The DIY Village

  • Facebook
  • Google+
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • Honey Do List
  • Project Gallery
  • Home Tour
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Disclosure & Privacy

BILLY Bookcase DIY Dollhouse – IKEA Hack

June 28, 2015 By Jacque 29 Comments

IKEA BILLY Bookcase turned into a fun dollhouse - IKEA hackThis post contains Affilate Links. Proceeds from these links are usually rather small, but allow us to keep the website running & help to fund smaller projects. Thanks for helping us help you

Okay, so when HomeRight asked me if I wanted to be part of this years IKEA Bookcase Hack challenge I took about two seconds to say yes and jumped at the chance!  15207 ART IKEA Bookcase ChallengeThen the bookcase arrived.  I had no clue what I was going to do with the bookcase, but Josslyn gave me the inspiration I needed! Mostly because after we put the bookcase together she was unable to keep from constantly playing with the bookcase.  We even laid it down on the ground so she could play inside.  I’m quite positive it’s her happy place!  So after some additional thought, I opted for a DIY Dollhouse!

sanding laminateI knew I wanted to change the look of the outside of the bookcase without taking too much time, so I opted to use paint!  I prepped the BILLY bookcase (found HERE) by taping of the front and insides of the bookcase and lightly sanding all of the surfaces that I was going to paint!

DIY Chalk PaintNext I prepped the paint.  I have to say a huge THANK YOU! to Gail from My Repurposed Life for sharing this awesome recipe for a paint with primer on her site!  If you want the exact measurements head over and check out her post!

HomeRight Finish Max ProAfter the paint was ready I prepped my HomeRight  Finish Max Pro Sprayer!

Finish Max ProI am horrible at cleaning the reservoir that holds the paint so Matt got me some awesome baggies to shorten my cleaning time!

first coatI love the Finish Max Pro Sprayer, the flow control allows me to make sure I am not getting too much paint on the piece I am painting!

Painting laminate furnitureAfter the first coat was nice and dry I very lightly sanded the bookcase surface and wiped any dust clean.

painting laminate furnitureTwo coats of paint was all the bookcase needed.  I used the Finish Max Pro sprayer again and applied a coat of polycrylic after the paint had a chance to dry.  I left the bookcase in the garage for a few days to let the paint set up and cure.

DIY Room dividers for a dollhouseAnd moved on to more fun, this time inside the house & inside the dollhouse!  I wanted the dollhouse to have room dividers so I picked up a piece of primed lumber at the hardware store.  Since my shelves are 10″ deep I was able to use a 10″ x 8’x 1″ piece of lumber to create all my dividers.  Once they were in the location I wanted them I took a pencil to mark their location and removed them.

DIY Dollhouse wallpaper using patterned scrapbook papersBecause now it’s time to DECORATE!  Wall coverings are the best way to make your dollhouse unique, I opted for some fun scrapbook papers in repeating patterns that coordinated with the color I picked for the bookcase.  I cut the papers so they would fit perfectly in each section and attached them to the backing of the bookcase using Glue Dots (found HERE)!  With the wallpaper in place I added back the dividers and attached them using a nail gun and glue.  They won’t be going anywhere anytime soon!DIY Dollhouse dining roomI picked up some dollhouse furniture at the Dollar Tree and once again painted them to match the wallpapers!  Who doesn’t love a hot pink side bar?

DIY Dollhouse KitchenMy parents were kind enough to let us borrow some furniture from their dollhouse.  I felt like I was moving off on my own again, with my mom bringing pots and pants for me to use in my new pad!

dollhouse vinyl roofDon’t forget the most important part of a dollhouse, the ROOF and chimney!  The space where Josslyn’s dollhouse is located is a tad tight.  Instead of wasting space with a roof I added a vinyl roofline!  The best part about this is that when she gets too old for a dollhouse (like this his humanly possibly) we can remove the vinyl and she has a fun bookcase to store her books and favorite items.

Dollhouse topshelfFor now the “Roof” is a great place for some of her favorite books and toys!

