Thursday, August 11, 2011

Tablecloth cubby house


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I've been wanting to make an under-the-table tablecloth cubby house for ages now but it isn't really practical at our house.  Our dining table currently doubles as the Mr's work desk so we don't really want to encourage little people to hang out there.  So when a friend was trying to come up with a present for her daughter's fourth birthday I seized my chance and talked her into it!  To be fair, she was a little apprehensive about the scale of the project and I cajoled her into it with my excitement and enthusiasm.  I may have even used the phrase, 'it will be quick and easy!'.

In hindsight I wouldn't exactly say it was 'quick'.  It took quite a bit longer than I thought it was going to and there was a lot of math involved as we nutted out all the sizes from my dream house sketch!  But seeing as we were working on it as a collaborative effort it wasn't too bad and I think the end result was worth it.  The kids had great fun at the party popping in and out of the new cottage!

The main structure of the house is made with a bunch of old sheets.  We used purple for the 'roof' since it was going to have food on top and we didn't want it to look instantly dirty.  There are four chair flaps on the sides so that most of the chairs can still be pushed under the table when it is in use.  The door is a gorgeous floral vintage sheet and the appliqued flowers are made with some liberty scraps I had in my stash.

If I'm honest I'm pretty unhappy with these photos.  They don't really do the play house justice (it is even more adorable in real life!).  I didn't really have the right lens on my camera and the kids weren't really in the mood to cooperate amongst the party revelry.  I might have another go at it another day but for now I'm trying to relax and not be so much of a perfectionist!

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22 comments:

  1. yes!! Beautiful...this has been on my must do list as well
    Mxo

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  2. Oh i love it! One of the best i have seen .... really beautifully sewn :)

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  3. This is so fantastic. It looks like a kids paradise under there.

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  4. This is fantastic! Crummy pics or not, I love it. Looks like a ton of effort though. phew.

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  5. I would have loved this as a kid. Your kiddies (and their friends) are so lucky!

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  6. I SOOO want to make one of these! Yours is gorgeous!!! Well done!!!

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  7. This is absolutely fantabulous!!!! You've done such a wonderful job. I have been wanting to make one of these for ages - I have a little boy so it may have to be themed a little differen - but you have definately inspired me to give it a try xo

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  8. I think this is every little child's dream! It looks amazing. My poor kiddies had to make do with a tablecloth.

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  9. Love it! It looks fab. I have been waiting to make on of those for ages.

    Blogger isn't letting me log in to comment with my account..

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  10. Looks great - this is so on my crafty bucket list! Love all the little details:)Cyndy

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  11. It looks great...I always wanted to make one for my guys but the maths got the better of me and we settled with the sheets thrown over the table instead. Thanks for sharing.

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  12. This is fabulous! I think the little girls smile and bright eyes in the third photo says it all - the kids obviously love it and it looks great! Well done! I love the flowers on the side of the house. I have wanted to make one of these too and you given me a bit of extra motivation to give it a go.

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  13. Love this idea. Yours looks brilliant! Love those pretty appliqued flowers.

    I've often wondered, how do you make sure the little people don't accidentally drag it down, taking dishes down off the top? Did you stabilize it somewhere?

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  14. Hi...this looks AMAZING! What a gorgeous little hideaway! I am enjoying your blog and I am not too far away from you, over in West Gippsland. I have family in Cowes too! Love your corner of the world and we often make our way over for some beach time in the summer!

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  15. not letting mae see these pics, she will be all over me for a little table house of her own : )

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  16. I simply love it. I've never seen one before.

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  17. That is amazing and I'm going to make one for my girls. They're not little anymore, but who doesn't love a table cubby! Thank you for the inspiration - you could definitely sell a pattern for this!

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  18. Oh this one is great! I've had a tutorial for this saved in my list for awhile too, but I'm waiting for our dining room renos so there will actually be a table to work with :)

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  19. This is really nice and portable cubby house. Children enjoy spending their time in playing in cubby house. Cubby houses provide tons of fun for children so if your kids are begging you for their very own cubby house, the planning stage is vital to ensure that you end up with the perfect cubby house for your kids.

    cubby houses

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  20. may I ask which tutorial you used?

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    1. I didn't use a tutorial - just made the pattern up myself. If I ever get around to it I might write up a tutorial for it.

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  21. Do you know where I can purchase one of these? I'm not crafty but want to buy. Thanks

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