanks for posting this!!!!