DIY Dollhouse IKEA Billy HackAnd as for Josslyn, she approves 110% of mom creating a dollhouse for her!  She was so excited that she promptly removed all of the furniture in the Master Bedroom and stacked it into a tower on the floor.  Girl’s got skills what can I say?!

Billy Bookcase DIY Dollhouse IKEA HackIn all the HomeRight BILLY Bookcase challenge was exactly that, a real challenge for me but I loved every second of creating something for my daughter to enjoy for years to come!

12 awesome BILLY Bookcase IKEA hacks. A little something for everyone!

  1.  Bookcase Dollhouse – The DIY Village
  2.  Bar Table – Refresh Restyle
  3.  Kitchen Bookshelf – 11 Magnolia Lane
  4.  Colorful Dresser – Infarrantly Creative
  5. DIY Industrial Cabinet – Simply Designing
  6. Rustic Bookcase – Farm Fresh Vintage Finds
  7. Modern Bookcase – Erin Spain
  8. Barnwood Bookcase – My Repurposed Life
  9. DIY Bookcase Storage Unit – Addicted to DIY
  10.  Craft Rolling Cart – Living Rich on Less
  11. Mini Mudroom – Shabby Creek Cottage
  12.  DIY Dress up Closet – Rain on a Tin Roof

Filed Under: All, Before & After, DIY, Furniture, Nursery

Comments

  1. keri @ shaken together says

    June 30, 2015 at 4:35 am

    First – that dollhouse bookcase is so fresh and bright and Joss will play with it for years to come! And we are finally starting a house reno – new paint on the outside, an update to our textured kitchen walls, etc. Our dining room table and chairs could use makeover and the paint sprayer would be perfect!
    keri @ shaken together recently posted..Creativity Unleashed Link Party & GIVEAWAY!!My Profile

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:38 pm

      Too bad your boys wouldn’t want a doll house! hehe

      Reply
  2. Nancy says

    June 30, 2015 at 8:50 am

    I love your book shelf/dollhouse idea.

    Reply
  3. Krista says

    June 30, 2015 at 9:31 am

    You knocked this one out of the park. Great job!

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:37 pm

      Thanks Krista!

      Reply
  4. Sarah says

    June 30, 2015 at 9:39 am

    So darling!!!
    Sarah recently posted..How to make a baby tag blanketMy Profile

    Reply
  5. Cyndee says

    June 30, 2015 at 10:07 am

    This is so cute! I would love for you to share this at our party this Thursday at Idea Box! You can check it out at http://csc.mycreativehome.org/2015/06/idea-box-link-party-16.html Hope to see you there!

    Cyndee

    Reply
  6. Elizabeth @ Pineapples and Polka Dots says

    June 30, 2015 at 10:08 am

    This is so, so sweet! I love the idea of a bookcase dollhouse, since it can be easily turned into useful storage when kids grow out of it. Also, this has a much smaller footprint than many of the dollhouse you can buy, and its openness actually makes it more functional. Saving this project for our future kiddos!
    Elizabeth @ Pineapples and Polka Dots recently posted..Painted Birch Garden MarkersMy Profile

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:37 pm

      Awesome! If you ever get around to making one I’d love to see the finished product!

      Reply
  7. Cyndee says

    June 30, 2015 at 10:12 am

    I love it! This is the cutest!! I would love for you to share at Idea Box link party this Thursday!

    http://csc.mycreativehome.org/2015/06/idea-box-link-party-16.html

    Cyndee

    Reply
  8. Angie @ Postcards from the Ridge says

    June 30, 2015 at 12:02 pm

    It looks so cute! I’m sure Little Miss Joss loves it. I’ve got some louvered closet doors and some wooden chairs that could use a paint makeover. How difficult is it to get an even coat with a sprayer? I’m so used to brushing everything.

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:35 pm

      Getting an even coat is super easy. In fact as long as the paint is thinned properly I have never had an issue with overspray, runs, or splatters like I have with other machines! No way I would paint something like a louvered closet door with anything else!

