The Playhouse Under The Stairs
I already shared the
3D magnetic wall
with you and today I'm sharing the entire playhouse. I might be biased but I
think this is the cutest playhouse under the stairs I've ever seen.
Playhouse Under Stairs
You all convinced me to go with the playhouse idea and I'm so glad you did! Now it's a sweet little nook where Chloe can hide away. What kid doesn't love tucking themselves into pint-sized spaces?
I had debated putting a dutch door on this playhouse but we decided it would
be safer to keep it an open area. It's not that big of a space but we wanted
to turn it into a prized feature in our basement. In terms of finishing, all
we had to do was carry the basement flooring into this area and frame out
the doorway with casing.
Decorating A Playhouse
The decorating started with the
stencilling of the walls
which took much much longer than I thought it would. But it turned out well,
creating a fun and playful look without being too loud or vibrant.
I wanted to have a place to display some of Chloe's art. I found these
plastic frames at
Superstore.
They're art frames and have a slit in the back where you can slip the paper
in and out.
My
hand-drawn wreath printable
is in the top frame and Chloe's peach tree is a sunny addition to the bottom
frame. I attached the frames to the wall with sticky-backed velcro.
Book Storage In The Playhouse
What's a reading nook without books? I used the popular
Ikea-spice-rack-turned-bookshelf
trick to make room for Chloe's latest favourites. Its hard to see but I
painted the inside of the rack pink, just for fun.
Below that, we hung the
Fintorp
rail and pails and filled them with Chloe's favourite cow doll and some
dollar store flowers inside. As Chloe starts to read more, I'll add some
reading implements - bookmarks, fun pointers, that kind of thing.
Custom Floor Pillow
The down-filled floor cushion made by
Tonic Living
is the perfect spot to lie down and read or catch a nap. I should know -
I've done it :) The
5 Minute Pillows
I made add a bit of colour and comfort. Overhead, I've hung the mini-flag
bunting I made for Chloe's
Hot Air Balloon birthday party
last year.
DIY Magnetic Wall
Just outside the door is the magnetic wall. Chloe is really into drawing
these days and is constantly running over to the wall to display her
latest masterpiece. This one is titled At The Beach. I think that's me in
the yellow one-piece?
DIY Scalloped Awning
Then there's the awning. This project sat for so long because I
didn't have a sewing machine (but then
Brother Canada came to the rescue!).
I wish I could give you a tutorial on this but really it was mostly trial
and error and lots of frustration. We used a pair of
Ekby brackets
and installed long dowels between them. Then I made a paper pattern, using
a good old protractor to figure out the scallops. The pattern was
three parts - two sides and one top/front - and I transposed it onto a
striped gray fabric
with a
white lining.
I think if I didn't use striped fabric and had two layers of fabric, the
sewing would have gone much easier. The fabric is held onto the bracket
with velcro straps.
The awning doesn't overhang too much into the hallway and adds just the hint of French bistro flair I was hoping for. Eventually, I'll make some matching curtains to close the doorway. Chloe said she likes it dark and I think she could use the curtains to hold puppet shows too.
But that's another project for another day. Let's call this playhouse done.
The awning doesn't overhang too much into the hallway and adds just the hint of French bistro flair I was hoping for. Eventually, I'll make some matching curtains to close the doorway. Chloe said she likes it dark and I think she could use the curtains to hold puppet shows too.
But that's another project for another day. Let's call this playhouse done.
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