The DIY Dolls' House Or Theatre For Holidays

Kleenex Tissue Box House or theatre. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

Kleenex Box Theatre

Here's a game for a dolls' house or theatre made on holiday. I have used an almost empty Kleenex tissue box. The had a dozen white tissues at the back form a backdrop. No need to remove them.

Ring Box Display

Inside is the lower half of a heart shaped plastic ring box. The lid broke. I was wondering what use I could make of a ring box with no lid. To display a ring handily on holiday, by a bathroom wash basin? On the bedside table? 

I found some tiny Guatemalean dolls, fingernail size. They stick upright in the slit intended for a jewellery ring. 

You can use an open ring box during the day for play whilst the ring is on your finger. Retrieve the box at night for the ring when the children have gone to bed.

Shoe Box House

You could also make a theatre or dolls' house from one or two shoe boxes, with an upright cereal box for the side staircase. Cut square or round windows using a cup or glass or coins as a template. Behind the window place a holiday brochure showing the sea or mountains or city skyline.

For afternoon entertainment, or bedtime, you could read my poem.

Alternatively, simpler, make a theatre with a stage. Make two dolls or puppets from silhouettes cut from a magazine.

Dolls' House comical poem by Angela Lansbury

 Ava had a little dolly

And the dolly's name was Molly

Molly had a taller sister

And her sister's name was Elsa

The sisters lived in a big house

Which had a dog, a cat, and mouse

A front garden, pots with flowers

A sundial clock counted hours

 

Outside was small blue car

If dolly wanted to go far

And a train in the train station

And police in the police station 

In the hallway was a rug

Where Molly met you with a hug

In the hallway by the window

Was a long inviting settee

When you had nowhere to go

Shut your eyes, dream of the sea - or tea

In the kitchen the best honey

Which had cost a lot of money

In the kitchen was a cook

With an apron, bowl, and book

Upstairs was an attic bed

A pillow where you put your head

And a box with lots of toys

But the toys made no noise

And a wardrobe with a mirror

Where dollies could dress for dinner

And some pictures on the wall

With blue gum to fix them all

On the roof a helipad

Where you could land a little plane

Some of the roof was sloping

Made a runaway for the rain

The roof had statues of a dog

A Noah's ark, tortoise and frog

A cow, a horse, even a bear

A monster with a lot of hair

On the roof the cat with claws

Sat beside the Santa Claus

He hid on the roof all year

Waiting to deliver Christmas cheer

Yes, dolly did have a brother

And a father, and a mother

Dolly-sitter Ava came to stay

When dollies' Dad went on holiday.

But the dolly girls went to school

And the school had lots of rules

About the times when you could play

The long weekends, and holidays.

At bedtime with a sigh

Dolly had to say goodbye

But Dolly was here to stay

Ready to play another day

So Ava shut the door, the house

Put in the cat, put out the mouse

She said, 'dear dollies, please sleep tight

I wish you, both, a very good night'.

-ends-

This poem should have been on my blog on comical poetry but I saved it quickly onto this blog by mistake. Tomorrow I shall add pictures to the version which I have now saved to my poetry blog. 

Toys and DIY

It would be easy to print a tiny list of rules for a school wall, or dolls. house kitchen. Six point type. Or a psotage stamp size piece of white paper with your best calligraphy. Or a piece cut from one of those irritating instruction books in tiny print in multiple languages. Or a postage stamp with the head of the president or king or hero or your country or the country you visit on holiday.

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How To Hang Plants, Pictures and Bicycles, Indoors And Outside - Lesson Learned From The UK and Singapore

Hanging plants and bicycles in a residential block of flats in Singapore.

UK Picture Hanging Joys

In London, England, we have brick walls and indoors they are often covered with plaster so it is easy to hang plants and pictures. Just pick up a hammer and with a trio of sharp taps you can knock in a nail.

Numbers, signs, house names, bells, are all easily added.

Singapore Tasks & Solutions 

Alas, this is not the case in Singapore. Most people like in blocks of flats or condos, built of impenetrable concrete.  Indoors, to hang a picture, you don't buy a long thin nail but a white plastic button with three tiny thick points on the back.

At the HDB black above in Singapore, I asked a Singaporean, 'How you get the nails into concrete walls?'

He replied, 'You need a drill'.

'A hand operated drill?'

'No. An electric drill.'

"I don't have one. If I did, I would be afraid to operate it and injure myself or damage the wall.'

'An electrician will do it for you. If you have called him for something else. It only takes him a minute to do each one. So get the whole lot done at once.'

'What will it cost?'

'If you live in an HDB (Housing Development Board, subsidized public housing in which most Singaporeans live) about 50 dollars. (Singapore dollars.) But if you live in a condo (rented or privately owned private housing for permanent residents from overseas) the price will be double. If you live in a bungalow (detached house, also called landed property) the price will be triple!'

Hanging Bicycles

Bicycles are often left outside the doors of flats. (In Singapore they are called units.)

The management might ban the parking of bicycles on the public corridor. Why? They claim that bikes obstruct wheelchairs and prams or strollers and prevent cleaners from washing the floor. Plants can attract insects  breed mosquitos in water collecting in saucers. One solution for the home owner is to make use of space overhead

The latest trend, encouraged by the Singapore government is to grow edible plants, fruit and vegetables and herbs. You can use the ground level, walls and overhead space.when it comes to plants and pictures  the more, the merrier.

Read more of my posts about people and places, scenery and statues, trails and tales, what is handy and dandy. After reading my travel posts, look at my blogs Dress of the day with Angela, and comic poetry with Hazel nutter.

Please share links to your favourite posts.