      Reply
  9. Robin Foster says

    June 30, 2015 at 1:08 pm

    This dollhouse is so cute and the paint sprayer seems to have made painting the outside of the bookcase a smooth and professional looking job! Your idea is a fun playhouse for Josslyn now and a useful bookcase for the future! Creativity at its best!

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      June 30, 2015 at 1:36 pm

      I bet you can have fun playing with her!
      Jacque recently posted..All Things Creative Over 75 Ideas for SummerMy Profile

      Reply
  10. amy tolley says

    June 30, 2015 at 3:24 pm

    I have a set of work tables i would like to stain for my hubby ….

    Reply
  11. gail says

    July 1, 2015 at 9:23 pm

    Jacque,

    I love, love, love your ikea billy bookcase hack project! Making a dollhouse was the perfect option for you.
    You did a great job decking it all out with the scrapbook papers and furniture. The genius part? that ROOF! Oh my! so creative!
    Super job!
    gail
    ps thanks for the shout out about my chalky primer recipe. I love it and use in 99% of the time for my own projects.

    Reply
  12. Marie@The Interior Frugalista says

    July 2, 2015 at 7:18 pm

    I’m visiting from the Creativity Unleashed Party. What a fabulous idea for an IKEA Billy Bookcase! Love the scrapbook wallpaper too. I won’t be entering the contest because I already have a HomeRight Finish Max Pro that I absolutely love. Whoever wins this contest will have so much fun with this awesome machine!

    Reply
  13. David says

    July 2, 2015 at 7:32 pm

    We have a spare bedroom in our house that we are converting into a playroom for our kids, and painting is a big part of that.

    Reply
  14. Nicole Dziedzic says

    July 5, 2015 at 6:54 pm

    I would love to use this to help paint our kitchen and our hallway in our home. This would help out a lot.

    Reply
  15. Elena says

    July 5, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    I would update my old book shelf

    Reply
  16. Starla B says

    July 5, 2015 at 11:35 pm

    How cute is that?! So awesome that you made the book case into that! I would definitely paint my Nana’s table in her kitchen. She would love that and has been asking to have it done!

    Reply
  17. Kimberly M. says

    July 6, 2015 at 1:42 am

    I have a bookcase my sister gave me I would paint it.

    Reply
  18. Jennifer Dawn says

    July 19, 2015 at 7:54 pm

    What a cool idea! So creative!

    Reply
  19. Nicole says

    July 17, 2017 at 12:40 am

    How did you attach the vertical dividers on the shelves?

    Reply
    • Jacque says

      July 17, 2017 at 1:46 am

      The dividers were glued and then nailed into place. The nails were through the back.

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 23 Home Decor Ikea Hacks | Find It, Fix It or Build It says:
    May 15, 2017 at 12:53 pm

    […] at The DIY Village turned a basic bookcase into this super cute dollhouse! Considering the cost of a new dollhouse, […]

    Reply
  2. Top 10 Repurposed Projects - Redhead Can Decorate says:
    July 25, 2017 at 1:25 pm

    […] Bookcase Dollhouse: IKEA Hack […]

    Reply
  3. Upcycled Projects bring new life to old items - Domestically Speaking says:
    July 25, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    […] Bookcase Dollhouse: IKEA Hack […]

    Reply
  4. 13 How to Make a DIY Dollhouse [Tutorials] | Tip Junkie says:
    December 15, 2017 at 9:15 pm

    […] DIY Bookcase Dollhouse [Ikea Hack] ~ Using an Ikea Billy Bookcase, The DIY Village transformed it with paint and […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Welcome…
    Search…
    Categories…

    Keep Up With Us By Email

    Enter your email address to subscribe to theDIYvillage and receive notifications of our latest posts by email.

    Blog Archive

    Latest Pin

    • Follow Me on Pinterest

    Affiliates

    Copyright © 2021 · Web Hosting By RFE Hosting