Ode to the Wooden Dollhouse I Never Finished

The mind is a funny thing. I was scrolling through Magnify Your Style’s Pagefeed for content to like, comment, or share. I came across this post by Funky Junk Interior.

It reminded me of a dollhouse I got in the 00s. I’m not sure how old I was. Back then, I liked working with my hands. I thought I was going to be an artisan. Since I showed an interest in art, I recieved different types of art kits. One Christmas, I got a Plaid Decorative Wood Burning tool with wooden surfaces with bark. Sadly, I didn’t burn a design into the wood. I was worried I’d start a fire by accident. Looking back, I’m not sure it was age appropriate present.

Getting back on topic, Funky Junk Interior reminded me of a dollhouse I tried to build. Everything was Do-It-Yourself. Even the furniture. All I had was the pieces that came with the dollhouse and Elmer’s Carpenter Wood Glue. I got about 70 percent done…before it fell a part.

There are a few reasons why I failed. One, I was building it in my room. My house didn’t have central air and heat rises. It took longer for the glue to dry. Two, I was more focused on interior than the structure. I was able to secure some of the larger pieces early on, but didn’t have the patience to hold the pieces together till dry. Three, using a lot of glue doesn’t guarantee stability. In fact things take longer to dry.

When I realized the dollhouse was beyond saving, I broke it down and threw most of it out. I kept some of the furniture for my toys. I didn’t have paint. So, it stayed dark brown. It wasn’t my first dollhouse, but it was the first one I tried to assemble. I failed to complete my dollhouse over 20 years ago. Yet a simple question brought me back to that moment.

Yes, this is not a poem about my unstable dollhouse. It’s more of a remembrance. I tried to build it and I failed. I don’t regret failing. I regret not using/trying all the art kits I received. As a child, I had the chance to try decorative wood burning for free. Now, I’ll have to pay to try. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Failure is a first attempt in learning.